Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Itadori Ryou was a mistake. He was not someone who was supposed to exist in this world. He wasn’t saying that because he was depressed. No, this belief came from the fact that he knew what was supposed to happen. The fate of this world had been set in stone, yet ripples of change had already made their splash on the calm surface of destiny.

Ryou knew this because he had lived twice. In his first forgotten life, he had been a regular human who picked up this story. He could no longer recall much of his personal history, but his memory of this book was stark and clear. However, something strange occurred after his death, and he found himself reincarnated as a detested and hated boy in ancient Japan. Deprived of the knowledge of his first life, he stumbled blindly into this new world and made a name for himself. It would be one thing if he were revered and respected. No. He had claimed the title of the King of Curses and became the most infamous sorcerer in history. In his boredom, he had agreed to Kenjaku’s whim and split himself into twenty fingers.

That was why it should have been impossible for Ryou to be born. The pieces of his soul should have been trapped within those cursed objects, waiting for the time he would meet his destined vessel, Itadori Yuuji. Yet, somehow, due to a strange twist of fate, Ryou was born as Yuuji's older twin brother. It was only then that he regained access to the remnants of his first life’s memories. Perhaps it was lucky that he had only been a babe, or else he might’ve killed himself in embarrassment and guilt. Although he wasn’t as bad as the original, he still killed and consumed many humans. The sorcerers’ fear and hatred toward him were wholly justified.

Like in canon, they were born to Itadori Jin and Kaori. It would be one thing if his mother bore the striking stitches on her forehead to mark her as Kenjaku, but there were none. While Yuuji was a simple babe, Ryou was extremely aware of his surroundings and thus easily noticed his mother’s smooth forehead. She was herself and not a flesh puppet controlled by a centuries-old curse user.

What the hell was going on?

Unfortunately, despite his sharp intelligence, Ryou was merely a baby with small, pudgy limbs. The best he could do was roll over onto his stomach. He could certainly scream his frustration out, but he felt that Yuuji had done enough for the two of them. Seeing his parents' disheveled hair and dark eye bags made Ryou refrain from adding more trouble. So, with a severe lack of options, he cruised his way through the dreadfully boring baby phase. Luckily, his twin could provide endless entertainment as the boy tried to keep up with his brother, who easily grasped crawling and then walking. No matter how many times the kid fell, he stubbornly tried to reach out to his twin.

It was a very peaceful and mundane childhood. Compared to his time as Sukuna, Ryou was blessed with doting parents and a safe environment. He never had to struggle against the gnawing hunger that persisted throughout his youth until he could master his cursed technique. There were no bandits or wild animals that threatened to kill him. With the improved living conditions of ordinary people, curses were much less severe than in the ancient era. At least that was what he wanted to say; the problem was that Ryou was completely blind to cursed energy.

It seemed that after becoming Yuuji’s brother, he could not escape from the curse of twins. Ryou was blessed with a minor Heavenly Restriction that granted him greater physical prowess than normal humans. On the other hand, Yuuji got… nothing. Yeah. The brat got the short end of the stick. When Ryou realized his situation, he quickly tried to suss out whether his brother could see curses. Unless the kid was a born liar, it didn’t seem like he could see anything. He also did not display any cursed technique, so it seemed Yuuji was a truly normal human. That made sense, considering that no Kenjaku had been tinkering with him during the pregnancy.

That did not put Ryou’s mind at ease.

On the one hand, he wished Yuuji a peaceful life. On the other hand, Kenjaku was still roaming around doing whatever crazy and unethical experiments to fulfill his dream. Yeah. This was bad. Sadly, there was nothing he could do. He was still a kid, and even if he had grown up and had his current body potential, there wasn’t much he could do against a special grade. He had to regain his power, and that meant he had to retrieve his fingers. However, that likely meant facing Finger-Bearers and curses that had claimed those cursed objects. Based on his estimation, Ryou could perhaps only reach Maki’s power level before her Heavenly Restriction advanced after the death of Mai. He could technically fix this issue, but that meant Yuuji had to die.

Yeah, no.

Ryou might have been Ryoumen Sukuna, but he no longer felt that all-encompassing apathy that haunted the King of Curses. While he wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate threats, killing his twin brother was not acceptable. And so, Ryou could only silently suffer and experience the ‘joy’ of childhood.

Things had gone perfectly during the first three years of his new life. Sadly, everything fell apart when Itadori Jin and Kaori got into an accident. Neither of them survived, and their grandfather, Itadori Wasuke, took the two brothers in. The transfer of guardianship was seamless since the old man had been staying with his son in the same home. Since they had no other relatives, only Wasuke could take care of the young children.

Yuuji was very young, so he could not understand death, while Ryou was used to the fleetingness of life and could not muster any tears. Wasuke was the one who grieved in their stead. Although the old man tried to hide it, children were relatively easy to read, especially Ryou, with his low presence. It wasn’t rare to see the man crying silently. Sukuna was a master of Jujutsu and battle, but he had never learned how to comfort. The best thing Ryou could do was to make as little trouble for the man as possible and to send the sunshine incarnation, Yuuji, to Wasuke.

It took some time, but they eventually managed to get used to their new situation. Since Wasuke was old, he had to force the two children to be independent early. Ryou had never wanted to be treated like a child, so he was fine with the new responsibilities. Yuuji liked to imitate his brother’s actions, so he followed his directions like an obedient child. It was a peaceful life.

Nothing noteworthy occurred for several years until one day, Wasuke brought them to Kyoto to visit an old friend. Since the old man did not have anyone who could take care of the two children for a long time, he decided to bring the two along. It wasn’t a hard decision, considering Ryou and Yuuji were very obedient twins who rarely caused trouble. The old friend Wasuke was visiting was ill, and even though they hadn’t met for many years, their bond was still quite strong. Several elders also showed up, and they seemed to find particular joy in squishing young kids’ cheeks. While Yuuji beamed under the attention, Ryou hated being touched by strangers.

Wasuke noticed this and allowed the older child to escape. “Don’t wander too far.”

Ryou didn’t wait any longer and quickly exited the house. Wasuke seemed to assume he would go to the nearby park where some other kids were hanging out. Unfortunately for that man, Ryou had no interest in being surrounded by snotty brats. Although he might get scolded later, he decided to act rebelliously and wandered into the city. He didn’t have an exact destination since he just wanted to look around.

In his first life, he had lived in an era similar to this one. Yet time had corroded his memories until only small flashes of recollection remained. Thus, he began to take in these new and old scenes. Since Ryou was just a kid, he was often stuck at home, so even this small trip was quite refreshing for his mind. Unfortunately, like all things in his life, his trip was ruined when someone interrupted.

“What the hell are you?” a young voice asked behind him.

Ryou stopped walking and turned around to meet the bright blue eyes of a small boy who was slightly older than him. His own golden eyes widened when he realized the identity of this child. That snow-white hair combined with striking blue eyes could only belong to one person. It was Gojo fucking Satoru.

Gojo Satoru was bored. As the heir to the Gojo clan, there was not much that was out of his grasp. Anything he wanted was granted, and his numerous retainers dealt with all mundane troubles swiftly. Besides being blessed with the Six Eyes and the Limitless technique, Satoru also had a sharp mind that allowed him to easily grasp various skills.

While other kids struggled to even understand basic math, Satoru felt like he was already bored with life, despite only being eight years old. Sure, he still had not fully mastered his Limitless technique yet, but that would come in time as his body matured. For now, he could only float through his life like an aimless, uprooted water lily.

It was due to that crushing boredom that Satoru began showing a rebellious streak. Although the elders in his clan liked to throw their weight around, everybody knew deep down that Satoru was already the head, if not in name. His Six Eyes had sealed his fate the moment he was born. He would be the head of the Gojo clan. The elders also understood this, which was why they took him as a baby from his parents. They could not trust the task of raising the next clan head to a low-ranking member of the clan. Not only would they not be able to instruct him in mastering the Limitless, but they also didn’t want the couple to teach the wrong things to Satoru.

Not that the boy cared much about his biological parents. After his fifth birthday, the elders allowed Satoru to meet them. It seemed that after birthing the next clan head, their status within the clan had risen significantly. Nobody wanted to slight the parents of the wielder of Six Eyes. Who knew if the kid got attached to them despite not seeing them for many years? Well, there was good news for those people: Satoru couldn’t care less. When he officially met his supposed parents, he didn’t feel anything. In his eyes, these two people were no different from the rest of the clan members who bowed and deferred to him. They were related by blood, so what? That bond also connected him to the rest of the clan members.

So, Satoru spent the majority of his days alone. He spent most of his time studying and training, and when he didn’t, he just lounged around the estate. There were other children in the clan, but none of them dared to ask to play with him. Their parents must have told them about his status, so no other kids wanted to get too close to him. What if they accidentally insulted or annoyed the next clan head? Even if they were in the right, the elders would side with Satoru. Not that he cared; he didn’t need to be surrounded by pathetic children who could only cry to their parents.

However, that didn’t change the fact that Satoru was bored out of his mind. His attendants tried to entertain him, but he was sick of being stuck inside the estate. And so, on a bright, sunny day, Satoru left to look around the outside world. He had heard tales of the city beyond their lands and was curious about all sorts of interesting things he could see. Well, the tall buildings and throngs of people were certainly new. There were also many advertisements and vehicles on the streets.

Yet, the one thing that kept being on his mind was the noise of the world outside. It wasn’t just the usual sounds; no, the amount of information his eyes were registering was more than he had ever experienced before. He could handle the new streams of information, but he knew his Six Eyes were still developing, and perhaps one day, he wouldn’t be able to withstand gazing at these sights.

While Satoru was processing all the new things around him, something suddenly caught his full attention. It was very subtle and fleeting. Perhaps nobody would notice it, but his Six Eyes could not miss it. That dark and overpowering aura. Cursed energy was not pretty in the first place, but this one took it to the next level. Initially, he had expected to see a powerful curse, but no, it wasn’t that. In fact, the source of that malevolent aura was a boy.

Satoru couldn’t help but quickly approach the other kid. Before his brain could register it, he had already blurted out, “What the hell are you?”

Bright golden eyes locked onto him as the unknown boy turned around. He had soft pink hair and was wearing a comfy hoodie. His two hands were shoved into his pockets while a lazy aura surrounded him. The other didn’t answer the question.

“I asked you a question,” Satoru pushed again.

The kid narrowed his eyes. “Who are you to demand that from me?”

Satoru was stunned. What? He had never had anyone say that to him. For as long as he had lived, everyone always gave him whatever he demanded. Yet now, this unknown kid refused to even answer a simple question!

“Isn’t that the polite thing to do?” Satoru said.

The kid snorted. “Huh? Aren’t you the weirdo who suddenly bothered me? I don’t know you at all. Why should I humor you? Also, you are asking me ‘what I am.’ In case you’re blind, I’m obviously a human.”

“No, you’re not!” Satoru replied heatedly. “Why is your aura so dark then? You’re more like a curse!” It was only then that he realized that if the boy was a mundane human, he had just said something he shouldn’t have.

The kid narrowed his eyes. “Rude. If you’re this hostile, I have no interest in interacting further.”

Before Satoru could react, the boy immediately ran away into the massive crowd. Although his Six Eyes could track many things, the amount of energy in the area overwhelmed his senses. He desperately tried to locate the strange kid, but he couldn’t find his target.

Breathing hard, Satoru stopped beside a tree when he finally gave up. That brat! How dare he run away! He would definitely track him down!

Ryou was a bit worried that Gojo would be able to track him with his Six Eyes, but it seemed the brat hadn’t fully mastered his gift yet. Using the crowd as his cover, the boy easily lost his pursuer and returned to Wasuke. He arrived just in time for his grandfather to begin searching for him. The old man narrowed his eyes at his grandson’s slightly labored breathing but decided to let it go, perhaps assuming the boy was just playing in the playground.

“Are we done?” Ryou asked. He hadn’t expected to interact with the future strongest sorcerer this soon, so the encounter spooked him somewhat. Since he and Yuuji were born earlier than they were supposed to, he knew there was a high chance of meeting a young Gojo. Dealing with adult Gojo Satoru caused headaches for many people; teen Gojo was a menace, while kid Gojo was a disaster. Perhaps this was Heaven's way of punishing him for his sins. Ugh.

Wasuke raised an eyebrow. “Did you not hear me? We’re going to stay here for a while.”

Oh, right. Wasuke had informed him that they would be staying in Kyoto for some time. Ryou groaned. Although he wasn’t thrilled about exploring the city, he decided to stay indoors for several days. Yuuji tried to accompany him, but the boy had high energy and couldn’t stay cooped up inside for long.

“Come ooooon! Let’s go out!” Yuuji whined.

“Then go out by yourself,” Ryou said, continuing to read his book.

“But I don’t wanna go out alone,” Yuuji replied, tugging at Ryou’s jacket. “Coooomeee oooooon!”

Ryou grumbled, considering tossing the kid aside. He really didn’t want to go outside yet. Who knew if Gojo had given up looking for him? Yet, one teary-eyed look from Yuuji made him relent. “Fine, but we’re not going too far from the hotel.”

The two decided to walk around the area near the hotel they were staying at. There was a park nearby, so Yuuji quickly headed there. Ryou walked slowly behind his twin, keeping an eye on his surroundings. Unfortunately, he could no longer sense cursed energy, so he had to rely only on his eyes. It hadn’t even been half an hour since they got outside when Gojo Satoru showed up.

“You!” the white-haired boy shouted, pointing at Ryou.

‘How the hell did this brat track me down this fast?’ Ryou wondered, his right eye twitching. “What?”

“How dare you run away from me!” Gojo exclaimed. “I was talking to you!”

Yuuji looked between the two with questioning eyes. “Is he a new friend?”

“No!” Ryou and Gojo shouted simultaneously.

“This weirdo bothered me a few days ago,” Ryou said, pointing a thumb at Gojo.

“Weirdo? I’m not a weirdo!” Gojo defended himself.

“Oh yeah? Then why are you suddenly showing up the moment I leave my lodging?” Ryou asked.

“That—” Gojo struggled to answer. Hah. It was obvious the brat couldn’t let go of the fact that Ryou had managed to escape. Kids had big egos, especially those who were as talented as Gojo Satoru.

Ryou rolled his eyes. “Listen, I don’t care what your problem is. Just leave me and my brother alone.”

Gojo huffed, crossing his arms. “Not until you answer my question!”

“What question?” Yuuji asked.

“I asked him, ‘What—no, who is he?’ and he just ran away!” Gojo said.

‘No, you didn’t,’ Ryou thought.

“Oh! That’s easy!” Yuuji beamed. “I’m Itadori Yuuji, and my brother is Ryou!”

Ryou put a hand over his face. Goddamn it. He wanted to avoid being remembered by Gojo. Good job, Yuuji.

“What’s your name?” Yuuji asked.

Gojo blinked, clearly not expecting someone to ask his name. Well, the brat had probably been surrounded by people who knew his status and name ever since he was born. “I-” The boy stopped and took a deep breath. “My name is Gojo Satoru!”

He emphasized his clan name so much as if expecting the two random kids to recognize one of the three big sorcerer clans. When neither of the boys showed any sign of recognition, the pride in Gojo's stance deflated a bit.

Yuuji gave a bright smile. “Nice to meet you!”

Ryou only hummed. “So, since you’ve already got your answer, why don’t you scram?”

Gojo twitched at the rude tone. “Don’t tell me to go away like a stray cat!”

“Well, you certainly act like one.” Ryou crossed his arms. “You just keep coming back even though I show no interest in interacting with you. Are you hungry or something?”

“Y-you!” Gojo pointed angrily at Ryou, his face turning red.

“Ryou, why are you so mean?” Yuuji asked, disappointed.

“What? I’m just speaking the truth,” Ryou said.

“Y-y-you!” Gojo couldn’t handle being shown this much disrespect. The boy was breathing slightly hard now as his face got even redder. “It’s not like you can just tell me to go away! This is a public space!”

Ryou raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so you are admitting that you’ve been harassing me?”

“I’m not!” Gojo exclaimed. “Ugh! Stop acting so high and mighty! Fine, let’s make a bet. If you can land one hit on me, I’ll leave you alone!”

Ryou narrowed his eyes.

Yuuji glanced anxiously between the two boys.

Gojo gave a satisfied smirk, believing there was no way a mundane human would accept such a challenge.

“Alright, deal,” Ryou said.

This time, it was Gojo who narrowed his eyes. “Don’t cry if I retaliate.”

“That is if you can actually hit me, brat,” Ryou shot back.

Gojo growled. He waited for the kid to prepare himself, but Ryou kept his hands in his pockets. The white-haired boy narrowed his eyes further. Was it all a bluff? Just when Gojo started to become suspicious, Ryou suddenly whipped out one of his hands.

BAM!

“Guh!” Gojo spat out some saliva when he suddenly got punched in the gut. His Six Eyes registered the blow coming, but his body was too slow. He even tried to protect himself with cursed energy, yet the sheer power from that physical punch still hurt. The white-haired boy fell to his knees as his hands covered his bruised stomach.

“Che, what a weakling,” Ryou said.

Gojo tensed at the insult and quickly got up. The other boy tried to throw a punch, but Ryou easily dodged the attack. He then turned around, grabbed the other’s arm, and threw his body to the ground. The white-haired boy wheezed at the second impact.

“Are you done?” Ryou asked as he stared down at the bright blue eyes.

Gojo only blinked dazedly.

Yuuji shrieked and finally stopped watching the fight. Placing his body between the two boys, the younger brother put his hands on his hips, imitating Wasuke. “What are you doing, Ryou?! You shouldn’t be hitting people.”

The older boy only huffed. “Sometimes violence is the only answer that some people can understand, Yuuji.”

Yuuji didn’t accept his answer and crossed his arms. “No, you’re just being mean.” He then turned around and tried to pick up Gojo, who still looked shocked. Perhaps this was the first time someone had soundly beaten him in a fight. “Look at him! He’s in shock.”

Ryou rolled his eyes. “He’s just being dramatic.”

Yuuji glowered at his brother. “If you don’t say sorry, I’m going to tell Grandpa.”

Ryou groaned and then shot a half-assed apology at the white-haired boy. “Fine, I’m sorry for throwing you to the ground.”

Gojo still didn’t respond.

Yuuji frowned worriedly. “Do you think we need to call an ambulance?”

“Don’t be stupid,” Ryou said. However, it did seem like Gojo was so deep in shock that it might take time for him to recover. “You wait here; I know how to snap him out of it.”

Ryou left Yuuji to fuss over Gojo while he went in search of a sweet shop. The best way to bribe Gojo was through his stomach, after all. Luckily, there was one nearby, and the boy purchased three ice cream cones. The two boys had moved to a bench, but the white-haired boy still wore that wide-eyed look.

Without hesitation, Ryou shoved one of the ice creams into Gojo’s mouth. Gojo was startled by the sudden cold, but his hand automatically grabbed the cone. The boy blinked several times.

Ryou clicked his tongue. “Eat it before it melts.” He then offered Yuuji another cone, which he happily accepted.

“You think you can bribe me with this?!” Gojo asked angrily.

Ryou huffed and took a bite of his soft serve. “I don’t care whether you eat it or not.”

“Grandpa said you shouldn’t waste food,” Yuuji said sagely.

Gojo’s eye twitched at the two brothers. He looked at the ice cream in his hand and then at Ryou, who was ignoring him in favor of eating his own cone. With a pout, the boy ate his snack. Once the ice creams were gone, Yuuji immediately shot an apologetic look at Gojo.

“I’m sorry about my brother,” Yuuji said. “He’s not usually this mean.”

“That’s because I’ve never met someone this unreasonable recently,” Ryou muttered.

Gojo pursed his lips but didn’t say a word.

“Why are you so interested in Ryou, anyway?” Yuuji asked, not bothered by the lack of response.

“It’s— It’s nothing.” The white-haired boy shook his head. “How can you be that fast anyway?”

The boy only shrugged, and it was his brother who replied, “Ryou has always been strong! Do you know that he can easily carry me?”

Gojo narrowed his eyes. Perhaps he guessed that Ryou might have a Heavenly Restriction. He shot a look at Yuuji, but it seemed his Six Eyes registered nothing about the other boy, as Yuuji looked confused.

“So, are you done bothering us?” Ryou asked. “Or do you need me to beat you again?”

Yuuji smacked his brother on the arm. “I said stop being mean!” Then, he turned to the other boy. “Just ignore Ryou, Satoru. He’s always a bit grumpy. Since you’re already here, how about we go play? It’s always better to have more people!”

“You’re asking me to play with you?” Gojo asked in surprise.

Yuuji nodded excitedly.

While his brother couldn’t read expressions very well yet, Ryou easily noticed the other’s surprise and hesitation. Based on his knowledge, the future strongest sorcerer seemed to have had a lonely childhood. Considering his lofty status, it was no wonder that children born in the Jujutsu world didn’t dare to get too close.

Gojo didn’t answer for some time, but Yuuji only kept looking at him with his big eyes. Eventually, the boy said, “What are we going to play anyway?”

“I don’t know,” Yuuji said. “Let’s look around. If we don’t find anything, we can just play tag or hide and seek!”

Ryou wanted to point out that Gojo would have an unfair advantage due to his Six Eyes, but he wasn’t supposed to know that. So, he kept his mouth shut and followed his brother’s whims. In the end, they decided to play hide and seek. Despite Ryou’s worries, it seemed Gojo knew how to play along and didn’t try to locate them immediately. They ended up playing for several hours until Wasuke showed up to bring them back.

“You made a new friend?” Wasuke asked.

Yuuji nodded. “Yup! His name is Gojo Satoru! He was actually Ryou’s friend first.”

Ryou wanted to protest because that wasn’t true, but he was afraid of Wasuke digging up the truth, so he stayed silent. Gojo looked up at the old man with wide eyes and quickly bowed respectfully. “Nice to meet you.”

“What a polite child,” Wasuke said. “I hope my grandsons didn’t give you too much trouble.”

Gojo and Ryou exchanged glances as they traded silent threats. With a bright white grin, the boy said, “Not at all, sir. I’ve been having fun.”

“Well, good,” Wasuke replied. “We’re going to stay here for a while, so feel free to visit and play more.”

Ryou wanted to say, ‘Please, no, I don’t want it. Let me stay away from this gremlin.’

Gojo noticed Ryou’s distress and smiled sweetly. “Of course, sir. I’ll come and play again tomorrow.”

God fucking damn it.

Yuuji was absolutely taken by Gojo Satoru. Despite being young, Gojo had mastered the art of charm and was able to make Yuuji adore him. To make matters worse, he had money. Wasuke didn’t have a lot of spare income, and it was rare for them to be able to buy toys or expensive snacks. Gojo quickly discovered this and bribed Yuuji with various shiny gadgets and sweets.

Despite Ryou’s best attempts, Yuuji couldn’t stop asking for his new best friend. Ugh. Kids. So impressionable and naive. Since he couldn’t let his brother go alone, he could only suffer through Gojo’s presence. While Gojo was absolutely charming toward Yuuji, he was downright annoying toward Ryou. It wasn’t rare for them to try to hit each other behind Yuuji’s back.

“Stay away from my brother,” Ryou hissed.

“What? Are you afraid I’ll take him away?” Gojo taunted back.

Ryou tried to punch him, but Gojo was able to evade it this time. Yuuji turned around and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” the other two boys said simultaneously.

Yuuji blinked doubtfully.

And so, their stay in Kyoto was infested by a gremlin called Gojo Satoru. Ryou couldn’t understand how the kid kept finding them. Wasn’t he supposed to be locked up inside the estate until he was a teen?

“Where are your parents?” Ryou asked when he got fed up one day.

“I don’t know, they can’t tell me what to do anyway,” Gojo replied.

“They can’t?” Yuuji asked.

Gojo grinned. “Nah. I did have to sneak away from my attendants, but they didn’t dare to bother me since I told them I wanted to study in my room alone.”

Ryou sighed. Useless sorcerers.

The sole hope that kept Ryou sane during their stay in Kyoto was the fact that it would eventually come to an end. Finally, Wasuke decided it was time to return to Kitakami City. When they heard the news, Yuuji was sad, Gojo was shocked, and Ryou was gleeful.

“You’re leaving?” Gojo asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, we don’t actually live here,” Yuuji replied.

“We’re only here to visit Grandpa’s friend,” Ryou added.

“Why can’t you stay?” Gojo demanded like a brat.

“Don’t be daft,” Ryou replied. “Our Grandpa still needs to return to work. We’re not rich like you.”

Gojo pursed his lips. “But I don’t want you to go.”

Ryou sighed. Although he was quite annoyed by the other’s presence, he wasn’t blind to the fact that the kid was very lonely. Of course, he would get attached to the two people who didn’t care about his status and treated him like a normal child. “We can’t stay, but I suppose we can exchange letters if you want.”

“Letters?” Gojo frowned. “Not that I have problems with writing, but isn’t that too slow? Don’t you have phones? We can just send messages quicker like that.”

“We don’t have that much spare money, idiot,” Ryou replied. He still gave Gojo the address to their home, which he took sullenly. He thought that would be the end of it, but he should’ve known better. Right before they left Kyoto, Gojo showed up to shove an expensive bag at Ryou.

“What’s this?” Ryou frowned as he opened the bag. The contents were wrapped nicely with beautiful packaging.

“It’s a handphone, obviously,” Gojo said with a self-satisfied expression. “I’ll also pay the credits, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

Ryou’s eye twitched, and Yuuji exclaimed happily as he took the present from his brother. “Thanks, Satoru! You’re so nice!”

Wasuke looked doubtfully at the white-haired boy. Perhaps he had just realized that the new friend his grandsons had made was the son of a rich family. “What do your parents think about this? Isn’t this too expensive?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Gojo replied. “They give me anything I want.”

Spoken like someone born with a golden spoon.

Wasuke knew there was nothing else he could do and only said thanks. Gojo insisted on accompanying them until they departed from the train station. Even as the train left the station, the kid stayed behind to watch them go. Ryou sighed as he witnessed that small figure become even smaller.

“He seems like a lonely kid,” Wasuke commented.

Ryou hummed as he made Yuuji lean on him while he slept. They had woken up quite early to prepare, so the boy was tired.

“You three get along really well,” the old man continued.

Ryou snorted. “You’re just imagining things.”

Wasuke only smiled.

Without Gojo Satoru harassing him every day, things became peaceful. They still had to deal with constant messages from the boy, but it was much better than dealing with him in person. Gojo had actually bought them two phones, so Ryou and Yuuji each had their own. Although Ryou was sure Gojo should be very busy, the kid somehow managed to message them almost every hour. The things he sent were very mundane since he wouldn’t tell them anything related to sorcery. Ryou was fine with this new routine, but one month after they left Kyoto, he received an ominous message.

[Gojo Satoru: Be prepared to be surprised! :D]

Ryou narrowed his eyes. Despite his best attempts, he couldn’t drag the truth out of the boy. Yuuji also didn’t know anything, but they finally received an answer several days later when a knock came at their front door. Ryou was the one who opened it since he was the closest, and he saw a horrifying sight.

“Yo!” Gojo grinned brightly as he stood in front of the Itadori house. He was wearing a hoodie, long pants, and had a thick backpack slung over his shoulder.

“What the fuck?” Ryou muttered.

How the fuck did Gojo Satoru show up in Kitakami City?!

Those useless sorcerers! They couldn't even keep an eye on a kid!!!

Omake:

Ryou: *Meets Gojo for the first time* Do not punt the child.

Ryou: *Gojo keeps annoying him* I want to punt the child.

Chapter Text

Ryou couldn’t react for a long time as he tried to understand how Gojo managed to reach Kitakami City. The kid should’ve been under heavy supervision by his clan elders. Sneaking out to explore Kyoto was one thing, but traveling to the other side of Japan was another! Ryou was tempted to slam the door and lock Gojo out, hoping the boy would give up and return home, but Wasuke chose to appear at that moment.

The old man blinked at the appearance of their grandson’s friend and couldn’t seem to find anything to say for several seconds. “…Gojo-kun?”

“Hello, Itadori-san!” Gojo chirped.

“Are you visiting Kitakami with your parents?” Wasuke asked, trying to locate the supposed adults nearby.

Instead of blatantly lying, Gojo told a half-truth. “Ah, no, they allowed me to come here alone.”

Now, those words might not sound strange if you were speaking to sorcerer families with questionable standards. Considering that the big clans were more than happy to throw young kids into battle against curses from an early age, allowing them to travel to far-off cities seemed more reasonable. The problem was that Wasuke came from a mundane background and expected all parents to protect their children like jewels.

Wasuke’s eye twitched.

Ryou sighed and covered his face with one hand.

Gojo only continued smiling.

“Oh, hey! Satoru! What are you doing here?” Yuuji asked as he went to the front door, wondering why his brother and grandfather were still standing there.

The Gojo clan was currently in chaos because the heir had gone missing! At first, nobody suspected anything since Satoru had taken a liking to studying alone in his room. He had even ordered all his attendants not to bother him, or else they would be punished. No one dared to test this threat, as the boy looked very serious when delivering those words. Nothing unusual occurred for many weeks as the heir continued to study in his room. The boy did become slightly more distracted recently, but he still performed stellar in his studies and training.

However, on that fateful day, as the sun slowly reached its apex in the sky, no one had seen that striking white-haired head. The attendants finally grew anxious enough that they entered the heir’s chamber despite his warnings. What they found was an empty room.

There was chaos.

Had Gojo Satoru been kidnapped? Who dared break into one of the three big clans to steal the heir? An investigation was quickly launched, but they didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention from outsiders, so they were forced to keep things subtle and quiet. Although those measures stopped other clans and curse users from sticking their noses into Gojo clan business, it slowed down their search exponentially.

There was no sign of a struggle inside the heir’s room, but they were able to find dampening seals that suppressed sound and presence inside. Some of Satoru’s clothes and money were also gone. Although the heir was still young, he was already very strong and could be considered at least a Grade One sorcerer. You could not take someone at that level without causing a ruckus. Thus, based on all the hints, the elders couldn’t help but believe that this was an act of rebellion from Satoru himself.

The boy had always complained about being bored. While the heir continued to act obediently on the outside, perhaps it was all a ruse to fool them while the kid planned his escape. Although the elders expected the boy to act his age, they never expected Satoru to dare escape from the estate. What could that kid possibly want outside? Had they deprived the heir of something? Certainly not! They had given him everything he could want: food, clothing, and education. Why would the boy still wish to run away?

Before everyone in the Gojo clan could lose their hair from anxiety, they finally got the location of the heir from the boy himself. It was a short and cold message.

[Gojo Satoru: I’m in Kitakami City, visiting my friends. Don’t bother me, or I’ll make you pay >:( ]

“There, I already sent them the message,” Satoru said sullenly as he turned off his phone. No doubt those old fools would start calling him.

He didn’t want to inform the clan, but Wasuke insisted he tell his ‘parents.’ Despite his lies, the old man easily dug out the truth from him. How annoying. He had done a lot of preparation for this act. First, he had to gather enough money since he knew he couldn’t use his card or he would get caught. This wasn’t hard at all since he had ample pocket money every day. Then, he had to make sure nobody would notice him sneaking out of Kyoto. Afterward, it was pretty easy to reach Kitakami City. Ryou gave him the full address, while Yuuji liked to share details about their home in this small city.

Satoru had looked forward to exploring the new town with his friends. The fact that he could also mess with the clan was a bonus. Although he was sure those elders would come to pick him up, he hoped he could at least stay here for a while.

Wasuke still looked tired from the unexpected guest and sighed. He then turned his attention to Ryou, who huffed. “It’s not my fault.”

“Regardless of whose fault it is, he’s still your friend.” Wasuke rubbed his temple. “Since he’s already here, why don’t you help him settle in?”

Yuuji looked excited to have a friend staying at their home, while Ryou wanted to bang his head on the table. Satoru sent a pleased smile at the boy as he followed the younger brother. Although there was one empty bedroom, Wasuke decided that allowing the three boys to stay together was preferable.

“Who knows, maybe he’ll get scared sleeping by himself in an unfamiliar place,” Wasuke explained.

Ryou snorted. Unfortunately for him, only he was against the idea, so he could merely suffer silently as Satoru made himself comfortable. The twins were sleeping on futons, so adding one more wasn’t difficult.

“It’ll be a sleepover!” Yuuji cheered.

Ryou sulked in the background as Yuuji took Satoru on a tour after he put down his heavy backpack in their bedroom. There was much to see. Unlike the sprawling Gojo estate with numerous buildings and rooms, Itadori’s house was humble and small. It was enough for a small family to live in. Besides explaining what each room was for, Yuuji also peppered the tour with numerous stories about their time living there.

Yuuji pointed at the stickers on the wall. “These stickers mark our height. Father started putting them up after our third birthday so we could track our growth! See, this is the latest one.”

Satoru examined the rows of stickers. Yuuji’s were tigers, while Ryou’s were dragons. They looked like those cheap stickers you could buy on the streets. Although he could buy a truck full of them, these stickers seemed different. They felt more meaningful. Back in the clan, the elders assigned a physician to take care of his diet and health. Every month, they would measure his body and record it. Those check-ups were certainly more accurate and thorough, yet something in him stung as he looked at these childish stickers.

During Satoru’s musings, Yuuji left for a moment to bring back a sheet of stickers. He offered it to the white-haired boy, who looked at various animals on the paper. “Since you’re here, how about we track your height too? Which one do you like?”

Satoru examined each sticker intently. They weren’t well-drawn, certainly nowhere near the paintings that hung in the Gojo clan’s halls. Yet, he examined them carefully and finally picked the white-haired cat. “This one.”

Ryou rolled his eyes and pushed Satoru so he would stand flush against the wall. He then peeled off the sticker and placed it on the wall near the top of his head. The white-haired kid immediately turned around to examine the new addition.

“You guys are shorter than me,” Satoru smugly said.

“You’re two years older than us,” Ryou shot back.

Satoru grinned. “Even when we’re adults, I’m sure I’ll still be taller than you.”

Ryou looked like he wanted to argue more, but he just breathed out harshly and turned away. “Whatever.”

“It’s okay, Ryou! We can be short together!” Yuuji encouragingly said.

“Shut up, Yuuji,” Ryou grumbled.

There wasn’t much else to see in Itadori’s home, so the kids asked Wasuke if they could leave to explore the city. The old man gave them a stern look. “You three better not cause trouble.”

It seemed that after Satoru’s recent stunt, the old man had finally realized that his previous good-boy attitude was an act. So, he knew discouraging the kids from acting mischievously was a must.

“Of course, sir,” Satoru said obediently. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

Wasuke snorted. “Sure you are.”

They didn’t wait any longer and immediately exited the house. Kitakami was a much smaller town than Kyoto. Although there were still quite a lot of people, it was nowhere near the waves of humans that walked around the big city. Everything was quite new to Satoru, so he didn’t mind as Yuuji introduced his hometown. Ryou followed behind them silently, offering little comment.

Yuuji was very expressive as he described all the buildings and areas they came across. They eventually reached the park. Since many other kids were playing in the playground, the three opted to go to a nearby stream, where Yuuji dragged them into crayfish fishing. They bought some crude, small fishing poles made from sticks and tiny bait. Although Satoru doubted these poor tools could catch any fish, the three of them managed to catch one each.

“Why is yours the biggest?!” Satoru exclaimed as the three crayfish postured at each other.

Ryou just shrugged, but there was a shadow of a smirk on his face. “I don’t know, maybe they like me better.”

“Come on, guys, it’s not a competition,” Yuuji sighed.

Satoru wanted to demand another round, but the sun had risen high in the sky, and its rays were burning down on the poor humans below. While Yuuji and Ryou handled the heat just fine, Satoru’s skin had become slightly flushed.

Ryou tutted. “What a princess.”

“Shut up,” Satoru grumbled as he pulled up his hoodie in an attempt to protect his head. It was too hot.

“Oh, there’s a great ice cream shop nearby! We can go there!” Yuuji excitedly suggested.

Ryou narrowed his eyes at his twin. “No, we should not.”

“Why not?” Satoru protested. He was sweating heavily, and a cold drink and ice cream sounded great.

Outvoted, Ryou could only follow the two boys as they made their way to the store. There were quite a few people inside, but it didn’t take long for them to get their orders. Yuuji was quite sad when he found out that he didn’t have enough pocket money. Ryou was about to give him his share when Satoru did what he was best at.

“Don’t worry, I’ll treat you guys,” Satoru said with a grin.

Yuuji’s eyes sparkled when he heard that. Two young boys with sweet teeth and ample money were not a great combination. After being under the heat for so long, the kids wanted something cold and sweet. And they wanted a lot of it.

“I can see where this is going,” Ryou groaned as he drank his simple cold drink. The older twin watched in exasperated silence as the other two boys continued to buy more ice cream. Yuuji had dreamed of eating all the ice cream he wanted, while Satoru, tired of having his diet dictated by the elders, took great pleasure in consuming this 'cheap and unhealthy food.’

The seller looked slightly concerned at the amount of orders, but money was money, and she didn’t discourage them too much. Unfortunately, catastrophe finally struck, and the two kids paid for their voracious appetites.

“Uuuuugh, my stomach,” Satoru moaned as he and Yuuji crouched in the shop’s toilet. They had just puked their guts out after eating sweets for half an hour straight.

Yuuji also groaned painfully as he accepted the tissue from his brother.

Ryou clicked his tongue as he looked down on them. “That’s what you get for being idiots, morons.”

Satoru wanted to protest being called an idiot and moron, but his stomach grumbled threateningly again. He curled tighter into himself. Seeing his pitiful state, the older twin sighed.

It took some time, but eventually, Yuuji gathered himself. His stomach still felt uncomfortable, but he was no longer puking. Satoru wasn’t as lucky. He had been raised on a proper diet made with the best ingredients. His stomach wasn’t used to the food sold at these stores, and he couldn’t recover as quickly.

“You’re really a princess, huh,” Ryou said as Satoru continued to curl up on the ground. “Defeated by mere ice cream.”

The white-haired boy didn’t offer a retort. He couldn’t, not when his stomach was rebelling.

“Ryouuuu,” Yuuji whined. “I wanna go home.”

Ryou rolled his eyes. “You should tell that to this wimp, then.” He used his foot to lightly kick the boy. “Come on, get up. It’s time to go back.”

Satoru groaned. “I can’t move.” He didn’t know if it was because of his stomach or if his legs had gone numb after crouching on the ground for so long. The end result was the same. There was no way he could make the journey back to Itadori’s house.

“Ryoooouuuu,” Yuuji whined again as he leaned on his brother.

Ryou pinched the bridge of his nose. “Both of you are brain-dead imbeciles.”

In the end, Ryou had to give Satoru a piggyback ride so they could return home. Although the white-haired boy still felt miserable, he couldn’t deny that this action was quite new to him. After he had learned to walk, nobody dared to pick him up. Such actions would be seen as inappropriate since he was the heir of the Gojo clan. He had to act with the utmost propriety, and getting a piggyback ride was unacceptable.

“If only you weren’t so short,” Satoru grumbled, “this could’ve been more comfortable.”

“Keep talking, and I’ll drop you,” Ryou threatened.

Satoru only stuck his tongue out.

When Wasuke saw the two boys’ states, he wasn’t impressed at all. Ryou only shrugged and said that it wasn’t his fault since he had warned them. Seeing that it was a "spilt milk" situation, the old man sent the two to bed after giving them some stomach medicine. They technically should have lunch, but the boys’ stomachs refused to accept any food after the torture they had been through.

“Just stay put until dinner,” Wasuke said. “And Ryou, keep an eye on them.”

“When have I not?” Ryou griped.

As an act of revenge, Ryou decided to eat his meal in front of the bedbound kids. The usually enticing smell became nauseating to the two boys. Unfortunately, they couldn’t do anything except complain until the older twin finished his food.

Since the two kids couldn’t move, they decided to spend their time reading. Unlike the numerous complex Jujutsu texts the elders gave Satoru, the books the twins had were fairly simple. Yuuji happily offered to read his favorite story to the white-haired boy. Although it wasn’t anything exemplary, the way the younger twin told the tale made it an entertaining experience. Ryou was silently reading his own book, which seemed to be about science.

“You can understand that?” Satoru asked. Based on his observation, it seemed like something for older teens. He could definitely understand the material, but Satoru was a genius.

Yuuji nodded. “Ryou is very smart.”

The older twin only rolled his eyes. “You just play too much.”

Yuuji stuck out his tongue in retaliation.

Ryou’s eye twitched at the act, and he glared at Satoru. “You’re a bad influence.”

The white-haired boy only grinned.

Luckily, Satoru’s stomach recovered before dinner, so he could eat some food. Wasuke had made a pot of Japanese stew, which was still hot when they called the boys down. Unlike in the Gojo clan, where Satoru ate alone while the attendants waited on him, the Itadoris ate together at the table. The dishes were simple and nowhere near the expert craftsmanship of the chefs on the estate. Yet as the boy ate this meal, he couldn’t help but think it was better somehow.

While the attendants quickly took his empty plates away at the estate, Wasuke ordered them to clean their own dishes. After watching Ryou and Yuuji do the chore, it wasn’t hard for him to pick up the skill. With a bright smile, he examined his clean plate.

“Good job,” Ryou snidely said.

Despite knowing it was a sarcastic remark, Satoru still puffed up in pride. After eating, they decided to watch some programs on the TV. Satoru was quite familiar with this device, but the elders refused to allow him to watch TV since they deemed it a waste of time, time that was better spent mastering his abilities and learning his duties as the heir.

Wasuke ordered them to go to bed when the sky had gotten dark. Since Ryou didn’t want to be too close to Satoru, Yuuji was the one in the middle. The younger twins didn’t mind this one bit, and they exchanged stories before sleepiness hit them.

“... And that’s how… I… zzz…” Yuuji couldn’t finish his tale as his head fell on his pillow. Ryou quickly tucked in his brother and shot a look at the white-haired boy.

“Go to sleep already,” Ryou said.

Satoru was actually quite tired, but he couldn’t help but say, “But I don’t wanna.”

Easily seeing through his lie, Ryou only scrunched his nose. “Yeah, good try. I can see your eyes almost falling shut.” Instead of making himself comfortable, the older twin leaned over Yuuji and reached out to the white-haired boy’s space. Just like he had done to his brother, Ryou fixed his comforter. “There, now, sleep.”

Satoru grumbled lightly before his eyes finally closed, and he entered a peaceful slumber.

It didn’t take long for the Gojo clan to find the missing heir. Although Satoru didn’t share any information about his exact location, knowing the city the boy was staying in helped narrow down their search. After all, there weren’t many white-haired, blue-eyed boys in Japan.

The elders quickly sent a group of sorcerers and attendants to bring back the heir. They had also investigated the cause of this sudden bout of rebelliousness. It seemed that Satoru had escaped from the clan and, during that time, met two young boys near his age. It didn’t take long for him to get attached, so the boy was not happy when his new friends left Kyoto. As a result, he had concocted this ridiculous plan to go to Kitakami City.

The elders tried to determine whether this was a ploy to draw out the heir, but as far as they knew, the Itadori family were mundane humans. The older twin, Ryou, seemed to have enhanced strength, but none of the family members appeared to be aware of curses and sorcery. So, this was likely a case of a kid acting like a kid.

Although it eased some worries, this situation also caused a new set of problems. If the two boys were bait from curse users, it would be easy to discourage the heir from continuing to contact the family. However, since the Itadori were just regular people, there was no reason for Satoru to keep his distance.

When the group arrived to take back the heir, Satoru did not look impressed at all. He glowered at the entourage with his glowing Six Eyes while his cursed energy crackled in annoyance. Although Satoru was merely a kid, he was already very strong. While the sorcerers sent by the clan were Grade One, none of them dared to challenge the wielder of Six Eyes and Limitless in battle.

The Itadori were completely unaware of this hidden exchange and only watched the entourage with wide eyes. Wasuke looked particularly tired and confused.

“Ah, you must be here for Gojo-kun?” the old man asked.

One of the female sorcerers quickly took the lead, as she was the most adept at negotiation and dealing with mundane people. “Ah, yes, we’re very sorry that our young master has bothered you. His parents are very worried, so we came here to bring him home.”

“I see…” Wasuke blinked at the word ‘young master.’ He knew the kid was the son of a rich family, but perhaps his background was more complicated than he’d first thought.

Ryou, who got a glance from his grandfather, only shrugged. Not my fault.

The sorcerer bowed and offered a card. “We are deeply sorry if he has caused any problems. Should you need any remuneration, you can send the details to us.”

Wasuke waved his hands. “Ah, no. Gojo-kun has been very obedient. He ate too much ice cream yesterday and had a stomach ache, so you may want to check on him later.”

The sorcerer nodded understandingly while an attendant quickly jotted down that new information. The old man felt a headache coming. What had his grandsons gotten into?

“I’m fine here,” Satoru interrupted, crossing his arms. “So why don’t you guys just scram?”

Wasuke raised an eyebrow at those words. Although the boy could be a bit naughty, he had been extremely polite and nice until now. This was the first time the kid showed hostility.

“You know, we can’t do that, young master,” the sorcerer smiled awkwardly. “Your parents are very worried, so it’s best if you come home quickly.”

Satoru frowned. “No way. I don’t want to.”

The sorcerer sighed. They had expected this. While the heir was usually obedient, he had a stubborn temperament. “Please be reasonable, young master. If you continue to stay here, it won’t be safe.”

Although the woman didn’t elaborate further, Satoru understood what she was implying. As the heir of the Gojo clan, many factions wanted his life. If they got a whiff that he was close to the Itadori family, they might get targeted too. While he could protect himself just fine, there was no guarantee he could defend the three mundane humans.

The white-haired boy clenched his fists and closed his eyes. Then, with a deep sigh, his shoulders slumped. “Fine. Let’s head back.”

Ryou didn’t look surprised, and Yuuji gave a sad frown at his new friend. Satoru smiled at the two and then bowed to Wasuke. “Thanks for having me, Itadori-san.”

“It’s alright. You can visit whenever you want; just give a heads-up next time,” Wasuke said as he rubbed the boy on the head.

Satoru looked surprised at the gesture but shot a grin at the old man. “Of course!”

The entourage was also shocked. The heir hated being touched by anyone. After he learned to clothe himself, he refused to let anyone dress him unless he had to wear cumbersome ceremonial robes. The boy also barely let his physician touch him for too long during their regular examinations. An ever-present aura of frost always surrounded the heir, yet it was missing when Satoru interacted with this mundane family.

While the group got into their vehicles, Yuuji followed closely behind, still staring at Satoru. Not wanting to stray too far from his brother, Ryou also stayed close.

“See you later, Satoru!” Yuuji shouted as he waved his hand. “Don’t forget to message us, okay?”

Satoru grinned at them from behind the window and waved back.

Instead of saying goodbye, Ryou said, “Don’t eat too many sweets again.”

This time, the boy stuck out his tongue.

Once everyone returned to their seats, the cars began to drive away from the calm neighborhood. Satoru kept his forehead pressed against the window as he watched the two boys grow smaller.

Peace had returned to the Itadori household with the departure of Gojo Satoru. Although Yuuji looked bummed for a while, the numerous messages their new friend kept sending alleviated his mood a bit. Ryou only sighed as he tidied their room. He knew that this was only a fleeting moment of calm before the disaster called Gojo Satoru would return. Still, he would enjoy it as long as possible.

Unfortunately, it seemed fate had other plans. While Ryou was more than happy to enjoy these lazy and boring days, which were often interrupted by Gojo’s silly messages, they encountered a crisis a week after the kid had left their house.

During one of their outings in the city, Yuuji and Ryou were busy arguing with each other about a random topic. Since Kitakami City was quite safe, Wasuke often let them roam around as long as they didn’t wander too far. The kids were also used to this, and they always kept close to the main street.

However, that day, the sun suddenly disappeared behind dark clouds, and rain quickly fell to the earth. Since they forgot to bring an umbrella, the twins were forced to run back to their house. Yet as they passed a dark alley, something suddenly flew toward them, and the two kids fell to the ground unconscious.

The other citizens were also busy trying to find cover, so they failed to notice as a man picked up the two boys. He then threw them into his van, shoved tape over their mouths, and tied their limbs. As he entered the driver's seat, he activated his phone and called a number.

“I hope your intel is correct,” the curse user said. “I don’t see anything special about these two. They just look like mundanes to me.”

“Just follow the plan.”

The man clicked his tongue when his partner ended the call abruptly. Not wanting to stick around longer, he quickly drove away toward the meeting spot. Unbeknownst to the curse user, one of the boys had opened his eyes.

Hidden beneath the darkness inside the car, those warm golden irises flashed into a deep bloody red.

Omake:

Ryou: How dare you.

Chapter Text

The curse user drove the van toward the forest on the southern side of Kitakami City. The group had managed to procure an empty building quite far from any people. Of course, they still needed to keep things quiet, or they might draw attention. Not that their current mission was difficult. Kidnapping two mundane human boys was almost too easy for Takahashi.

His two partners greeted him when he arrived at their meeting spot. After ensuring nobody was nearby, they quickly brought the two unconscious kids into the house. As Takahashi held one of the boys by the scruff, he couldn’t help but examine him. Even now, he still could not see what was so special about these brats.

“Are you sure these are the right kids?” Takahashi asked.

“For the final time, yes!” Ito replied, rolling her eyes. They dropped the boys inside the room they had prepared. It was on the second floor, so that should deter these young brats from attempting to escape. Even if they tried, the three curse users could easily catch them again. They were just six years old, after all.

“Listen, it makes sense that they’re normal kids,” Tanaka explained, typing on his phone. “These brats are supposed to be friends with the heir of the Gojo clan. Do you think children from the Jujutsu world dare to get too close to that walking bomb? Only mundane people don’t care about a white-haired brat trying to become friends with their kids.”

“Where did you get this intel anyway?” Takahashi grumbled, still not fully buying it. He had heard rumors of the Gojo clan’s heir. The brat had been a monster ever since he was just a baby. As he grew up, he became even more of a demon. The last news he’d heard about that kid was that he destroyed a building on the estate after the clan pissed him off about something. No kid should have that much power. Yet Gojo Satoru could bend reality with his tiny fingers.

Thankfully, Takahashi had never met the brat, but he had seen a photo of him. Although the Gojo clan was extremely protective of the heir, people were very curious about this blessed child. That picture had been taken during an official meeting between the three big sorcerer clans. Gojo Satoru was wearing an elaborate kimono with a pale blue color and a Sayagata pattern. His snowy white hair was cut short while his frosty blue eyes remained cold as he gazed at the people around him. The brat acted as if he were a god looking down at mortals.

Takahashi couldn’t understand how such a cold boy could be friends with these two brats. He felt it was more likely that the heir would make these two cry and run away. Yet somehow, there was a hot rumor that the heir had run away from home to visit his new friends in a faraway city. Oh, the Gojo clan tried to keep everything under wraps, but the more they tried to hide it, the more curious people became.

“Several trustworthy sources,” Tanaka replied. Seeing Takahashi’s doubtful look, the man continued, “Hear me out. I know you don’t like this, but these are just normal brats. If the intel is wrong and we nabbed nobodies, we can just kill them afterward. Easy. If the intel is true, we can ask the Gojo clan for money, and we get rich!”

Ito snickered as she lit up a cigarette. “Yeah, and since they’re just friends of the heir and not the esteemed Gojo Satoru himself, the clan won’t try to chase after us too much. As long as we keep our demand somewhat reasonable, they’re likely to bend to our will.”

Takahashi nodded understandingly. He was still a bit iffy about the plan, but since he needed money to pay his debts, there wasn’t much he could say against his partners. Although he felt that messing with one of the three big clans was a bad idea, like tickling the dragon’s tail, he didn’t have much choice. After all, desperate situations require desperate measures.

As the three curse users chatted about their bright and rich future, they failed to notice one of the boys narrowing his golden eyes in annoyance.

Gojo Satoru had launched a reign of terror after his return from Kitakami City. Despite agreeing to go home, the boy was still disgruntled over being separated from his friends. While the kid had not thrown a tantrum (yet…), he had begun refusing to learn, choosing instead to play around with his phone at all times. His teachers had to drag even the most basic answers out of the heir, and when they did, he immediately ignored them for long stretches afterward.

The elders could only endure for two days before they ordered the attendants to take away the phone. It was a massive source of distraction, and they couldn’t allow it. Unfortunately, they didn’t anticipate the retaliation that followed soon after. When Satoru discovered his phone was missing, he didn’t even try to buy a new one sneakily, even though he had enough money for it. No. He was livid. That was his belonging. Without hesitation, he went to the warehouse where they kept his items and stood there, hands on his hips.

An attendant was guarding the door.

“Give me my phone back,” Satoru said flatly.

The attendant, heavily sweating, could only reply, “I’m sorry, young master. The elders have ordered us to keep you out of the warehouse. Forgive me.” She ended with a deep bow, hoping that this would spare her from the heir’s wrath.

Satoru didn’t say anything for a long time, but his eyes remained coldly fixed on the still-bowing attendant. The woman began to sweat even more. Was this how she was going to die? Killed by a child for daring to do her job? Just as she was about to lose her courage, the kid began to turn away. Just as the clan members started to hope that the boy had given up, Satoru turned around and pointed two fingers at the side of the building.

“Phase, Twilight, Eyes of Wisdom.”

Everyone’s eyes widened as they saw Satoru’s cursed energy gather to form a blue orb. People began shouting, “Heir!”

“Satoru-sama!”

“Please stop!”

“Think of the elders!”

Yet, the white-haired boy was deaf to their pleas. With a resolute flick of his hand, he shot the compressed energy at the building before him. “Blue.”

BANG!!!

The Limitless technique immediately destroyed half of the structure and damaged the surrounding areas. The clan members shrieked as they tried to keep their distance. Meanwhile, the boy calmly observed his power swallowing the walls that had kept him out. When the dust settled, he stepped into the ruined building and quickly found his phone. With a flick of his long sleeves and a huff, he left the stunned group of people and returned to his chamber.

The attendant blocking the door had fallen to her knees, shaking like a leaf. A single tear escaped her scrunched eyelids. I want to quit…

Everyone immediately got the message after that action. Even the Gojo clan elders could only shake their heads and fists when they heard what had just occurred. It seemed the sweet and obedient heir was long gone, fully replaced by an unruly and impudent boy. No matter how they tried to coax or discipline him, Satoru was only interested in chatting with his friends. The only thing that stopped the elders from losing their minds was the fact that the heir could still ace all the tests they gave him. Although they could no longer see him study, he never failed an exam, and his mastery of Limitless was only improving.

As if things weren’t bad enough, the Gojo clan received more bad news over the weekend. It was a simple message: [Pay us three million yen and we will return these kids.] Attached to the threat was a blurry photo of two pink-haired boys.

The elders tried to keep this news hidden, but Satoru somehow found out quickly. Perhaps one of the attendants got chatty, eager to gain the approval of the future clan head, and informed him of the terrible news. Regardless, the result was that the white-haired boy stormed into the meeting chamber where the elders were deliberating.

On the one hand, the amount of money wasn’t much, and they could easily fulfill the kidnappers’ demand. On the other hand, why should they use their resources on two mundane humans? Yet, their decision was taken from them when Satoru entered the room. His legendary Six Eyes glowed brightly as his cursed energy crackled with rage.

“You better bring them back!” Satoru ordered.

Ryou was annoyed. He should’ve known that Gojo could cause trouble for them even when they were no longer physically close. Fucking brat. At first, he had feared that Kenjaku had set his sights on them, but this group was just a bunch of idiots looking to make quick money. While the situation was ludicrous, it was still incredibly annoying. There were three enemies that he had to deal with. Normally, he would just scoff and cut them to pieces, but that was no longer possible.

Ryou no longer had access to his cursed energy or technique; the only thing in his arsenal was his half-assed Heavenly Restriction. While this could easily overpower regular curse users, he was still just a child, which further reduced his power. Fighting them head-on would be unfavorable.

While forming his plan, he also tried to track the three enemies. Unfortunately, without access to cursed energy, he could only rely on his ears to guess their locations. The curse users clearly underestimated the kids, assuming they were still knocked out. Even if they woke up, they thought adults like them could easily overpower little boys.

Luckily, things turned in Ryou’s favor when the three enemies separated. One man remained in the room while the others left. The second man stationed himself on the first floor, while the woman went outside to buy something from a nearby shop. Ryou wanted to scoff at their incompetence.

The boy carefully turned his eyes toward the man lying on the sofa, absorbed in his phone. The man's sight was turned away from him, so that was another mistake on their part. Ryou began to unravel the bindings on his limbs. They hadn’t even tied the ropes properly. Morons. It didn’t take long for Ryou to remove his restriction, and he slowly got to his feet. The man was still distracted by his phone.

Now, Ryou had two options. Frankly, he wanted to kill them all. Unlike the original, he wasn’t inherently bloodthirsty. While he still enjoyed fighting powerful foes, he saw no merit in hunting those weaker than him. As long as they stayed out of his way, he would let them live. But these idiots had decided to hurt Yuuji, so they had made it onto his shit list. Killing them seemed like a fitting punishment, but Ryou was still a human child. Even if they were curse users, the police could get wind of this, bringing unnecessary attention.

So, luckily for these guys, Ryou had to knock them out. Of course, he still planned to deal with them permanently, which might require dragging the Gojo clan into this. Unlike him, they could handle curse users quickly. With a plan in mind, Ryou silently approached his first target. Even up close, the man remained unaware. Imbecile.

Ryou was still quite short, so he couldn’t hit properly from this angle. Without a better choice, he jumped on top of the man. The curse user huffed out a breath in surprise. Before he could react beyond widening his eyes, the boy smacked the phone away and then slammed his fist into his chin. Unlike young Gojo, who could quickly reinforce his body with cursed energy, this weak curse user felt the full force of an angry, reincarnated King of Curses.

BAM!

The blow knocked the man out instantly. Ryou huffed in annoyance and punched him in the face for good measure. The hit broke the man’s nose, causing it to bleed. Ryou then jumped off the sofa and checked on Yuuji. The younger twin was still unconscious, but he didn’t seem to be hurt.

Next, Ryou went downstairs and tried to gauge the situation using sound. It seemed the second man was making lunch and even humming to himself. Fool. He felt almost insulted that he had been kidnapped by this group of morons. Although it would have been worse if they were smart, at least that wouldn’t have been so demeaning. He scoffed lightly and silently made his way down.

Although he didn’t have full access to Heavenly Restriction, his presence was minimal due to his limited cursed energy. Unless you had Six Eyes or were fully paying attention, most sorcerers and curse users wouldn’t be able to detect Ryou easily. Using this advantage, the boy stood behind his second target. He assessed his options and decided to jump on the counter. The man went stiff at the sudden appearance of their hostage and blurted out, “How do you—”

Before he could continue, Ryou grabbed a pan and slammed it into the enemy’s face. The hot oil and half-cooked egg landed on the man’s face.

BANG!

Before he could choke out a scream of pain, the kid followed up with a powerful kick to the stomach. The curse user fell to the ground and was knocked out by an uppercut.

Ryou stared down condescendingly at the man, whose face was blistered and covered in pieces of egg. Good. However, his victory was cut short when the last curse user chose to return at that moment. The cigarette on her lips fell when she saw one of her partners lying unconscious on the ground.

“You!” the woman shouted as she pointed her finger at the boy.

Ryou quickly reacted and ran toward his last target. Now alerted, the woman managed to defend herself against some of the boy’s attacks. However, his short stature made it difficult for her to protect herself from his flurry of fists and kicks. In the end, the curse user had to pull out a seal to summon her shikigami. Since Ryou couldn’t see curses, he couldn’t perceive the summon, and he was knocked back.

Ryou narrowed his eyes as he registered another opponent. A shikigami, huh? This inability to see curses and cursed energy was getting more annoying.

On the other side, Ito was breathing heavily. This brat was ridiculously strong. Although he was small, each of his hits left spots of pain in her body, even though she reinforced herself with cursed energy. What the fuck? Shouldn’t these kids be mundane humans?

As the two stared at each other, they tried to judge their opponents. It didn’t seem like the kid could actually see Ito’s shikigami, so if she could use this to subdue him, it wouldn’t matter how strong he was. With that belief, the woman ordered her summon to attack while she also ran toward the boy. She wanted to overwhelm him, believing that no matter how strong he was, he was still just a child.

‘What?’ Ito thought.

Surprisingly, Ryou maintained a calm demeanor as he widened his stance. Although he couldn’t see the shikigami, he had ample fighting experience. Unlike Maki, who had to progress her Heavenly Restriction first, Ryou could tap into his past life to observe his surroundings fully. While summons were invisible to regular humans, they still left marks in the real world, and you could judge their location based on those signs.

When the shikigami got close, Ryou jumped and drove his foot down. As he kicked the flying summon, he also used it to propel himself upward to reach the woman. Ito could only stare as the small fist flew toward her face. Before she could even fall, the boy slammed his shin into her temple, causing her to spin through the air.

THUD!

Finally, the woman dropped to the ground like a sack of corn. With her master unconscious, the shikigami dispelled immediately, leaving Ryou to stare down at his enemies.

“Fools,” the boy grumbled as he crossed his arms. Before he could even look for his phone or consider contacting Gojo, somebody else arrived at the building. The boy tensed for a second before he noticed the Gojo clan symbol on the new person’s clothing.

It seemed cavalry had arrived.

The sorcerer sent by the Gojo clan to rescue the heir’s two friends could only blink. He had expected to fight the curse users and protect the kids when he received the urgent mission from the clan. This was an order straight from the elders, so nobody could refuse it. Since he was the closest, he quickly made his way to the location of the supposed kidnappers. When he heard fighting, the sorcerer had expected the worst, but somehow, this strange sight greeted him.

The two curse users were knocked out, and one of them even had a half-made meal on their face. The boy, who should have been knocked out and tied up, was standing over their bodies with an unimpressed expression.

“What?” the sorcerer croaked out.

“Since you’re here,” Ryou said nonchalantly, “can you tie up these two? There’s another one on the second floor.”

The Gojo sorcerer could only nod.

And so, the kidnapping crisis solved itself quickly. Although Satoru was more than ready to go himself, the elders reasoned that it would be faster to send a nearby sorcerer to rescue his friends. While he was still peeved, he admitted the idea made sense and agreed. The boy still planned to see his friends, though, and no matter what those old men said, he wouldn’t change his mind.

Seeing the stubborn frown on the heir’s face, everyone decided to fold and agreed to his demand. Since Satoru was accompanied by an entourage, he didn’t need to use public transportation. The clan decided to use their private jet to send the boy to Kitakami City. Some would argue that was over the top, but those people weren’t in the way of being blasted away with Blue by a kid.

When Satoru arrived at his friends’ house, Ryou and Yuuji had safely returned. Despite just being kidnapped, the two boys didn’t look hurt at all. While the younger twin looked confused, the older one just seemed annoyed.

Ryou shot a displeased look when Satoru barged into their home without even knocking. He then turned to Wasuke, who was holding two cups of hot chocolate. “You forgot to lock the door.”

“So I did…” Wasuke blinked at the sudden appearance of another boy. “Gojo-kun, why are you here?”

Satoru gaped at this domestic scene. He had expected more crying and distress, but the Itadoris looked like nothing major had occurred. Had he just dreamt everything up?

“Didn’t you guys just get kidnapped?” Satoru asked the two brothers.

“So what?” Ryou asked, taking one of the cups. “Those fools were incompetent. Even a baby could handle them.”

The Gojo sorcerer who had arrived to ‘save’ the boys gave a look of weak protest. No. They weren’t. They might not have been the strongest curse users, but those people weren’t something a kid could handle.

“I don’t know what happened since I was asleep the whole time,” Yuuji scratched his head. “But I heard Ryou was cool and beat up all the bad guys!”

Wasuke sighed deeply. “This is not something you two should joke about.”

Satoru pursed his lips and bowed deeply to the old man. “It’s all my fault, Itadori-san. I’m so sorry. Those people wouldn’t have targeted Yuuji and Ryou if they hadn’t thought they could get something from my family. I was careless and drew unnecessary attention to your family. Please forgive me.”

The Gojo sorcerer and the attendants behind the heir could only gape at this show of respect. Satoru had never acted like this before. While he would follow etiquette, the boy had never truly respected any of the elders. At first, it was coldness and distance, but as he grew up, he began to show distaste and contempt. Yet now, the heir was bowing so deeply to a mundane man?

“It’s fine, Gojo-kun, it wasn’t your fault,” Wasuke said. He had always been quite suspicious of the boy’s background. Even during their first meeting, the kid always held an air of pride and wealth. It was only recently that he began to suspect there was something more. Now, with the kidnapping attempt, his suspicions were confirmed. “If Yuuji and Ryou actually paid attention to their surroundings, they wouldn’t have gotten kidnapped in the first place.”

Yuuji flushed in embarrassment while Ryou crossed his arms. Satoru frowned. He doubted that statement. While Ryou was very observant, various sorcery techniques could make kidnapping easy in broad daylight. No matter how wary and careful the twins became, they would eventually get into another incident.

Now that the news had gotten out, there was nothing they could do to stop it from spreading. Even keeping his distance wouldn’t work because there would always be fools who tried to mess with the Gojo clan. Although Satoru felt bad that his actions had put his friends in danger, his brain began to think of a way to turn the situation in his favor.

“Unfortunately, Itadori-san, I don’t think they’re going to give up,” Satoru explained. “My family is quite famous in some circles, you see. We have many enemies who have been targeting us, and since I’m the young master, I’ve also been under a lot of attention. I’m afraid this kidnapping is just the beginning of a chain of problems.”

Wasuke frowned in worry while Yuuji tilted his head. On the other hand, the older twin narrowed his eyes. ‘What are you planning?’ his expression seemed to ask.

Satoru only gave a reassuring grin. “Since this is my fault, I can offer you a solution. How about you guys move to Kyoto? That’s where my family is located, so even if there’s a problem, we can quickly handle it.”

The three members of the Itadori family widened their eyes, but there was a hint of outrage in Ryou’s gaze. Wasuke stuttered, “But that’s really a bit much. We’ll need to find a house, and it’s not like I can find a job there.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it, Itadori-san,” Satoru replied quickly. “Like I said before, this problem started because I got too close to your grandsons. My family is very rich, and we have many properties under our name. We can give one to you. As for jobs, you’re free to look for one yourself, but we can also offer you a position if you want.”

Everyone in the room looked at the white-haired boy incredulously. The sorcerers couldn’t understand why the heir was so attached to his friends. Giving them a house? A position? Not that these promises were impossible to achieve. The clan had a lot of properties, and although they were sorcerers, they still had various regular businesses. Moving the Itadori household to Kyoto was feasible, but why would the boy go this far?

Wasuke had a headache. The boy spoke such big promises so easily, and he didn’t feel any dishonesty from him. How wealthy and influential was his family that this young kid could treat giving a house and a job like buying food on the street? For the nth time this month, the old man glanced at his grandsons. What had they gotten themselves into?

Ryou was rubbing his forehead in annoyance. This brat. Of course, he would try to twist the situation to benefit him. Although the sorcerer was considered a good person, he was also very sly and would do whatever he could to achieve his goal. Ryou was sure the boy hadn’t spoken to the elders about this and would spring this matter on them as if it were already a done deal.

Ugh.

Ryou sighed deeply. Too late. It was already too late. Once Gojo Satoru set his sights on something, you couldn’t stop him unless you killed him. “We also demand well-rounded healthcare insurance.”

Wasuke and the sorcerers were even more surprised. They all stared at the other young boy in the room, while Yuuji still looked lost on this complicated topic.

There was a high chance that Wasuke would get sick, so it would have been better if they could provide the best care for the old man. Ryou continued, “My grandpa is old, and he has spent too much time working, so his health has been deteriorating.”

Wasuke started, “Hold on—”

Satoru nodded understandingly. “Of course, I understand. Don’t worry. We’ll give you the best plan Japan has to offer.”

“What about the matter regarding schools?” Ryou asked.

Satoru replied, “Since you’ll be moving to Kyoto, you’ll need to transfer schools. We can handle that as well. In fact, how about we pay your tuition?”

“No need!” Wasuke interrupted. He might not be that rich, but having another family pay for his grandsons’ education was not acceptable.

Satoru nodded understandingly. “Of course. Is there anything else?”

“We’ll be the ones to select the property,” Ryou said.

“We’ll give you the list of options as soon as possible,” Satoru replied.

The others in the room could only watch blankly as the two young boys discussed properties and other adult topics as if it were normal. Actually, for a genius like Gojo Satoru, who had been immersed in clan politics and raised to be the future clan head, such knowledge and understanding made sense. Yet this older Itadori twin could keep up with the heir despite being two years younger. After several minutes of discussion, the two came to an agreement.

“So, do we have a deal?” Satoru offered his right hand.

Ryou gave the appendage a disgusted look but accepted it. “Fine. But I’m keeping my eyes on you.”

Satoru gave a bright grin.

Omake:

Ryou: Why do I feel like I’ve made a deal with the devil?

Chapter Text

Moving a house to a distant city was generally not an easy task, yet with the help of the Gojo clan and the full support of the heir, the Itadori household moved out of their hometown within two weeks. During that time, Wasuke did not allow the two boys to wander outside without him. Although Yuuji was bummed that their summer holiday was spent mostly indoors, the kid was also excited about moving to Kyoto. Despite the younger twin being a social butterfly, he didn’t have any close friends who would miss him terribly if he left. Ryou, on the other hand, was an introvert and did not try to engage with other kids unless it was necessary.

Frankly, the one who was the most happy about this new development was Gojo Satoru. The elders had been absolutely shocked when they received the news that the heir had agreed to help the Itadori family move from Kitakami to Kyoto. Not only that, but the white-haired boy also expected the clan to place some guards to deter people from messing with the family. The way this message was delivered was akin to orders. One would think that the eight-year-old boy was already the head of the clan instead of merely an heir. Some elders tried to protest, yet one harsh look from the Six Eyes made them rethink their position.

Other elders tried to view the new development in a positive light. It was obvious that Satoru was very attached to his new friends, and trying to dissuade him from contacting them was useless. At least, if the Itadori family was close by, they could keep an eye on them. Besides protecting them from danger, this also doubled as a way to monitor the three regular people. The elders had received a report about how the older Itadori twin had handled the curse users. It seemed the boy had some potential to become a sorcerer despite his lack of cursed techniques.

The attendants who were following the heir to visit the family after the kidnapping also reported on the intellect the boy possessed. At least the elders could be assured that the older twin was unlikely to lead the heir astray. They couldn’t say much about the younger brother since Yuuji had not shown any interesting potential. But since the boy did not seem to pose any trouble, there was no reason to fret over this issue too much.

While some members of the Gojo clan had expected the Itadoris to take advantage of this offer, they did no such thing. Wasuke simply requested a regular-sized home that could house three people. Although Yuuji and Ryou were staying together in one room, they would likely split later when they grew up, so the old man wanted to get a house that had three bedrooms. It was a reasonable request that anyone would have when purchasing a house. When they asked whether he had other demands, Wasuke only asked that it be close to the school where the boys would be attending. Again, this was another sensible request. Perhaps the old man really had no interest in exploiting the ‘wealthy’ family.

While the Itadoris didn’t ask for much, it was the heir who had all sorts of stipulations.

“It has to be close. How else can I easily visit them daily? Hmm. Having a big garden is also great, right? So even if we want to play outside, we don’t need to share with snot-nosed brats. Hey, remember to add a guest room. For who? For me, of course! Make sure that everything is accessible on the first floor. Itadori-san is quite old, and although he likes to put up a tough front, he doesn’t have good joints. Don’t forget to add AC and heating. Maybe a pool is a good idea? How about a library? Big TV, too!”

The attendants tried to stop the heir from adding more to the list. Although they had many properties under their name, searching for such a specific house within a limited time constraint was difficult. It was only when one smart sorcerer pointed out that Satoru should discuss this with the Itadori family that he stopped.

The attendants had to work overtime to find several property options that fulfilled these criteria. When they gave the list to Wasuke, the old man could only blink slowly at the houses. “Aren’t these a bit much? How expensive are they?” Wasuke frowned when he saw the descriptions and images of these properties. None of them were within his budget if he ever decided to move with his own money.

“Please just pick one, sir!” the attendant almost begged. If they had to redo the list, who knew what the heir could think of next?

Seeing the desperate look, Wasuke reluctantly selected one that day. The new house that the Itadoris would be staying in Kyoto was a minka-style building that had been kept in pristine condition. It had a decent garden and a small pond on the property. There were four fully furnished bedrooms and a decently sized library. Other daily amenities had also been installed, including the best AC and heating. The living room had one big TV, but there were also smaller ones in each of the bedrooms.

When the Itadoris arrived at their new home, Wasuke and Yuuji examined their surroundings with wide eyes. On the other hand, Ryou wore a long-suffering expression as he did his utmost to ignore the beaming Gojo.

“What do you think?” Gojo asked impatiently.

“This is the best!” Yuuji cheered.

“You’re out of control,” Ryou gritted out.

Yuuji sent a disappointed look at his brother, but the older twin only maintained a stare that insisted he was right. Gojo didn’t let the negative review bother him and started giving them a tour.

“This is the master bedroom. Itadori-san can stay here. This is the first bedroom. Yuuji and Ryou can stay here, but there’s another one ready for use if you decide to have your own room. Oh, here’s the guest room, and I’ll stay here in the future.”

“Whose house is this again?” Ryou asked.

“Itadori-san's, of course!” Gojo replied. “You’ve received the deed, correct?”

Wasuke nodded silently. He had received the deed and other important documents. At first, he had believed they would need to rent the property from the Gojo family, but he was shocked when an attendant simply handed him a stack of files. When he saw how much the house and land cost, he almost wanted to puke his guts out. It was too much. The old man would’ve struggled to pay the land and property taxes, but the Gojo family assured him they would handle it. He really couldn’t be sure how to feel about this.

On the one hand, this area seemed much safer than their previous home. On the other hand, all of these gifts came from the good relationship between his grandsons and the young master of a wealthy family. Receiving this home felt like exploiting that friendship. Wasuke had tried to reject the offer when he saw the list of properties, but the attendant refused to accept his decision.

“It’s really no trouble to us, Itadori-san,” the attendant said, “please just accept it.”

‘Or else the heir will have my head!’ the sorcerer screamed silently.

With a reluctant heart, the old man could only accept these heavy gifts and moved his small family to their new home. At least it seemed the kids were enjoying the new place. Well, Ryou looked very disgruntled, but the boy rarely changed his expression to anything other than boredom or blankness.

As if buying them a fully furnished home wasn’t enough, the Gojo family even helped them move in by unpacking their belongings. With numerous hands, they made quick work of the stacks of boxes. That night, Wasuke offered to make them a meal as thanks, but the workers rejected the offer profusely, while the white-haired kid accepted with a happy smile.

“Are you sure?” Wasuke asked the workers. “You’ve helped us so much. This is the least we can do.”

‘Please let us go. Do you not see the god of death staring us down?!’ the workers thought.

Unbeknownst to Wasuke, the heir was glaring at them with wide, shining blue eyes as if daring them to accept. While Yuuji was busy looking around the room, Ryou sent an unimpressed stare at the scene. In the end, the workers managed to extricate themselves from the dangerous situation. Gojo ended up staying the night, and since the next day was Sunday, the boy invited himself to their new home.

They spent the first half of the day fully exploring the house, but it didn’t take long for Yuuji to want to go outside. Wasuke was still uncomfortable about letting the boys out of his sight after the recent kidnapping incident, but Gojo assured him that an adult from his family would accompany them. After saying that, the boy made a call on his phone, and a sleek black car arrived in front of their house several minutes later.

A man wearing a suit stepped out of the driver's seat and swiftly opened the door for the passenger seat. Yuuji’s eyes became stars when he saw this. Beside him, Ryou rolled his eyes and muttered, “Show off.”

Gojo didn’t let this bother him and only flashed a bright grin at Wasuke, who was massaging his temple. The old man could only think, ‘He’s truly a young master of a rich family.’

Seeing that there would be an adult watching over the kids, Wasuke didn’t feel the need to prevent them from exploring the city. Although they were done unpacking, the old man still had to attend to other matters. Yuuji eagerly pulled his brother’s hand, and the two immediately climbed into the passenger seats. Once Gojo had stepped into the car, the driver closed the door and gave a bow to Wasuke before driving away.

With a car, Gojo could now bring his friends to other places in Kyoto instead of being stuck in a park. It seemed the kid had planned this for a while since he easily ordered the driver to various destinations. From the mall to other tourist attractions, the three boys were occupied until sundown. When the driver saw how dark the sky had become, he suggested to the heir that it might be wise to return. After all, the night was the turf of cursed spirits.

As if summoned by his fears, the sorcerer saw a movement between the flowers of the Kitayama Yuzengiku. Before the man could even channel his cursed energy, a small blue sphere destroyed the small curse.

BANG!

With cold eyes, Gojo glared at the ashes of the cursed spirit that dared to interrupt his outing. When the white-haired boy glanced at his friends, it didn’t seem like they were aware of the presence of the annoying critter about to cause problems. While Yuuji was indeed oblivious to everything, Ryou quickly noticed when Gojo used his cursed technique. Although he could not see the Blue orb, he noticed the harsh swayings of the flowers that could not have been caused by the wind.

Ryou sighed. “Let’s go back.”

Yuuji pouted. While he knew it was late, the boy was having too much fun and didn’t want the day to end. Seeing the downturned mood of his friend, Gojo smiled and tried to cheer the boy up. “Come on, Yuuji. If you go to bed quickly, tomorrow will come quicker, and you’ll get to see your new school sooner!”

Ryou didn’t see what was so amazing about going to an elementary school, but it seemed Gojo’s words cheered Yuuji up. Even though he was glad his brother was no longer sad, there was a weirdly mischievous look on Gojo’s face that unsettled him.

“What are you planning?” Ryou asked with narrowed eyes.

“What?” Gojo raised his eyebrows innocently. “I haven’t done a thing.”

The word “yet” hung heavy in the air.

This brat. 

Ryou’s fear was proven true the day they entered their new elementary school. While Yuuji was excited to meet potential new friends, the older twin had no interest in being surrounded by snot-nosed brats. Luckily, most kids got the memo and didn’t try to get close to the sour-faced boy. On the other hand, Yuuji was being his usual social butterfly self and endeared himself to many classmates.

As the day slowly crawled forward, Ryou was on the edge of sleep due to sheer boredom. It was only during break time that he heard some interesting news. Apparently, besides the twins, there was another transfer student who entered the school on the same day.

Oh no.

Ryou was almost too afraid to check the truth of this rumor. Yet the answer came to him regardless of his wish. Voices began to rise as numerous small heads turned toward a relatively tall third-year kid who approached the first graders.

“How pretty.”

“Look at those eyes!”

“He’s so tall!”

Ryou hadn’t even turned his head before he knew deep down who was heading toward them. Yuuji didn’t feel the same dread and quickly shifted his gaze to see the source of the commotion. The young twin gasped in surprise.

“Satoru!” Yuuji shouted happily.

“Yo!” Gojo replied with a cheerful wave.

Ryou really wanted to bang his head on his desk. “Why are you here?”

Gojo pouted as he forcefully made room for himself on their cafeteria seat beside the older twin. “Why not? We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Ryou’s hands twitched as he was squished between Yuuji and Gojo. After a deep breath, he asked, “I thought you were already attending another school in Kyoto?”

“Yeah, but I moved,” Gojo said.

Oh, Ryou was sure the elders had something to say about that.

The boy was correct.

The elders were not happy with this newest stunt the heir had pulled. Satoru had already enrolled in an expensive private school in Kyoto for gifted and rich kids. Since Wasuke wanted to fund his grandsons’ education, the old man couldn’t pick anything as fancy. However, the elementary school he had chosen was a solid option among regular citizens. Obviously, the elders didn’t want Satoru to transfer to this other school and couldn’t accept that their talented heir would be surrounded by non-genius children. What if they gave him bad habits?

Unfortunately, Satoru’s stubborn streak wouldn’t stop, and the boy refused to listen to any arguments. In the end, they reached a concession: if the kid insisted on moving, he would have to get extra lessons from private tutors to ensure a well-rounded education. The heir easily agreed since it wasn’t as if he ever had trouble completing these tasks.

And so Ryou’s fate was sealed.

‘This must be punishment for my past sins,’ the boy morosely thought as Yuuji and Gojo chatted.

Although the teachers were quite unsure about a third-grader hanging out with two first-graders, they were quickly dissuaded from their worries after a round of charm from Gojo. He just batted those long eyelashes and gave a sweet smile, and most people would fold like wet paper. Pathetic.

“We’re childhood friends, you see,” Gojo explained. “I wanted to help them adjust to Kyoto quickly. They’re afraid of strangers, so I want to make them comfortable.”

“Ooh, what a good friend,” the teacher cooed.

‘No, we just fucking met like two months ago,’ Ryou thought.

Unfortunately, Gojo was intent on being the bane of Ryou’s existence. No matter where he and Yuuji went, that white-haired weed always showed up. It was like he had put some sort of tracking device on them. The older twin even had to check whether the kid had placed some sort of device or seals on them, but no. That brat just developed a third sense or something.

It didn’t take long for the rest of the students to see Ryou, Yuuji, and Gojo as a package deal. Unless it was class time, the three of them would always hang out together. It wasn’t just at school, either. Now that the boy had proper motivation, he quickly finished all the extra study materials and homework from the clan before ditching his teacher so he could bother the twins. Sometimes, it felt as if Gojo was living in the Itadori house instead of the estate of the Gojo clan.

Both Yuuji and Wasuke had accepted this new routine, while Ryou griped about it silently. Listen, he didn’t hate Gojo. As a character, he was a cool albeit questionable teacher and a powerful sorcerer. As a real person, the kid was a menace. Ryou truly sympathized with Iori, Nanami, Ijichi, and other poor souls who had to suffer Gojo in their lives. He really wanted to punt the kid. Damn his doe-eyed look.

Gojo also did not miss Ryou’s negative attitude and only increased his level of annoyance. It didn’t take long for the two boys to start duking it out at home. The first time Wasuke saw this, he tried to stop the kids and berate them. Yet the event continued to occur regularly. Seeing that neither ever got seriously hurt, the old man only sighed whenever it happened again.

The attendants who usually accompanied the heir almost had a heart attack when this happened the first time. However, one warning glance from the white-haired boy stopped them from interfering. That didn’t stop the sorcerers from informing the elders, who only shook their heads tiredly. Well, at least it was a spar that would help hone the heir’s martial prowess.

Despite not having cursed energy, Ryou could still keep up with Gojo, who enhanced his body. It was still quite annoying that they usually ended in a tie. Even if one won a fight, the other would quickly take back the victory in the next round.

Yuuji always watched on the sidelines as he cheered them both. Although he tried to hide it, Ryou could see that his brother sometimes felt a bit left out. He pursed his lips as he blocked a kick from Gojo. Instead of retaliating, he pushed the foot away and turned to his twin.

“Do you want to join?” Ryou asked.

Gojo blinked beside him and turned to Yuuji. He wasn’t sure if this was a good idea. Unlike Ryou, who had a Heavenly Restriction, Yuuji was a normal kid who couldn’t use cursed energy.

The older twin had a different perspective. While he would rather Yuuji avoid the Jujutsu world and live a normal life, he knew deep down that they would have to face their destiny eventually. Since the boy did not have his canon’s enhanced body in this world due to Ryou’s existence, it was his responsibility to ensure his brother would survive.

“Are you sure?” Yuuji asked. “I’m not as strong or as fast as you, Ryou.”

“Then you need to train,” Ryou said.

Gojo watched the exchange silently. This matter seemed to be important to the older twin. Personally, the white-haired boy always believed that self-defense was an essential skill for everyone. You never knew when you’d have to fight alone.

“Don’t worry, Yuuji!” Gojo said. “I’ll be your teacher.”

Ryou rolled his eyes. “You’ll be a bad one.”

“Excuse you! I’ll be the best teacher for Yuuji.”

“Not with your questionable teaching skills.”

And so, Yuuji was dragged into daily training by the two geniuses. It wasn’t a rare sight for the small boy to be gasping on the ground while the other kids stood leisurely, without a single drop of sweat on their bodies. The younger twin felt regretful. He should’ve been happy staying on the sidelines. But he just had to feel left out, and now he had to suffer through this harsh training regimen. When he looked at his grandfather for help, the old man only said that exercise was good for the body.

After the Itadoris moved to Kyoto, no other incidents occurred. Oh, there were still some opportunists who tried to target the mundane family, but the Gojo clan easily took care of them. Despite the rough start, everyone slowly got used to Satoru leaving the estate to hang out with his friends. While the boy had never returned to being that sweet, obedient heir, he still completed his homework and classes perfectly, so there was not much the elders could say in protest.

Months quickly passed, and by December, the temperature dropped, announcing the start of winter. Satoru was already thinking about various winter-themed activities he could invite his friends to do. Yet, his musings were interrupted when a servant asked him, “Satoru-sama, which outfit do you prefer?”

Behind her was a rack of elaborate kimonos that he owned. Actually, he noticed that there were several that were new. He didn’t know when they had been purchased, and he didn't care to find out. They had often changed his wardrobe to fit the season and trends. After all, they couldn’t have the heir look unfashionable.

Satoru frowned. “What for?” He didn’t remember any official events he had to attend.

The servant’s eyes widened. “Satoru-sama, today is your birthday.”

“Oh, that.” Satoru huffed. The clan had always held a big feast whenever December 7th arrived. The boy had never liked the occasion since the celebration felt more like the clan and elders patting themselves on the back for having and raising the Six Eyes wielder after not having an heir with his power for several centuries. “I’m not going to attend.”

“Satoru-sama?” the servant gasped.

Satoru narrowed his eyes. “Do I need to repeat myself?”

Seeing the Six Eyes start to glow brightly, the servant shook her head. The boy huffed again and flicked his sleeves as he looked for the regular clothes he wore to hang out with his friends. Although he didn’t mind wearing yukata or kimono, he couldn’t deny that modern outfits were more comfortable. Nobody dared to stop him as he strolled out of the estate.

Luckily, today was Saturday, so there was no school. As usual, Satoru could find Ryou and Yuuji at their home. While he pondered the best way to spend the free time today, Wasuke suggested that they head outside and play.

“You guys are too noisy,” Wasuke said. “I need to focus today.”

The kids didn’t protest much and spent their day outside. After several months of living in Kyoto, Ryou and Yuuji had become familiar with the city. They even had some favorite hang-out spots they often visited. Ryou particularly liked the library, while Yuuji loved to visit the movie-renting store. Satoru didn’t have a favorite since he liked all the sweet shops in the city. Unfortunately, Ryou was often nearby, and the older twin never failed to stop him from eating too much.

“You’re going to get diabetes at this rate,” Ryou said.

Satoru munched on his mochi and replied, “I won’t. I’m too perfect.”

Ryou only sent a flat look as Yuuji accepted another mochi from Satoru. The two ignored their brother’s grumble about Satoru being a bad influence.

They spent the whole day outside and only returned when the sun was setting. When they arrived at the Itadori home, Satoru was shocked to feel confetti falling on him. The source was Wasuke, who was holding a party popper.

“Happy Birthday!” the Itadori said, though Ryou’s delivery was more flat than Yuuji’s.

Satoru blinked as his brain fully processed what had happened. It seemed Wasuke had ordered the twins to distract him so he could prepare the party. He had felt it was a bit strange when the old man told them to go away since he had never done that before. Yet now the truth was revealed.

Yuuji quickly herded Satoru toward the table while Ryou closed the door behind them. It seemed Wasuke had prepared quite a feast. There was a birthday cake at the center with several dishes around it.

“I don't know how to make good cakes, so I bought one,” Wasuke explained. “The other food is homemade, though.”

Instead of replying, Satoru’s eyes were drawn to the three boxes of wrapped gifts at the edge of the table. Ryou quickly stepped beside him. “No. Opening those will be the last.”

It wasn’t that big of a feast. Satoru had attended various events with many people. In those parties, waves of food would come as various servants came and went to serve many people. The food that was prepared was also similar to home-cooked meals instead of fancy dishes made by professional chefs. Even the cake Wasuke had brought wasn’t anything special compared to the ones he had eaten during previous birthdays.

“You know, we weren’t sure if you were going to come today,” Wasuke said. “It’s your birthday, after all, so it makes sense that you’d spend it with your family.”

“Uh-huh, but Ryou said that you would come,” Yuuji replied after he finished chewing his food.

Ryou snorted. “Of course he would.”

Satoru decided to take a bite of the cake, which he insisted he wanted to eat first.

Ah.

It was sweet.

When they had finished eating, Satoru quickly grabbed his gifts. This was not the first gift he had received. As the heir of the Gojo clan, various people wanted to get on his good side and had sent numerous items to please him. He had never bothered to accept or unwrap them personally, not seeing any worth in them despite their high prices. From expensive silk to well-crafted toys, none of them could spark his interest. Many would end up gathering dust in the Gojo clan warehouses.

Yet, Satoru personally unwrapped these three simple gifts. Although he could easily rip away the cheap wrappings, he carefully untapped and unraveled each of them. Wasuke gave him a comfy hoodie. The fabric was quite soft, and the stitching was tidy, but it was not a custom piece of clothing that the Gojo clan provided for him. Satoru loved it.

The next gift was from Yuuji: a Digimon figure. Satoru and Yuuji had gotten hooked on this new TV show that aired a few months ago. The toy was simple and made from cheap plastic, but Satoru adored it already.

As for the last gift, Satoru blinked. It was a pair of black round sunglasses. The white-haired boy turned toward Ryou, who was leaning on the sofa.

“You often squint your eyes when you’re outside,” Ryou explained. “Figured you’d need them.”

That wasn’t a false assumption. Although Satoru could still handle it, being surrounded by the massive amount of sensory input from the city could give him a headache if he stayed out for too long. Since his Six Eyes had not yet fully matured, he could stomach going out with his naked eyes. He suspected that he would need to start covering his eyes when he turned ten.

These sunglasses weren’t cheap despite not being a branded item. Satoru could judge their quality from the sturdiness of the frame, the smoothness of the hinges, and the polarized lenses.

“Ryou had to use all his savings to buy that,” Yuuji piped up. “Actually, I even had to chip in since it was so expensive.”

“I told you I’ll pay you back,” Ryou replied.

“And I said you don’t need to,” Yuuji said.

Satoru slid on the glasses. Yeah. It reduced the sensory input immediately. Yet before he could even speak, a loud, bright laugh suddenly exploded out.

“Ahahaha!” Ryou covered his mouth as he tried to stop himself from laughing.

“Ryou, stop that,” Wasuke chided. “You’re the one who bought him those sunglasses.”

“I know! But he’s just—!” Ryou couldn’t continue since another bout of laughter burst out of him when Satoru stared straight at him.

“Don’t be mean, Ryou,” Yuuji said.

“I’m not!” Ryou defended himself.

Satoru felt like he should be offended, but he couldn’t feel any anger. In fact, he was rather surprised. Ryou often smirked and scoffed, but unlike Yuuji with his ever-present smiles, the kid never liked to laugh. Seeing the usually stern boy laughing like this was a unique event.

Without hesitation, Satoru struck a pose as he looked at Ryou. “I think I look fabulous.”

Ryou had to stop himself from laughing as Wasuke and Yuuji gave him disappointed stares. Heh. It was truly a great birthday.

Zen'in Toji was dissatisfied. He couldn’t understand why he had to attend the stupid meeting when nobody wanted the trash of the Zen'in family around. As a Heavenly Restricted individual, no sorcerers were interested in getting close to him. Being in the same room as those prideful fools made him want to puke.

That was why Toji left the estate to roam the empty road outside. Nobody tried to stop him as he wandered around. Perhaps they didn’t feel that a being with no cursed energy was dangerous. Hmph. Not that he gave a shit. He just wanted to leave this place.

His stroll was interrupted when his eyes caught sight of a boy walking beside a woman holding an umbrella. Only a brain-dead idiot would not recognize the heir of the Gojo clan. There was only one white-haired young boy who would wear such an expensive kimono.

Toji wondered what kind of kid Gojo Satoru was. He had heard a ton of rumors about the brat. At first, he was this lauded one-of-a-kind genius who would bring the Gojo clan to even greater heights. Numerous sorcerers and curse users had lost their minds when they heard that the Six Eyes wielder had been born. Everyone could only hear prideful boasts from the clan for several years, until a few months ago when the boy started his rebellious streak.

Although Toji held no love for the brat, he couldn’t help but cackle madly when he heard about the hell the boy had been raising, everything from running away to a faraway city to destroying a building. It seemed the heir had had enough of being ordered around like a puppet and started to fight back.

Yet, Toji’s musings were cut short when he saw the boy slowly turning his head. Crystalline blue eyes stared back at him. The man stopped breathing as his own eyes widened. Never in his life had anyone noticed his presence when he stood behind them. But somehow, Gojo Satoru had managed to see him. The man hated by Heaven.

As turbulent thoughts began to churn within Toji’s mind, those blue eyes shifted to look behind him. If the Six Eyes had been icy crystals before, now they had turned into the warm summer sky. Toji didn’t even have to turn before he felt two young kids pass by him.

The Itadori twins.

Toji had heard of them. These were the boys who had managed to befriend the heir of the Gojo clan. Both were from mundane backgrounds, yet they had been able to form a strong bond with the esteemed Gojo Satoru. Many curse users had tried to target them in an attempt to attack the Gojo clan indirectly, but all of them had failed.

“Satoru!” one of the boys said, waving his hand excitedly as he ran forward.

Gojo grinned and waved back.

The second twin was walking at a sedate pace. Before he joined his brother, a pair of golden eyes flicked up at him. For the second time that day, Toji was stunned. While he had been shocked at being noticed by the Six Eyes, the man was now frozen when he felt a flash of dark aura.

Red eyes.

Screams.

Blood.

Fire.

Death.

Those were the visions that came to Toji’s mind as his eyes locked with the kid’s. One second later, those golden eyes blinked, and everything returned to normal. The other boy turned his head when the first kid shouted for him.

“Ryou! Come on!” the first boy called.

“Slow down, or you’ll trip,” Ryou replied.

With his hands stuffed into his winter jacket, the kid walked toward his brother, ignoring the man who was still looking at him. As the group walked away, Toji let out a chuckle.

“What the fuck.”

Omake:

Me: Boredom (Attending boring elementary school every day) or Madness (Dealing with Gojo at school). Pick your poison.

Ryou: …I would rather die.

Toji: Why are there so many demon kids??

Chapter Text

Toji wasn’t quite sure what the hell he was doing. He could say he was merely doing this because he was bored, but that would be a lie. No. Something about one of the Itadori twins had caught his interest. Since Toji was rarely interested in anything except money, the nagging feeling was hard to ignore. Coupled with the fact that he didn’t have anything else to do, the man began gathering more information about the Itadori twins.

Some things he had known before, like how the Itadoris were just a mundane family. It seemed the boys had accidentally met with the heir when he secretly went to the city a few months ago. Nobody was sure why the white-haired kid was so attached to the twins, but well, kids were going to be kids. What caught Toji’s attention was how Ryou had managed to beat the group of curse users who had kidnapped them back in their hometown. Now, these bastards were a bunch of weaklings that the man could defeat with one finger, but the feat was still impressive for a six-year-old mundane kid.

It seemed Ryou was blessed with great physical prowess. That info immediately clued him in that the kid could be another Heavenly Restricted individual. When Toji realized this, he began scratching his chin. Interesting. He had never met another poor soul who had received the same fate. Considering that Ryou was born as a twin, his brother had to be holding back his full potential. Heh. What a joke.

Toji threw away the papers he had been reading and flopped onto his back. There. He had satisfied his curiosity. Now, he wanted to take a nap.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Toji snapped his eyes open in annoyance. Damn it. He was still curious. Ryou having a Heavenly Restriction didn’t explain that weird feeling he got from the kid. Gojo Satoru being a weird-ass brat was one thing, but a mundane human? Something was fishy.

“What a drag,” Toji muttered as he got up.

It took some planning, but several days later, Toji managed to get a chance to meet the kid. It was near the end of winter break, and he had gotten intel that the Gojo brat had to attend another event. That meant there would be fewer guards around the Itadori family. Although these mundane humans were important to the heir, they were not so valuable to the Gojo clan. Without the heir being present, Toji found only one sorcerer nearby, and even that guy was too busy reading newspapers instead of paying attention.

It seemed that luck was on his side since he didn’t have to wait long before he saw his target walking out alone. Although Toji was considered the trash of the Zen'in clan, there was one boon to having a Heavenly Restriction: having no presence at all. Sorcerers relied heavily on their senses and tried to find possible enemies by detecting those with high levels of cursed energy.

Since Toji had none, it wasn’t rare for him to sneak his way into various restricted areas or events. This ability also allowed him to stroll straight toward Ryou while the sorcerer remained unaware. Golden eyes flicked up at the appearance of a stranger.

“Yo,” Toji said with a smirk.

The man had expected the brat to freak out, but Ryou merely gazed back calmly. “Who are you?”

“You can call me Toji,” he said. “Itadori Ryou, correct? How about we have a chat?”

This time, Toji really expected the kid to freak out and start calling for help, not that the brat could. The man could easily stop him from screaming. However, instead of fulfilling his expectations, the boy only blinked slowly. “Okay.”

Weird brat. Huh. Should’ve expected that from someone who managed to grab the attention of the Six Eyes. As Toji turned away, he watched for any sign of the boy running away, but the other only followed him obediently.

As they walked side by side, Toji asked, “You sure you aren’t worried about following a stranger?”

“Why? Are you planning on doing something to me?” Ryou asked.

Ugh. Why did that question paint him as a pervert? “No way, I just want to talk a bit.”

Ryou shrugged. “Then I don’t see a reason to reject. It’s not as if I’ve got better things to do.”

Toji wondered if those words were just a bluff. Wanting to test the kid’s courage, he then called a taxi to take them to his favorite place. Ryou looked at the vehicle for a second before entering. The man felt like the kid had a broken “stranger danger” radar but also got into the car.

“To Keihan Railway Gion-Shijo Station,” Toji said to the driver.

The two didn’t speak to each other during the drive, but they arrived at their destination after ten minutes. Luckily, it was Saturday, so some races were being held in the stadium. Instead of entering the crowded Kyoto stadium, he decided to visit one of the off-track betting facilities in Kyoto. Toji loved going there to spend his time and try to make some money. Once the taxi driver dropped them off at the station, the two continued walking for around five minutes before they finally arrived at their destination.

“Are you here to gamble?” Ryou asked as they stood outside the off-track betting building.

“Why? Are you going to tell me your parents told you that gambling was bad?” Toji joked.

“No.” Ryou began rummaging through his hoodie to pull out some money. “If you’re going to buy some, can you get some for me too?”

Toji blinked several times. What? When he saw how serious those golden eyes stared at him, the man began to chuckle. What the hell? Were all kids like this, or did this one just have brain damage?

“You sure surprised me, brat,” Toji grinned. “Fine, I’ll help you. Do you know how to gamble?”

The man gave the kid a quick summary of his favorite pastime, and the other listened intently. Not that he thought the brat had a chance of winning, but it was fun sharing some knowledge with someone who actually cared.

“So, which rider are you going to bet on?” Toji asked once his explanation was done. They decided to try Straight Bets since that was the simplest.

“Number four, Win,” Ryou replied.

Toji didn’t comment, even though he doubted that jockey had a chance of winning. The guy might win third or fourth place, but first place? No way. Still, he kept his mouth shut since he didn’t want to ruin the fun. Everything was up to chance anyway. The man also decided to place a Win bet but chose the number two jockey.

While they waited for the race to start, Toji bought some Takoyaki. See, he could be generous. Although some people glanced at the presence of the kid, nobody said anything when they saw Toji sitting in front of him. While mundane humans couldn’t feel cursed energy, they knew better than to avoid someone with the man’s physique.

“So, what do you want to talk about?” Ryou asked while Toji ate his food.

The man didn’t immediately reply and took his time chewing the snack. After pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket, he placed the seal on the table. With a grin, he asked, “Do you know this?”

Ryou stared silently at the Ofuda.

Toji continued, “You know, your new friend, Gojo. He’s a young master of a secret sorcerer clan. Do you know what sorcerers do?”

The boy blinked slowly, unfazed.

“All humans emit negative emotions, and those dark energies can manifest into cursed spirits. You can consider them as invisible monsters who want to hurt and consume humans. Those who fight them are sorcerers.”

Still no reaction. Damn. Toji pursed his lips. “You’re really a dour kid, you know. Do you not believe me?” He put a pair of glasses on the table. “Wear this.”

Ryou carefully picked up the cursed tool and held it near his eyes. Since the size of the glasses was too big, the kid couldn’t wear them properly. Still, it should be enough to allow the brat to see cursed spirits. Toji waited for the expected shriek.

.

.

. 

Nothing.

What the hell?

Toji even looked around the room himself to make sure there were curses there. In a place like an off-track betting building, negative emotions were plentiful since many people felt horror and anger when they lost. Although there weren’t any powerful ones, the man could see several lower-grade curses hanging around. Yet, as the kid perceived these invisible monsters, there wasn’t a shred of surprise in those golden irises.

“You are really something else, brat,” Toji said when the kid calmly put down the glasses. “I know many sorcerer kids who cry seeing these ugly shits.”

Ryou took a sip of his cold tea. “Is there any point in panicking? I’ve always known something’s off about Gojo.”

Toji raised an eyebrow.

“Let’s set aside the fact that he’s the only boy with white hair and blue eyes running around. The way he carries himself is suspicious,” Ryou continued. “I’ve gotten into a fight many times with him, and he can fight as if a professional has trained him. Not only that, but it’s not rare for me to see him look at something where there shouldn’t be anything.”

“However, what made me fully suspicious were those guards who often hang around Gojo. While they try to keep their mouths shut, adults often overlook children, and I’ve heard the word 'curses' thrown around several times. So, no, I’m not surprised by your revelation.”

Toji let out a low whistle. “Smart kid.”

“I doubt revealing this secret is why you approached me,” Ryou said. “What’s your aim?”

In the background, the TV had announced that the race had begun. Toji grinned. “Dunno if you remember, but we’ve met before.”

“Last week,” the boy replied. “You were watching Gojo.”

The man nodded. “Yeah, I was dragged into a boring meeting, but I left and saw you guys. Now, I expect the Six Eyes to be weird, but you are also one hell of a demon, too.”

Ryou stared back at him. “Is that so?”

Toji leaned forward and put his face in his hand. “You reek of death, brat.”

The boy remained unperturbed.

“I may be the trash of the Zen’in family, but I’ve got sharp senses. I don’t know why that Gojo kid sticks to you like a leech, but my gut is telling me that you’re hiding something.”

“That’s some harsh accusation to throw around,” Ryou replied. “Any normal kid would get traumatized being called a demon.”

Toji narrowed his eyes. ‘But you’re not.’

Ryou stared back.

Before they could continue their conversation, the announcer of the race shouted the winner of the competition. It was jockey number four. Toji stiffened as his attention was pulled toward the screen. What the fuck? He had never seen that rider get first place before.

“It seems that I won,” Ryou said blandly and chowed down on one of the Takoyaki balls.

“Beginner’s luck,” Toji replied, still not believing what he had just witnessed. He was sure the brat knew nothing about horse racing and picked blindly. After cashing in on the win, he gave the brat his money. “Why do you need that cash anyway?”

“I need to repay my brother after borrowing his money,” Ryou replied.

“And you decide that gambling is the way?” Toji asked.

Ryou shrugged.

The man felt that a responsible adult would discourage the kid from going down this path, but he wasn’t one, so he didn’t. Unfortunately, the two could not continue their chat since someone decided to barge into the building.

“You!” Gojo Satoru exclaimed while an attendant followed behind him. With his Six Eyes glowing brightly, he glared at Toji.

Busted.

Toji had expected to have more time, but it seemed the heir was quite protective of his little friends. Ryou sighed from across the table.

“Zen’in Toji! What are you doing with Ryou?” Gojo demanded.

“Just taking him out on a tour?” Toji replied with levity. No way he would let a brat intimidate him. Six Eyes or not.

“You-!” Gojo started.

“Enough, Gojo,” Ryou cut in. “You’re making a scene.”

True to the boy’s words, the other customers inside the building had their attention locked on this exchange. It seemed they were wondering whether or not they should intervene.

Gojo pursed his lips and clenched his fists but halted his tongue. Huh. Who would’ve thought that someone managed to leash the Six Eyes? The white-haired boy threw another nasty glare at Toji before saying, “Let’s leave.”

Ryou sighed and got off his seat but took the Takoyaki he had not finished yet. Before the group could leave, Toji asked, “Say, who do you think will win next?”

Ryou stopped and turned around to look at the list of jockeys that would race in the next competition. Those golden orbs scanned the names, and the boy replied, “Number six.”

“Huh, you sure?” Toji asked as he tried to remember the details of that jockey. Not very stellar, but not bad either. He was quite similar to the number four in the previous race.

Ryou shrugged.

Toji chuckled and stretched out his phone toward the boy. “Here. Write down your number.”

Gojo stiffened beside Ryou, looking ready to protest. Yet one warning glance from his friend made him stop again.

“What for?” Ryou asked but typed down his number.

“To tell you if you win, of course.” Toji accepted his phone back and saved the number. A few seconds later, Ryou's phone rang when the man tried a test call.

Having had enough of the two interacting, Gojo grabbed the other boy’s hand and tugged him out. The attendant followed the kids closely but not before sending a look at Toji. The man gave a bloodthirsty grin that intimidated the sorcerer.

Outside the off-track betting building, Gojo was still holding on to Ryou. The boy humored the act until they had gotten rather far away from the building, at which point Ryou forced the other to let go. The attendant stopped several steps back, trying to give them some privacy.

“You should stay away from that man,” Gojo said quietly.

“Toji?” Ryou asked.

“Toji?!” Gojo exclaimed scandalously. “You don’t even call me by my first name! Why are you calling the man you just met so familiarly?!”

Ryou rolled his eyes. “That’s what you’re focusing on? For your information, I do it because the man seems to hate his family name.”

“You think I like mine?” Gojo narrowed his eyes.

“I don’t think you hate their guts as much,” Ryou replied. Before Gojo could argue, the boy shoved one of his Takoyaki balls into his mouth. “Stop being childish. He just wanted to talk to me.”

Gojo chewed the food angrily before speaking up. “He’s dangerous! He literally kidnapped you outside your house!”

Ryou corrected, “He did not. I willingly went with him.”

Gojo shot him an incredulous look, as if questioning his intelligence. Rude. It was a perfectly calculated move.

The white-haired boy continued, “Anyway, don’t do it again. If he calls you, ignore him!”

This time, it was Ryou who narrowed his eyes. “No, I won’t.”

Gojo opened his mouth to reply, but the other boy beat him to it. “Stop ordering me around. You are not my parent, and you cannot tell me who I can speak with. Listen to yourself. You sound an awful lot like those elders you often complain about.”

The white-haired boy puffed his cheeks at those words. Not liking the comparison, he muttered, “No, I’m not.”

“No, you are worse,” Ryou said. “At least they’re not bothering me 24/7.”

Gojo opened and closed his mouth several times before lowering his head. “... Do you not like me?”

The question came out so quietly that Ryou would’ve missed it if he didn’t have sharp hearing. The boy sighed. “Idiot. You can be a bit much, that’s all.” After saying that, he stuffed another Takoyaki into Gojo’s mouth.

Gojo was still pouting as he chewed the snack. “I still don’t think getting close to him is a good idea.”

“Noted,” Ryou replied. “It’s not as if he will actually contact me. What could he talk about with a kid many years younger than him?”

The white-haired boy huffed. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten that you never call me Satoru, unlike Yuuji. Why aren’t you calling me by my first name?”

“Why should I?” Ryou shot back.

“Because—because I’ll tell Itadori-san that you let a stranger take you away!” Gojo grinned when he found the perfect threat.

Ryou narrowed his eyes. “You won’t.”

“Try me.”

The two kids stared at each other heatedly. Neither wanted to back down. The attendant watched in anxiety, wondering if another fight was going to break out. Luckily, Ryou sighed and said, “Fine. Please keep this a secret, Satoru.”

Gojo beamed at the name. “See! Is that so hard?”

“Promise me that you won’t,” Ryou pressed.

Gojo pouted. “Why do you doubt me so much? I promise I won’t tell Itadori-san that you were being stupid and followed a stranger into a car.”

Ryou stared at the boy for several seconds before nodding. “Good. Let’s head back, Gojo.”

Gojo twitched at the use of his family name again. As the two went to the car, the boy muttered, “I swear I’m going to make you call me Satoru.”

Meeting with Toji was a stroke of good fortune. Although the man had the potential to become an enemy, it would be many years before that event occurred. Ryou hadn’t expected the other to spill secrets to a kid during their first meeting, but he could use this to his advantage. While he could ask for many things from Gojo, he didn’t want to reveal to the kid that he was aware of curses.

Toji had no such care for rules or propriety. If Ryou could manage to gain his interest, they might form a two-way relationship. The problem was that there was nothing he could offer. As the King of Curses, he could do many things, but as a mere human child, there were very few things he could do on his own. How… detestable.

Still, having the number of the Sorcerer Killer wasn’t bad. While Toji had somehow noticed something was off about him, it was unlikely the man would tell anyone about this information. Even if he did, who would believe him? Perhaps only the Six Eyes could see the darkness that dwells within Ryou, but Gojo would not betray him, so he was safe. Pitiful though it might be, no sorcerer would trust someone with such a low reputation as Zen'in Toji.

Although Ryou was ready to merely keep this number as a backup plan for many years, Toji broke his expectations by contacting him that night. When he saw the number, he immediately excused himself and went to a secluded area in their home. Luckily, Gojo wasn’t there.

“Why are you calling me?” Ryou asked when he accepted the call.

“What? Are kids’ memories really this short? Did you already forget that I said I’d call you about the bet?” Toji replied.

Ryou narrowed his eyes. Frankly, it was just a blind guess since he knew nothing about horse racing or betting. The fact that he won that first gamble was pure luck, and he had used the money to repay his debt to Yuuji.

“So?” Ryou asked flatly.

Toji complained, “Ugh. Can’t you show more excitement? Why are you so dour at your age?”

“If you don’t have anything important to say, I’ll hang up.”

“Fine, fine. Calm down. Your bet was correct. That jockey won.”

Ryou blinked. Huh. That was surprising.

Toji continued, “It was strange that you won the first time, but somehow, your bet was correct again. Once is by chance, twice is a coincidence, but three times is a pattern.”

Ryou pursed his lips. “What are you implying?”

Although he couldn’t see it, Ryou knew Toji was grinning. “What I want is to try an experiment. How about it? There are going to be some boat races tomorrow, and I want you to place some bets.”

“I don’t have money.” Ryou actually had some, but he didn’t want to spend more on gambling. His subconscious could already imagine the disappointed looks from Wasuke and Yuuji.

“Of course, we’ll use my money,” Toji replied. “Come on, just shoot your guesses, and I’ll deal with the rest.”

Ryou closed his eyes. He felt like enabling a man’s gambling addiction wasn’t a good thing, but then again, he was the King of Curses. Why the hell should he care if this man wanted to waste his money on a pointless experiment?

“Fine.”

“Good!”

Like horse racing, Ryou didn’t know how boat racing worked, and he didn’t want to bother learning. He just told Toji some numbers, and the man jotted them down.

“I’ll tell you the result on Monday,” Toji said.

“Don’t get mad at me if you lose all your money,” Ryou replied.

“I’m not that petty, kid.”

‘You are.’ Who else would want to kill a boy for merely looking in his direction one winter day? To be fair, the main reason Toji wanted to kill Gojo in the canon was that he saw the Six Eyes wielder as the perfect sorcerer that the Jujutsu world wanted. As someone who had been shunned by everyone he knew due to his Heavenly Restriction, the man transferred those resentments to the teen Gojo. If he could kill this perfect sorcerer, he would prove to everyone who had put him down that they were wrong.

Ryou sighed and ended the call.

Sunday passed peacefully, and Monday dragged on since Ryou had to attend another boring day at elementary school. Toji sent him a message containing the location of a nearby cafe when he left the school grounds. After not encountering any incidents for several months, Wasuke relaxed his monitoring and allowed Yuuji and Ryou more freedom. While the boys tended to stick together, sometimes they would separate if they had extracurricular activities, like today.

Ryou quickly went to the cafe where Toji was waiting and found the man sitting at one of the tables. Seeing him arrive, Toji waved. “Yo.”

Ryou sat across from him, and based on the grin the man wore, it seemed he had good news. “I assume things went well?”

“Well?” Toji asked. “It went great! Ahahaha!”

Some patrons looked toward the source of the loud laugh, but they quickly turned away when they realized it was coming from a massive man with a scar. Ryou waited for the other to calm down.

When the man’s laugh ended, he continued, “I won’t explain it in detail since you wouldn’t understand anyway. But I haven’t won that much money before. I mean, you weren’t correct all the time, but based on my calculations, you have an eighty percent chance of guessing correctly.” Toji leaned toward the boy. “You made me so much easy money, kid.”

Ryou blinked. “Congratulations?”

The other leaned back, dissatisfied. “Can’t you show more reaction? Is it because you don’t understand? If your luck is true and continues to stick, you’ve got a real-life money glitch here!”

“I see.”

The man groaned. “Kids. Ugh. Here.” He threw an envelope filled with yen onto the table. “We didn’t make a deal, but since we’re going to be partners, I figured it’s better to start on a good footing.”

Ryou didn’t bother to open the envelope and continued to stare at the other. “What partners?”

“Betting partners, of course!” Toji said. “Since you’re young, you can’t place those bets yourself, so I’ll do it for you, and we’ll split the winnings 70/30, with mine being seventy.”

Ryou felt the deal didn’t seem fair, but it wasn’t like he was planning to make money from gambling. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. The organizers will likely notice this string of wins. If they can’t figure out how you’re winning, they’ll just ban you.”

“Obviously, we’re not going to do it every day!” Toji said. “How about once a week?”

“Still too much. Once per month.”

“That’s too little. Twice per month.”

The two stared at each other. Ryou really wasn’t interested in gambling, but this was obviously the only thing Toji cared about. “Fine. But I also want you to provide me with some intel.”

Toji tilted his head. “Intel?”

Ryou explained, “Nothing secretive or dangerous. I just want to learn more about this hidden world you’ve revealed. I doubt Gojo will share about it, so you can answer my questions.”

If Toji agreed, Ryou would be able to keep track of the major movements within the Jujutsu world. He was currently too young and weak, and the best thing he could do for now was gather information.

“Sure,” Toji said. “Don’t expect me to be a good teacher, though.”

“I won’t.”

“Of course, the deal only lasts for as long as your luck continues, okay?” Toji added.

Ryou nodded. The boy had expected that to be it, but then the man offered his hand. When Toji saw the other’s raised eyebrow, he explained, “For good luck.”

The kid sent a withering look but accepted the handshake. Just as they finished, a familiar interrupter showed up.

“What are you doing?” Gojo demanded.

“Look, your guard dog is here,” Toji said cheerily to Ryou.

The attendant behind the heir had an insulted expression. Although the boy had become more unruly in recent times, Gojo Satoru was still a strong sorcerer worthy of respect. Unfortunately, the man could only keep those protests to himself since he didn’t want to exchange words with the trash of the Zen’in family.

“Why are you here?” Ryou asked.

“I didn’t see you at school, and you weren’t at home either,” Gojo explained as he got closer. “Didn’t I tell you to stay away from him?”

“And didn’t I tell you that you can’t tell me who I hang out with?” Ryou replied.

Toji added, “Yeah, Gojo, back off. Don’t be such a controlling person. Maybe your friend is tired of your overbearing acts and wants someone more mature as a friend.”

‘Both of you are immature, though,’ Ryou thought dryly.

“You’re friends with him?!” Gojo asked the other boy.

Instead of Ryou, it was Toji who replied, “Yeah, we’re best buddies. We’re going to have a long and beautiful partnership.” The man reached out to pat Ryou’s back. The boy considered dodging, but he was too tired of dealing with these two brats.

“You!” Gojo’s face reddened as he slapped away the man’s arm. “Stay away!”

Toji raised his hands mockingly in a placating gesture. “Oof, how scary~.”

Gojo looked ready to blast off Blue inside a cafe filled with regular people. Ryou sighed and got out of his seat to pull the white-haired boy out of the building. Before they could exit, the man shouted, “I’ll see you later, Ryou-kun!”

Gojo shot a murderous look at the Zen’in, while the man only smirked back.

Oh no. They were going to kill each other at this rate.

Sauces:

Toji: Lmao, I’m gonna steal your friend.

Satoru: Stay away! Hands off!

Ryou: Why am I surrounded by idiots?

Chapter Text

After establishing a partnership with Toji, Ryou developed a new routine. Nothing really changed much, to be frank. He still had to attend mind-numbingly boring elementary school. Gojo still bothered him daily. Ryou had to keep an eye on Yuuji so he wouldn’t get up to any mischief. But sometimes, he would also get a call from a gambling-addicted adult. He usually gave his guesses on his phone, but Toji seemed to enjoy inviting him to a cafe whenever he wanted to give him his share. Ryou suspected it was less about wanting to see his face and more for the desire to annoy Gojo.

The boy wasn’t sure whether the white-haired kid realized this but the brat just kept losing his cool in front of the man. It wasn’t rare for Ryou to have to drag the other kid away before he could blast Blue at the Zen’in. Not that it would harm the man, but the property damage and trouble would give him a headache. At least Gojo had stopped telling Ryou to stay away from Toji and just resorted to death glares that he loved to throw at the man. However, he doubted the adult felt any threat receiving those murderous looks.

Children. Both of them.

On the bright side, Ryou had gathered decent savings that he could use for emergencies. Not that they were in a tight situation regarding money. Gojo was more than happy to splurge money on them, and Wasuke was still working. Still, he did not know how long the old man would stay healthy. While he hoped his grandfather would remain fit, it was undeniable that he was quite old. 

Besides having a constant stream of cash, the partnership with Toji allowed Ryou to keep track of the ongoings in the Jujutsu world. Of course, he had to pretend to be dumb and ask various basic questions. As expected, the Zen’in was horrendous at teaching, but since Ryou wasn’t truly a beginner, this questionable teaching skill did not bother him much. After getting through several questionable lecture sessions, the boy finally managed to ask about the current events.

“Big things that recently happened?” Toji said. “Nothing much. The last hot topic that truly shook the Jujutsu world was the birth of the Six Eyes, but people have started to get used to the brat now.”

Ryou tried to probe the man more as he attempted to gain clues about Kenjaku’s movement. Unfortunately, there was none. Not that he expected much in the first place, the curse user had always been good at covering his tracks.

While many things were within Ryou’s expectations, there was one thing that came out of the left field. Although he knew Toji would be a lousy lecturer, the man had somehow added a session of ranting during the end. It started out small at first. Initially, Toji only grumbled a bit about the Zen’in clan, but as their partnership progressed, he began to complain a lot more.

Again. Why?

This was Gojo all over again. Why did Ryou have to deal with so many emotionally stunted idiots? At least Gojo had the defense that he was a kid, so it made sense that he turned to Ryou. He was near his age, and although he was young, he was much more mature than Yuuji. Toji had no such argument. He was an adult, while Ryou physically was just a child. Yet, he was still dumping his emotions on a kid many years younger. 

Did Ryou have the word therapist stamped on his forehead or something?

Ryou wanted to ask whether the man had friends, but he knew the answer would be no. Ugh. Idiots. But since he still needed Toji’s cooperation, the boy could only suffer silently, just like now. The man was just done sharing the latest rumors in the Jujutsu world via phone before he went on a tangent about the latest annoying Zen’in.

“Those fucking morons,” Toji grumbled. “They acted so high and mighty when I could’ve killed all of them in a heartbeat.”

Ryou sighed. This was a common complaint that Toji shared in his ranting session. “You are obviously dissatisfied living in the Zen’in clan estate. Why are you still there?”

Those words halted Toji’s oncoming gripe. Not hearing any response, the boy continued, “There is nothing holding you back, is there? Nobody seems to care about you in that place, so why not just leave?”

“And go where?” Toji asked testily.

“Anywhere,” Ryou replied. “It’s not as if the Zen’in clan estate is all the world has to offer. Why not just go and explore Japan?”

After ending the call with Ryou, Toji felt a bit stumped. He had always hated the Zen’in clan. For this old and powerful sorcerer clan, only those with cursed techniques were worthy of respect and care. And as someone hated by Heaven, he had grown up detested and looked down on. It didn’t matter how strong he was. It didn’t matter if he could kill many sorcerers with his brute strength. No. As long as he didn’t have a cursed technique, then he was nothing but a monkey in their eyes. He grew up resented and hated by those around him, so he returned the favor and loathed them equally. 

“Why are you still there?”

Hearing those questions from Ryou had snapped Toji awake. Why did he tell the brat his dark thoughts anyway? Toji didn’t have a friend. Not really. He had partners and tentative allies, but nobody truly wanted to befriend the trash of the Zen’in family. Hanging out with regular humans didn’t interest him either since they were all so meek and weak. The man also didn’t like children. They were loud, stupid, and annoying. Naobito’s spawn was a prime example. But Ryou wasn’t exactly like that. Oh, the kid was physically a kid and a regular human to boot, but he was hiding something. Perhaps it was his eyes. Those big eyes that usually made kids look innocent were different on Ryou’s face. While most brats had this oblivious or arrogant expression, the kid carried an aura of calmness and wisdom. His methodical way of speaking and intellect made it easy for people to think of him as more mature than his age. Or maybe Toji was just a pathetic person who didn’t care about emotional dumping on a kid. Either way, now that he had heard those questions, they wouldn’t stop bothering the man.

When Toji left his room in the Zen’in estate, he could immediately feel the familiar stares and glares from the other members. Most knew better, but there were still arrogant ones who felt like they had the right to harass the trash of the Zen’in clan. Toji usually glared back, but today, he had no desire. As he aimlessly wandered this accursed place, he accidentally stumbled on the head. Naobito was being his usual drunk self. Not seeing the man drunk was more of a surprise than if he did. 

“You’re still here, Toji?” Naobito asked as he sipped from his bottle of sake.

Toji didn’t bother greeting and only glanced at the man lying on the ground.

“Still as surly as ever,” the head said as hiccuped. “Why don’t you go out and be useful instead of haunting these halls, huh? Oh wait, you can’t! Ahahahahahaha!”

Nobody openly joined Naobito in laughing at Toji, but he could sense some spectating members covering their mouths. Despite the open ridicule, he didn’t change his expression. This was more than common. He had gotten used to these.

“Hey, since you are already here, why don’t you bring me more sake?” Naobito asked as he shook the empty bottle. “This one is finished.”

Instead of following the orders of a drunk man, Toji turned around and left.

“Che. What a useless monkey,” Naobito grumbled.

Toji didn’t even stop his steps as he announced, “I’m leaving.”

He doubted anybody understood that was his final goodbye to this family. And even if they did, they wouldn’t care. Perhaps they would say good riddance since the trash had taken himself out. It didn’t take long for him to pack up since he didn’t have much in the first place. The only important things were his wallet, cards, and certificates. With his current savings, he could just buy new clothes, and that was the plan. He didn’t want to carry anything from this stupid clan. 

Nobody stopped Toji when he stepped outside. As he got farther from the estate, he pulled out his phone to call Ryou. It rang thrice before the boy picked up. 

“What is it now?” Ryou asked exasperatedly.

“What? I’m just telling you that I followed your advice,” Toji replied.

“... You left the Zen’in clan?”

Toji snorted. “Not that it was hard at all. Nobody even cared when I left.”

“Where do you plan on going?” Ryou asked.

“Dunno, to be honest, I really want to go back and kill all of those people. Wipe their smirk off their stupid faces.” Ah, there you go again, Toji. Having emotional outbursts on a kid.

Instead of being unnerved, Ryou calmly replied, “Well, that would be a waste.”

“A waste? I thought you were going to go on a lecture on how killing is bad,” Toji joked.

“You won’t hear that from me,” Ryou said. “I merely think that killing the Zen’in clan is a wasteful act. After all, should you kill them all, the other sorcerers will try to hunt you down. I doubt you will have a chance of a peaceful life.”

“And what if I don’t want a peaceful life?” What if Toji just wanted to kill them all and prove them wrong? That this monkey could defeat those great sorcerers and their powerful techniques.

“Perhaps, but I believe you have never experienced the world beyond your clan’s land and Jujutsu. Why not spend some time exploring? If you decide you are done, you can return to exterminate that clan.”

“Wow, such dark words from a kid.” Not that Toji was surprised; Ryou had always been a rather morbid boy who didn’t flinch at the darkest aspects of life and humanity. No, he would stare at those disgusting and wretched things back in the face.

Ryou replied, “I’m only being logical. Anyway, it will also be troublesome for me if my informant is gone so soon.”

“You think they’ll defeat me?” Toji asked.

“No, but I doubt you can gather information well while being hunted by numerous sorcerers and curse users. Also, Gojo will definitely stop me from contacting you.”

Ah, yes, the esteemed Gojo Satoru. Toji had to admit the kid wasn’t as much of an ass as he had expected initially. Still a bit of a stuck-up, but it was pretty fun to tease the brat until he was red in the face.

Toji sighed and said, “Fine, so the revenge plan will be shelved for now. Any suggestion on where I should go?”

“You do know that I don’t have much travel experience, correct?”

Toji shrugged even though the other couldn’t see it. “You must have somewhere you want to go, right? I can go there in your stead. I’ll even send some omiyage.”

Ryou replied, “I don’t have any preference. Go to Sendai or something.”

“Sendai? Why?” Toji asked.

“I heard they sell some good Kikufuku Mochi.”

Toji frowned and exclaimed, “Hold on. Are you sending me to go on a trip so you can give those sweets to Gojo?”

“Don’t be daft. It’s for Yuuji. He has a sweet tooth, too.”

“That just makes things even worse. I’m going on an errand trip for two brats!”

Toji might not be able to see it, but he knew Ryou was rolling his eyes. “It’s just a suggestion. Feel free to ignore it. And, Toji, remember not to spend all of your money. You may have some savings now, but you still need cash for gambling if you want to get more.”

“I’m not that stupid.”

“No, you’re just irresponsible.” 

With that, Ryou ended the call. Toji gave a disgruntled look at his phone before he pocketed it. Ugh. Damn brat. He got way more mouthy since they weren’t talking face-to-face. With a much lighter heart, the man began his lone journey. 

When Gojo heard that Toji had left Kyoto and the Zen’in clan, the kid crowed as if he had won a war. Ryou felt it was an overreaction since it was akin to gaining a victory because the enemy lost interest in the battle. Not seeing a point of speaking sense into the white-haired boy, Ryou opted to examine his situation. He had expected Toji to leave the Zen’in clan, so he wasn’t that shocked to hear the news. It was a bit of a surprise that the man informed him about his decision, though.

Still, he used the chance to steer Toji to Sendai. Buying Kikufuku Mochi was merely a front; his true goal was to find out whether one of his fingers was locked inside the Steveson box at Sugisawa High. It was a long shot, but since he couldn’t grab the fingers kept by the sorcerers, he would need to search for those left in the wild. 

Unfortunately, his hope was dashed when Toji arrived at Sendai and revealed he hadn’t heard any strange rumors in the area. Ryou couldn’t order the man to go directly to Sugisawa High and check the box since that would be too suspicious. So, for now, he could only assume that it wasn’t there. Then again, Kenjaku likely placed that finger there so Yuuji could consume it in canon. Since the curse user had no role in birthing them, there was no need for him to do that. Disappointing but within expectation.

What was not within expectation was Toji sending Kikufuku Mochi to their home. Gojo, who had been happily chewing his favorite snack, became annoyed when he heard it was from the ex-Zen’in. Yuuji had no such aversion and ate the omiyage. In the end, Gojo’s desire for sweets was too strong, and the boy ended up eating the snack. 

Things had gotten peaceful after that. Toji continued his trip around Japan while Ryou had to attend boring schools. Gojo was still a menace, while Yuuji was picking up more bad habits. It wasn’t rare for Ryou to need to stop those two from causing more mischieves. Unfortunately, Gojo’s angelic face always made adults go soft and this just prevented them from disciplining them properly. The only person that tactic didn’t work on was Ryou, so disciplining fell on him.

Despite sitting on the edge of Jujutsu society due to their closeness with Gojo, the Itadori family lived an idyllic life for the next several years. One interesting thing that occurred happened during 2002 when Toji sent a picture of a baby. 

Ah. It was Fushiguro Megumi.

Ryou heard Toji mention meeting a woman, but only now did he realize that he had met Megumi's mother. While he was happy that Megumi existed, he couldn’t help but feel worried, too. He knew that Megumi’s mother didn’t live long. Since the manga never explicitly stated the reason, Ryou didn’t know what to say to Toji.

Sadly, his fears were proven true when Toji stopped messaging him for more than a week. The man rarely shared his personal life, but it was easy to notice what was happening. When he was happy, he would send photos and omiyage. When he was in a bad mood, he would become silent. This was the most silent the man had ever been.

After deliberating for several days, Ryou finally sent a message to check up on the man. Grief was not something easy to deal with. He got a call the next day.

“Toji?” Ryou asked.

There was only the sound of breathing from the other side. “... She’s dead.”

“My condolences.” 

“She was fine, and then she wasn’t,” Toji continued. There weren’t any tears or shakiness in his voice. It was only hollowness that remained. “She asked me to take care of Megumi.”

Neither of them said anything for a long time. Ryou knew that this was not the time for him to speak. While they had only been interacting via phones and postcards, it had been easy to see how much better Toji had been mentally after leaving the Zen’in clan. Meeting his wife had made him a changed man, and losing her would ruin him. Ryou had seen where this road led. He closed his eyes and waited.

Toji let out several deep breaths before asking, “What the hell should I do now?”

“... You are grieving,” Ryou said. “I think you should take care of yourself first. Do you have anyone that can help you?” Toji had moved to Saitama which is located near Tokyo. Even if he wanted to help, there was no way Wasuke would let him go there.

“I’m fine. I’ve hired someone to take care of Megumi. Good fucking thing I have some money.”

Ryou sighed. He was really not someone fit to comfort others. He was the damned King of Curses, for goodness sake. “That’s not what I’m asking. Toji, you’ve just lost your wife. This isn’t something you can just get over with. Take your time. Maybe search for professional help. They can help you better than a kid like me.”

Toji snorted. “Are you telling me to see a therapist?”

“Why not? You are hurting, perhaps not physically. I won’t force you to go, but I just want you to be aware that’s an option. Just… take care of yourself and keep in contact. You know my number.”

Toji sighed and ended the call.

Ryou looked at his screen silently and pocketed his phone. What a mess.

Despite his apprehension, Toji kept in contact somewhat. It was very rare, but he still messaged Ryou. The boy knew the man preferred to deal with problems by himself, so he didn’t push too much. Admittedly, his shoulders lightened a bit when he received a message from the other.

[Fushiguro Toji: I followed your advice, brat, happy?]

Toji didn’t share anything else other than that, but Ryou didn’t care. Dealing with other people’s emotions wasn’t his forte anyway. It was better to leave those things to professionals. They still talked to each other but always kept their conversations to matters regarding Jujutsu. Sometimes, though, Toji would mention something about Megumi.

“Why are babies so loud?” Toji griped. “His lungs aren’t that big. How can he make such noise?”

“He fucking bit me! Do you know how many teethers I bought? And he still bit me!”

“Aren’t babies supposed to smile? Why are mine just glaring at me?”

At one point, the man even sent a video of a baby Megumi standing on his two small feet. When Yuuji and Gojo saw that, they had two different reactions.

“How cute!” Yuuji cooed.

“He’s ugly,” Gojo said.

The other boy pinched the white-haired kid’s cheek. “Satoru! Don’t be mean! He’s just a baby!”

“Ouch! It’s the truth!” Gojo protested.

Ryou sighed. After learning about the existence of Fushiguro Megumi, the two boys got a bit involved. Yuuji didn’t find it strange that his brother had a friend many years older than him. When Ryou had asked about it, the other just said, “Why not? I mean, it makes sense. You have this old man vibe, you know. Figured you’ll attract old people too.” Ryou had hit the other on the head for that answer.

Unlike Yuuji’s warmth, Gojo was a bit hot and cold toward the Fushiguro. He still didn’t have that high of an opinion regarding Toji, but he was a bit interested in Megumi. Most of his comments were insults, though.

“He’s so ugly. I looked prettier when I was a baby.”

“What is Toji feeding him? Why is his hair so spiky?”

“Why is he frowning this much? He’ll get wrinkles before even reaching adulthood!”

Since they didn’t hear much from Toji during the first year after his wife’s death, they missed Megumi’s first birthday. Yuuji insisted on sending some gifts after he learned that Megumi’s birthday was approaching. Ryou didn’t protest since he had money to spare and just bought several children's books. Yuuji purchased some toys, and Gojo went over the top and gave them several things. Ryou didn’t bother finding out what he bought, but he did see an expensive stroller.

Several days later, the boy got a message.

[Fushiguro Toji: Why are there boxes of gifts at my house?]

[Me: Blame Gojo.]

Things had gotten calmer a bit. Toji and Ryou kept in touch, and he still talked about Megumi. Yet, one day, the man stopped responding for several days. Ryou wondered if the adult encountered trouble or if he was struggling with his grief again. After all, one never truly stops grieving for a lost loved one. Just when he was thinking of calling Toji, the man contacted him first.

“I think Megumi has a cursed technique,” Toji said when Ryou accepted the call.

Ryou blinked. “Is that so?”

The other didn’t say a thing for a while and then continued, “... I’m thinking of sending him to the Zen’in clan.”

“Is that wise?” Ryou asked.

“They can help him use his potential, unlike his monkey of a father,” Toji replied.

Ryou frowned. “From what you’ve told me, I do not think sending a kid to that family is a good idea.”

“They won’t treat him like me,” Toji replied. “I suspect he has the inherited technique of the Zen’in clan. He’ll probably be raised like royalty before he gets placed as the next clan head.”

Ryou sighed. “You’re talking to someone who has been dealing with Gojo Satoru for many years. I do not think these sorcerer clans understand how to raise a child properly. He has attachment issues.”

“Megumi is a sorcerer, brat.”

“So? Do you truly believe that fulfilling his potential is more important than him being happy?”

The man didn’t reply and ended the call.

Ryou groaned as he massaged his temple. Idiots.

Toji didn’t contact him for several weeks after that. Ryou had expected this. The man loved to go on this silent treatment where he ignored the world until he was ready. Just when Yuuji was whining about not getting new Megumi photos, Toji finally sent him a message.

[Fushiguro Toji: I won’t send him to the Zen’in clan. Happy? Let me tell you, I could’ve made a lot of money.]

[Me: Shut up. You’re not poor in the first place. I’ve personally made sure of that.]

[Fushiguro Toji: Whatever. Thanks for being my sugar daddy or something.]

If Ryou still had his power, he would absolutely hunt down Toji and cut off his hands for that message. Fortunately for him, the boy still couldn’t access his cursed technique. He really missed his Shrine technique. 

While Toji’s life had gotten stable and peaceful, Gojo’s had not. As he grew older, the elders had gotten a bit more demanding. They believed they had humored the heir enough and wanted the boy to act more serious. One of the things they had bothered him about was regarding marriage.

“Aren’t you too young?” Yuuji asked one day after they left their middle school. The three of them were hanging out in their usual spot at a nearby cafe they had taken a liking to. 

“Bleh.” Gojo stuck out his tongue. “Those fools don’t care. They will argue that it’s not a real arranged marriage since nothing is written down in contracts, but they still want me to look at potential wives.”

Yuuji’s face became extremely concerned while Ryou remained unsurprised. For a traditional clan like Gojo, this wasn’t shocking. There was also the fact that they perhaps wanted to ensure the would be another Six Eyes wielder after Gojo’s death. Perhaps they thought that if Gojo Satoru had a child, his lineage would have a higher chance of siring more Six Eyes.

“That’s why I have a proposal!” Gojo said as he raised his index finger high in the air. “One of you should marry me!”

“Eh?” Yuuji tilted his head.

Ryou felt a headache coming.

“You see if I get married first, then those geezers can’t force me to marry another person!” Gojo exclaimed. “So, which one of you will it be?”

Yuuji’s eyes widened as he pointed at himself. “Um, if it helps?”

Ryou struck his brother on the head. “Don’t be stupid. Same-sex marriage is not legal in Japan, and even if it were, those elders wouldn’t stop because of this foolish stunt.” The boy glared at Gojo. “Anyway, this is just a ploy to make me call you using your first name, isn’t it?”

Gojo turned his head away. “Che. Busted.”

Yuuji laughed weakly. “How will that work anyway?”

“What do you mean it makes perfect sense!” Gojo pointed his finger at Ryou. “Listen, if I marry one of you, I’ll change my name to Itadori. So Ryou can’t call me Itadori cause that would be weird. Itadori-san won’t accept that either, so Ryou has to call me by my first name.”

“If you marry Yuuji, I’ll call you brother-in-law, idiot,” Ryou replied as he batted the offending finger away. “And if you marry me, I’ll just call you husband.”

“Guh!” Gojo clutched his chest. “Another defeat!”

Ryou sighed. As he got older, the white-haired boy had stopped being so stiff. Although the kid was never cold toward the twins, he had always tried to act maturely. Yet this change preludes to the beginning of what he liked to call the Gojo flamboyancy. After being friends for so long, the kid had stopped being so attached to the point of suffocation, but it still wasn’t rare for him to cling to them like a leech. He also amped up ridiculous acts that the adult Gojo often liked to do. While Yuuji didn’t have problems matching his weirdness and energy, Ryou was getting very tired. Luckily, he knew that this would end soon.

“Come to think of it, you’re going to enter high school soon, correct?” Ryou asked.

Gojo was two years older than them, so he would graduate soon. Yuuji blinked. “Oh yeah, where are you planning to go, Satoru?”

Gojo didn’t answer for some time. “... I’m thinking of going to Tokyo.”

Yuuji looked confused. Wasuke wouldn’t allow them to go to a faraway city just to attend high school. The three had been attending the same school since elementary so it wasn’t strange for Yuuji to assume that they would be together in high school too. Yet, that would not be the case this time.

Gojo gave a weak smile. “I’m just… those elders have been such a pain in the ass. I’m kind of thinking of moving away so they will stop bothering me.”

Unlike Ryou and Yuuji, who had numerous options, Gojo only had two. Tokyo or Kyoto Metropolitan Curse Technical College. There was no way the sorcerer could attend a regular school. And since he was tired of being under the Gojo elders' thumb, he had to go to Tokyo. Although there were also a bunch of foolish geezers over there, at least they didn’t have as much control over the heir of the Gojo clan. 

Yuuji looked very disappointed for a second, but he quickly recovered. “That’s great, Satoru! If that’s your decision, then you should go!”

Ah, good old Yuuji. He would always support his friends’ decisions. Gojo went teary eyes and pulled the boy into a hug. “Oh, Yuuji! I know you’ll understand! I’ll miss you so much!”

Yuuji laughed and returned the hug.

Ryou only sipped his coffee and said, “Good, I’ll finally have some peace.”

“Ugh.” Gojo pulled back from the hug and began to mutter, “Maybe I should stay here so I can continue to bother Ryou.”

Ryou kicked the other kid on the foot. It landed. Gojo never used Infinity when they were around. “Don’t be stupid. Go. Being here will only stifle you.”

Gojo pouted. “Are you not going to miss me? You look so happy at the thought of me being gone.”

Ryou only sipped his drink again. “I’m being pragmatic, and it’s not as if you’re going to stop bothering us. I still remember how often you messaged us when we were in Kitakami.”

“What can I say? I was lonely!” Gojo exclaimed.

“Don’t worry, Satoru. We’ll keep in touch,” Yuuji assured his friend.

Although Gojo still looked reluctant, the boy ended up leaving Kyoto once he graduated from middle school. The elders were absolutely against it, but it wasn’t as if they could stop the heir from leaving. Some of the servants secretly heaved a sigh of relief when they finally saw the end to their torment. Gojo didn’t even bother to stay in the estate during the last few weeks of his time in Kyoto and opted to be with the Itadori. 

Wasuke, who had gotten used to the boy, accepted his presence without a word. When he heard that the kid would continue his studies in Tokyo, he gave a long lecture about safety and various other topics. Neither Yuuji nor Ryou saved him. 

Since the Gojo clan refused to accept the heir’s decision, the Itadori accompanied him to the train station. His closest attendant was still there, though, to carry most of his luggage. 

“I’ll really miss you guys,” Gojo said dramatically as he hugged Yuuji again.

Ryou kept his distance and stayed close to Wasuke. Seeing his other friend staying away, the white-haired boy gave a stink eye which received a smirk in return. When the speaker announced it was almost time for departure, Gojo finally released his hold.

“I’ll send a ton of souvenirs!” Gojo said as he went inside.

Yuuji waved at his friend while elbowing Ryou, who remained standing idly. After several jabs, the other boy finally relented and lazily waved his hand. “Don’t die out there.” 

Gojo stuck out his tongue, and the train door closed.

Yaga Masamichi sighed as he stared at the confirmation that Gojo Satoru had decided to enroll in Jujutsu High. While he had never met the boy before, he knew the kid would bring trouble. Even now, he had already felt an oncoming headache.

The man rubbed the bridge of his nose as he glanced at the two other sheets containing the details of the other first-year students.

Ieiri Shoko.

Geto Suguru.

‘Let’s hope these two won’t be as much of a troublemaker.’

Omake:

Ryou: Finally, some peace.

Chapter Text

Geto Suguru wasn’t sure what he should expect from Jujutsu High. As someone who had been born from a mundane background, it took some time for him to adjust to Jujutsu society. He had been blessed with a powerful cursed technique, so he was never under any great threat from cursed spirits. In fact, defeating more curses only allowed him to obtain more powerful summons. However, he did have to pay in the form of swallowing those disgusting condensed balls of curses. Yet, he considered that a fair exchange for his ability to protect others.

His parents hadn’t been sure about their son’s ability at first. Unlike him, they were completely oblivious to this hidden world of curses. He was quite thankful for that fact. The two of them were too soft to be able to stomach looking at those monsters. While he tried to keep this hidden, a sorcerer eventually found out about him. When the man saw Suguru’s ability, he offered to inform the central regarding his existence and a chance to enroll at Jujutsu High. It was an honor, he said. Not many people could enter that institution.

Wanting to learn more about this world and his power, Suguru readily accepted. His parents were a bit reluctant about letting their only child leave for the capital city but after some coaxing they relented. Now, Suguru was heading to Tokyo after he graduated from his middle school. While he wasn’t born into a Jujutsu family, the boy had tried to learn more about this society. From the big clans to history, Suguru consumed as much information as he could handle.

The number one thing that caught his attention was the heir of the Gojo clan and the wielder of the Six Eyes. Apparently, this young teen would also attend Jujutsu High this year, which meant they would be classmates. Suguru wasn’t sure how he could get along with someone like Gojo. Based on the rumor he had heard, the other boy seemed to be a spoiled kid who never encountered any hardships. He felt like dealing with him would be a major headache. Sensing a dark future, Suguru smiled tiredly to himself. Oh well, he should just consider it as training for dealing with troublesome people. 

Suguru’s prediction regarding his classmate was both correct and incorrect.

Gojo Satoru was an arrogant piece of shit who would annoy the living hell out of anyone. Accompanied with an ever-present air of leisure, he never took anything too seriously. The boy also seemed averse to authority and older people and loved to ignore rules and orders. Yaga was the prime victim of this act, and Suguru could almost see him age whenever the man had to deal with Satoru. 

The young teen also had no understanding of money and would buy the most expensive things without batting an eye. As someone who had been taught to be mindful of his expenses, Suguru often wanted to knock the other’s head for this habit. Perhaps his most egregious sin was the fact he didn’t take sorcery that seriously. Oh, the teen was a genius who could easily learn many things. Yet, he was never fully dedicated to mastering his cursed technique, preferring to laze around and complain.

If that was all Satoru was, then Suguru would hate his classmate. Yet, the boy wasn’t only a bundle of arrogance and talent. Although he rarely revealed it, the other had a softer side that showed he still cared about some things beyond himself. Initially, Suguru believed that his classmate was addicted to his phone, considering how rarely he parted with the device. It was such a common sight that you would be more surprised when Satoru wasn’t looking at the screen. 

Yaga had actually tried to stop the student from using his phone during class but when he was about to confiscate the device, the teen had pointed Blue at his teacher. Yeah. Everyone learned that nobody should get between Satoru and his phone that day. Their teacher was also conflicted about this matter, but since the white-haired kid never failed to keep up with the lessons, he seemed to let go of this problem.

While Suguru was curious, it was Shoko who had the courage to ask Satoru what he was doing on his phone. Despite his best attempts, the two boys often clashed and scuffled with each other. On the other hand, Shoko’s laid-back attitude allowed her to get along with the white-haired kid much easier.

“What are you typing so furiously every day, huh?” Shoko asked when Yaga left the classroom after their lesson ended.

Suguru was immediately paying attention despite forcing his eyes to stay locked on his textbook. Instead of the expected refusal, Satoru sent a bright grin at the girl. “You wanna know?”

“Uh huh,” Shoko said.

“Hehehehe, I have been chatting with my friends, of course!!!” Satoru exclaimed with a peace sign.

Suguru and Shoko looked at the boy with blank eyes. “You have friends?” 

Satoru let out a huff of indignation. “Rude! Of course, I do. I have two!”

Now, most people wouldn’t brag about having two friends, but since this was Satoru, the two sorcerers wondered who the hell was crazy enough to want to be friends with this guy. Suguru and Shoko had to suffer Satoru’s presence because they were classmates, but these two friends were obviously close to the white-haired teen since they were messaging each other so much.

Seeing the doubtful look of his friends, Satoru furiously navigated on his phone to open the image gallery. With a triumphant noise, he showed the screen at the two sorcerers. Shoko and Suguru leaned in to look closer. It was a picture of three young teens. Satoru was in the middle while putting his arms around the shoulders of two other boys. They seemed to be twins based on their similar appearance. One of them was grinning brightly, while the other had a flat look that seemed to suggest he wanted to be anywhere but there.

“Hehe, the happy one is Itadori Yuuji, and the cranky one is his brother, Ryou,” Satoru explained.

“Oh, it’s the Itadori twins,” Shoko said.

“Itadori twins?” Suguru asked.

Unlike Suguru, Shoko was born into a small sorcerer family, so she was a bit more familiar with this hidden society. The girl replied, “Hmm, I think I’ve heard people talk about them before. Something about the Gojo heir pulling a ton of wild stunts as a kid. They mentioned the twins somewhere, though.”

“Excuse you,” Satoru huffed. “I was acting very reasonable.”

Although neither asked for it, the white-haired teen immediately went on a long tale of how he met his childhood best friends. Frankly, it was a bit too dramatic for something that an eight-year-old kid should never get into. The story did help Suguru understand how Satoru was raised by his clan. One could see how lonely the kid had to be, considering how readily he had been to travel to a faraway city just to visit two new friends. 

“So, are they going to join Jujutsu High in two years then?” Suguru asked.

“Nah, they won’t,” Satoru replied, “they’re regular humans. They can’t see curses at all, but Ryou seems to have a Heavenly Restriction.”

Both Suguru and Shoko blinked at that answer. They had never imagined that the heir of the Gojo clan would bother befriending two normal kids. Based on their interaction these past weeks, Satoru didn’t seem to care much about other people. He didn’t care about his clan. He didn’t care about the elders. He didn’t care about the public either. Satoru had always seemed to act as if he was standing on a lone island, separated from everyone else. Yet, that didn’t seem to be the case here.

“What’s with those looks?” Satoru asked when the two people sent him a complicated expression.

“Nothing, it’s just that we seem to have misjudged you a bit,” Suguru said.

Shoko nodded in agreement.

Satoru gave a self-satisfied grin. “What? Tell me more. Do you think I’m actually someone nice, kind, and reasonable?”

“Nah, you just seem like an obsessive guy who doesn’t have other friends except the ones you made during childhood,” Suguru blithely replied. 

Shoko snorted.

“Ugh!” Satoru stood up from his seat. “Come here, Suguru! It’s obvious that you need a beatdown!”

“Sure~ If you can actually defeat me.” Suguru also got up, and the two began their usual staredown.

Shoko sighed and made her quick exit. Boys…

The three new first-year students quickly developed a new routine in Jujutsu High. Although Satoru and Suguru were young, anybody could see that they were powerful and could be considered special-grade sorcerers. It didn’t take long for their name to spread. While Suguru felt both flattered and apprehensive over these high expectations, Satoru didn’t even bat an eye when he saw his new rank. His eyes were still stuck on his phone screen even as the elders talked to them in the meeting chamber.

While Suguru couldn’t see their faces since they were hidden behind paper screens, he could feel the rising tension in the air. Not even a minute later, one of the elders shouted, “Gojo Satoru! Show some respect!”

“Ah?” Satoru shoved his pinky finger into his ear. “What’s that?”

“You youngster!” another higher-up exclaimed. “What have Yaga been teaching you? You have no manners at all!”

Satoru clicked his tongue and shoved his phone into his pocket. “Listen here, geezers. We all know this meeting is just for you guys to act all high and mighty. So why do we cut to the chase and stop wasting my precious time? Obviously, I’m going to be a special grade, so I don’t see a point in having this useless ceremony. Blah, blah, blah. Listen to us. Blah, blah, blah. We’re the head honchos. Do you even listen to yourself? So annoying.” 

None of the elders could utter a word, too stunned by the sheer irreverence the teen was showing. Suguru’s eyes were so wide open that he felt his eyeballs would roll out of their sockets. Not that he enjoyed listening to a bunch of old men lecturing them, but he never dared to say such words against the higher-ups.

“What? No more words? Then, I’m gonna take my leave.” Satoru immediately turned around and headed toward the exit. Not wanting to be left in a room full of angry old men, Suguru quickly followed his classmate. As expected, voices began to explode when they almost closed the door.

“The audacity!”

“Summon Yaga at once!”

“He’s only an heir, yet he acts this arrogantly?!”

Suguru sent numerous apologies to his teacher as he tried to get away from the meeting chamber. Satoru didn’t look bothered at all despite hearing those reprimands and calmly walked down the stone path.

“Is that truly necessary?” Suguru asked.

“What? It’s the truth,” Satoru replied. “Those guys are so irritating with their endless blathering.”

“You know that they are not going to have a high opinion of you after this act, right?” Suguru continued. He felt that he had to teach his friend, who had been sheltered and pampered in his clan. While the Gojo elders might tolerate his stunts, these higher-ups consisted of old sorcerers from many factions. Some of them wanted to see the glorious Gojo clan fall.

“Ryou said that you should never listen to the words of those you don’t consider worthy of respect,” Satoru replied. “Well, Yuuji is always of the opinion you should be polite and respectful to your elders, but he’s too nice to everyone, so I’m going to side with Ryou on this.”

Suguru blinked at that response. To think that Satoru would ever listen to someone else’s advice. It was good counsel, but he felt like the white-haired teen’s action just now was still reckless. “Can’t you at least play nice even if you don’t respect them? They are still the leaders of the Jujutsu world, you know.”

“So what? Why should I care about them just because they sit on those cushy positions?” Satoru replied. “Aren’t you the one who keeps yammering about protecting the weak? You sure you wanna side with those fools?”

Suguru couldn’t deny that the elders had often made questionable decisions, but he still felt that rules were still important. He wanted to believe that those older and wiser than them knew how to steer them toward the right path. “And what about you? Are you just fighting them because you don’t like being ordered around? I’m pretty sure you aren’t protesting because you feel like they’ve not fulfilled their duties at protecting the weak.”

Satoru shrugged. “Nope. I’m not as high and mighty as you. I can’t care that much about the masses, but… I do want to protect some people.”

The boy didn’t need to elaborate more for Suguru to understand. With that, their small argument came to an end. 

Despite having a conflict with the higher-ups, the first-year students' routine didn’t change much. They attended classes. They exorcised curses. They trained. Months passed and somehow it was already summer break. Unfortunately, while they did not have classes, they might still have missions so it wasn’t as if they could go on a trip. Satoru didn’t seem to mind not having a chance to go home, in fact, he had been looking quite giddy as of late.

“What got you so worked up?” Suguru asked as he lightly kicked the other boy who was grinning at his phone. They were currently out exploring the city and since it was near lunch time, the three were sitting inside a restaurant.

“Eh? I haven’t told you yet?” Satoru blinked. 

“No, you have just been giggling like a middle school girl,” Shoko replied.

Satoru didn’t pay attention to the insult and exclaimed, “Well, good news! Yuuji and Ryou are coming to Tokyo!”

“Eh?” Suguru and Shoko said.

“It took some convincing. Itadori-san didn’t like them to travel that far after that little incident, but I managed to reassure him that nothing was going to happen with me here! Anyway, Yuuji has always wanted to visit Tokyo, and since we’re on summer break, I figure it’s the best time to bring them here!”

“Are you inviting us to meet them?” Shoko asked.

“Why not?” Satoru shrugged. “Yuuji likes to meet new people, but eh, Ryou isn’t a big fan of strangers, so maybe you shouldn't get into his personal space.”

“I think you are the only one with that problem here,” Suguru said. The white-haired boy always had issues with respecting other people’s personal boundaries. 

Satoru stuck out his tongue before he continued to play with his phone. “Hehehe, it’s going to be so much fun.”

Well, Suguru couldn’t complain much. He had been curious about the Itadori twins, who managed to become the childhood friends of this white-haired menace. It seemed Satoru had been planning this for a while since they met the twins two days later. 

While the white-haired teen usually loved to stay in bed, he was the first one out that morning. The boy looked so hyper that Suguru and Shoko suspected he had been consuming too much sugar. Unlike on regular days, Satoru kept pushing them to go faster, or else he would leave them behind. Suguru and Shoko rolled their eyes because they knew the train wouldn’t arrive in an hour.

Still, the three sorcerers ended up waiting at the station. When the train arrived, Suguru and Shoko had to hold back their friend lest he run toward the door where the passengers were supposed to exit.

“Calm down, idiot,” Suguru said.

“They’re going to come out eventually,” Shoko added.

It didn’t take long for the group to see the iconic pink hair coming out of the train. One of the boys was about to wander away in excitement, but the other grabbed him by his hoodie before pointing at the three sorcerers.

“Yuuji! Ryou!” Satoru launched himself toward his childhood friends. Unfortunately, despite his ludicrously long arms, the teen just caught the first boy. The second one dodged easily and sent a scowl at the white-haired boy.

“Control yourself,” the teen said.

Satoru pouted and only tightened his hold on the first twin. “Yuuji, you’re my favorite. Your brother is too mean! How dare he dodge my passionate hug!”

Yuuji laughed and patted the teen on the back. “Nice to see you again, Satoru!”

Ryou rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Shoko and Suguru. It seemed those pictures Satoru had taken didn’t lie. The two Itadori brothers were like night and day. While Yuuji was full of warmth and sunshine, Ryou rarely lost his stern expression. 

“You must be Itadori Ryou,” Suguru said. “I’m Satoru’s classmate. Geto Suguru.”

“Ieiri Shoko,” the girl added from beside him.

Ryou stared at them for another second before nodding. “Nice to meet you, I suppose. Though, I’ve received a lot of stories from this guy.” The teen pointed his thumb at Satoru, who had not let go of Yuuji. Seeing the white-haired boy still not moving, the older twin clicked his tongue and smacked the other on the head. “Knock it off. You’re making a scene.”

“Ouch!” Satoru let go immediately and pouted.

Suguru blinked. While he didn’t expect the boy to use his Infinity, he knew the other could’ve easily dodged that hit. 

“It’s nice to meet you two. My name is Itadori Yuuji!” the younger twin said now that he was free from the grasp of the white-haired menace.

Now that the introduction was done, they immediately headed toward the hotel where Satoru had rented a room for the twins. While the brothers dropped off their belongings, the three sorcerers waited at the nearby cafe.

“You know this is the first time I’ve seen you act this happy to see someone,” Suguru commented. 

Shoko nodded. “Yeah, you’re usually too lazy to get up to greet a person.”

Satoru huffed but didn’t deny it. “What can I say? I miss my friends. We were usually together, but since I didn’t want to stay in Kyoto, I had to leave.”

Ah yes. While the Gojo clan cared a lot about their heir, Satoru held no fondness for his family. It wasn’t rare for him to complain about them whenever one of the elders contacted him. 

“Also, remember not to talk about Jujutsu,” Satoru warned. “They don’t know about curses.”

“You’ve told us that before,” Shoko said.

“We’re not idiots,” Suguru replied.

The twins exited the hotel fifteen minutes later. Since Satoru was the one preparing for this trip, he led the group to their first destination. It seemed they were going to visit various touristy spots in Tokyo. Shoko and Suguru had been here for many months, so they were used to the sights. The people who were the most excited were Yuuji and Satoru, but Ryou didn’t look outwardly pleased or displeased at the tour. While Satoru and Yuuji forged ahead, Ryou walked sedately beside Suguru and Shoko. 

“You don’t seem to be enjoying yourself,” Shoko said. 

Suguru wanted to sigh. After spending so much time with Satoru, everyone seemed to have lost their sense of propriety.

“Yuuji is the one looking forward to this,” Ryou replied. “I think cities are the same wherever you go.”

“But you still come here?” Suguru couldn’t help but ask.

“Someone has to keep an eye on my brother,” Ryou said. “Especially when he’s around that brat.”

Yeah, Suguru agreed. It seemed that Yuuji was the perfect person who could match Satoru's craziness. The three watched as the two boys acted like tourists who were visiting Japan for the first time. On the first day, they mainly stayed in Ginza, but they also visited Tokyo Skytree. The next day was a bit more exciting since Satoru dragged them to Disneyland. The teen even bought them some Disney-themed accessories that they could wear. 

Ryou looked at the headband as if it was the most disgusting thing in the world. He was the only one who was not wearing it, while Suguru and Shoko had already worn theirs. 

“I refuse,” Ryou spit out.

“Come on, Ryou,” Yuuji pleaded.

“Yeah, Ryou, don’t be a party pooper,” Satoru said with a grin, and he fixed his own headband.

“This is undignified,” Ryou replied.

“But we’re in Disneyland!” Yuuji insisted. When he tried to put on the headband, his brother dodged it, but the younger twin sent a teary-eyed look that made him fold. 

Ryou turned his head away. “Che. I’m never stepping foot into this place again.”

Suguru felt a bit of pity as the older twin let his brother place the headband on his head. The teen had such a wretched look as if he had just been sentenced to death. While Shoko only silently snickered, Satoru held no such restraint and laughed loudly at his childhood friend.

“Ahahahaha! Look at your face, Ryou!” Satoru said. “Oh wait! I should get this on camera!”

Ryou’s eyes glinted with a mad light that made Suguru thought the teen was about to tackle the white-haired boy. However, instead of getting closer, Ryou said, “Is that so? Well while you are busy preparing your camera what if I tell your friends about some stories from our childhood?”

Satoru froze just as he was about to turn on his compact camera. “Eh?”

Ryou smirked. “Oh yes, I remember that one time when you accidentally ate the wrong food and were having excessive farting? It was just about the time for the school festival. You still hadn’t recovered, but you insisted on performing.”

Satoru screamed and threw himself at the other boy while Shoko quickly caught the camera the teen discarded. Suguru felt his jaw drop as he witnessed the white-haired boy’s face become beet red.

Despite Satoru desperately trying to stop the boy from speaking, Ryou managed to keep himself out of the other’s grasp. “You were standing on the stage, and then you-”

Satoru shrieked and used his cursed energy to enhance his body so he could throttle his friend. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

“Guys, please stop…” Yuuji pleaded when he noticed people were turning their heads toward them.

“Come on, Satoru,” Suguru cut in as he tried to pull off his classmate from Ryou. “Let’s not be shy, okay? We all have our shameful moments.” Satoru glanced up at Suguru to see the black-haired boy giving him a devious grin. “I wanna hear more of how you embarrass yourself in front of the whole school.”

Satoru let out a war cry and tackled the other boy. Now that the teen’s attention was turned to his classmate, Ryou managed to extricate himself and took a step back so he was standing beside Shoko. As he patted and tidied his rumpled shirt, he turned to the girl, “Do you want to hear the full story?”

“Sure.” Shoko grinned as she took several photos of Satoru and Suguru fighting while Yuuji tried to stop them.

The scuffle only stopped when someone called security on them. After hearing the details, the employee only shook their heads in exasperation and let them continue their trip to Disneyland as long as they promised not to cause more trouble. 

Shoko and Yuuji decided to use themselves as barriers between the three boys as they walked. Yet they could still feel glares being thrown around.

“This is betrayal,” Satoru hissed at Ryou.

“You're the one who started it first,” the teen replied.

“All is fair in love and war, Satoru,” Suguru said.

Yuuji sighed deeply. “Enough guys. I want to go on rides.”

The boys decided to call a temporary truce as they tried to get on as many rides as possible. The place was quite packed so they spent more time waiting than actually riding rides. When the sun got high in the sky, they decided to take a break at a restaurant to recharge their energies. 

While they were waiting for their order to arrive, Satoru decided to throw a tantrum. “I can't believe it! You dare share that dark history. I thought you were my friend!”

“You were the one who wanted to humiliate me first,” Ryou replied.

“Shut up! I won't accept excuses! I'll only forgive you if you call me by my first name!” Satoru exclaimed.

Ryou sighed. “You still haven't given up on that?” 

“About what?” Suguru asked.

“Ryou has only ever called Satoru using his family name, and he hates it,” Yuuji explained.

“There's this one time where he even tried to propose to one of us,” Ryou added.

Shoko and Suguru sent a shocked look at their friend. Satoru only huffed and crossed his arms. “What? It made sense! If my family name is Itadori, it would be weird for Ryou to keep calling me by that name. He has to call me Satoru!”

“No, it doesn't. I refuse to call you by your first name no matter what,” Ryou replied.

“Why not?!” Satoru protested.

Ryou smirked. “Because.”

Satoru gritted his teeth. “I swear I'll make you eat those words.”

Suguru patted the other teen’s shoulder. “There, there, you should learn how to respect other people's decisions, Gojo.”

Satoru froze.

“Yeah, it's not good when you're being too pushy, Gojo,” Shoko added.

Satoru shot a betrayed look at his classmates, but they only grinned. With teary eyes, the teen threw his arms around Yuuji, who sat to his left. “You're the only one who's nice to me, Yuuji! Please don't do that to me too!”

Yuuji patted his back placatingly. “Okay, you'll always be Satoru to me.”

While Satoru continued to be dramatic, the other three teens began to chat. It was mostly about stupid stories about the white-haired boy, though. When the server brought their food, she couldn't help but feel weirded out when one of the teens was murderously glaring at his friends. His regal face looked like a stone statue while he shot deadly looks with those cold blue eyes. Yet the three teens suffering this stare only smirked.

Luckily, no incident occurred within the restaurant, and they ended their trip to Disneyland peacefully. Although the twins planned to stay in Tokyo for the whole summer break, the brothers had to return to Kyoto when they received bad news regarding their grandfather several days later. 

Wasuke had been hospitalized.

The twins immediately agreed to return, and the sorcerers didn't disagree. They accompanied the brothers to the station, where Satoru hugged them as goodbyes. This time, Ryou didn't dodge. Perhaps the teen saw how badly his friend needed it.

As the train departed, Satoru remained watching silently. Suguru had to pull him out of the station when the next train arrived. Despite deciding to stay in Tokyo, Suguru and Shoko could see how badly Satoru wanted to check up on Wasuke. While they mostly heard about the twins, the teen had sometimes talked about the grandfather who took care of them. It wasn't hard to see how deeply the boy cared about the old man.

Unfortunately, as one of the few special-grade sorcerers, Satoru was ordered to station himself in Tokyo. The elders would've let him go if it were one of the Gojo clan elders who got sick, but as far as those guys were concerned, Wasuke was only a nobody. Satoru was often found looking at his phone, yet he had lost his usual energy. Trying to coax the teen with sweets didn't work either, so Suguru decided he had to act.

That night, Suguru found Satoru lying listlessly on the sofa in their dorm. “Hey.”

Satoru didn't reply and only grunted.

“Why don't you just go back?” Suguru asked.

“What?” Satoru frowned.

“You're obviously worried about Itadori-san, so why not just go and visit him?” Suguru asked.

“You know I can't.”

“Why?”

Satoru shot an annoyed look. “Don't be stupid. You know damn well the two of us aren't allowed to leave Tokyo without orders. It's because of our esteemed special grade ranking.”

“Do you, though?” Suguru smiled. “I thought you said you won't care about the opinions of those you don't respect. So why are you listening to those elders?”

Satoru blinked. After opening and closing his mouth, the teen replied, “You know it's not that simple. What if there's an emergency?”

Suguru raised an eyebrow. “You do know I'm still here, right? I can handle your missions just fine. Anyway, you won't be much help if you're this distracted.”

Satoru frowned, still conflicted.

“Come on, we're the strongest, right? What emergency could possibly be so big that it needs the two of us?” 

At those words, Satoru finally smiled. The teen finally got up from the sofa and gave a quick hug to Suguru. Just when he was about to go to his room, Shoko arrived holding a travel bag.

“Already pack your belongings for you,” the girl said.

Satoru grinned, hugged the girl, and left after taking the bag. As the two watched their friend sprint away to the train station, Shoko said, “You know we're going to be in trouble for this.”

“I'm sure Yaga-sensei will understand,” Suguru replied.

As expected, their teacher got angry when he realized Satoru was missing, but after hearing the reason, the man sighed deeply. “I just wish you would tell me this first. I could've made some sort of fake mission to cover for him.”

“Ooops?” Shoko and Suguru said.

The higher-ups also got upset when they heard Satoru was missing, but there wasn't anything they could do. Thankfully, nothing happened while the white-haired teen was gone. Two days after his departure, the boy sent a photo to Suguru.

It was a picture of the three boys sitting beside an old man. Although he was lying on a hospital bed, he looked relatively healthy and was scowling at the camera.

Suguru smiled.

Omake:

Ryou, Suguru, and Shoko: 🤝 Bullying Satoru.

Chapter Text

Wasuke could not escape his fate of suffering from cancer. Ryou had predicted this event so he wasn’t shaken when he heard the news of his hospitalization. The old man had a bad habit of hiding his pain, and it wasn’t difficult to imagine that he had been ignoring his problems until they finally knocked him down. Yuuji was worried about his grandfather, but it seemed the boy didn’t fully understand the seriousness of the matter. Despite not being as strong as in the canon, the kid was still very healthy and rarely got sick. Understanding the old man's struggle was a bit hard for the current Yuuji. Neither Wasuke nor Ryou blamed the boy for it. He was still young.

The doctors were somewhat positive they could stop the disease, but Ryou and Wasuke weren’t sharing their opinions. The grandfather was old, and due to his hard life during childhood, it wasn’t strange that he would die from sickness. Still, the premium insurance the Gojo clan provided allowed Wasuke to have various options. Unfortunately, the old man wasn’t interested in pursuing the most aggressive methods that had the highest chance of killing the cancer cells.

“Why not, Grandpa?!” Yuuji asked.

“Shut it, brat,” Wasuke grumbled. “This is my decision.”

Both Gojo and Ryou remained silent as they watched the two argue. It was obvious that Gojo agreed with Yuuji on this topic, but he felt that it wasn’t his place to intervene. Ryou sighed and lightly hit his brother on the head. “Enough, Yuuji. You’re just stressing out a sick person.”

Yuuji pouted but stopped his protests.

In the end, Wasuke got his way. The doctors would try their best to deal with the cancer cells, but research regarding cancer was not as advanced as those in canon. After all, while the original Wasuke got sick after around 2015, this version suffered in 2005. There was a ten-year gap in knowledge that humanity had not yet grasped. Although Gojo wanted to stay longer, the boy had to return to Tokyo when the old man’s status became stable. Yuuji, who was still mad at his grandfather’s decision, didn’t stick around for long. So it was Ryou who spent the majority of the time taking care of the old man. It took several weeks, but the hospital allowed them to go home as long as they regularly returned for checkups. The staff assured the Itadori that Wasuke’s condition wasn’t that bad yet.

Yuuji had stopped sulking after a week, but he was worried and still did not agree with his grandfather’s decision. Yet, knowing the stubbornness of their relative, he kept his protests to himself. Things returned to calm afterward. Since Wasuke was sick, Yuuji and Ryou had to take over all the chores and maintain the house. Thankfully, Wasuke had savings, so they didn’t have to worry about their tuition. Ryou also had money, so they weren’t struggling at all financially. Even if they were, Gojo was more than ready to shower them with cash should they need it.

Although the white-haired teen missed them, he understood that the twins had to stay with their grandfather. So, he didn’t invite them to Tokyo again. He did return to Kyoto during Christmas to spend his holiday with them. The Gojo elders tried to order the heir back to the estate, but the teen was at the height of his rebelliousness and didn’t listen to their words. Wasuke’s hospitalization was the biggest crisis they encountered that year, and their life continued as usual until they finally reached 2006.

Ryou did not like this year. He knew what should happen during this time. Despite his best attempts, he still could not find any of his fingers. He had even considered leaving Kyoto and searching for them himself, yet Wasuke's condition got worse as time passed. Not wanting to leave Yuuji alone, Ryou could only hope that since he had a partnership with Toji, the man wouldn’t target the Star Plasma Vessel. Although Toji wasn’t exactly friends with Gojo, they weren’t enemies either. If the worst happened, Ryou wanted the man to at least give him a heads-up. 

Yet as March became May, nothing happened. Ryou contacted Toji regularly and prodded more info from the man. Nothing. He even asked him about Tengen, but the other replied, there wasn’t any news that the merger was going to happen.

“Yeah, it’s weird,” Toji said. “Everyone is pretty sure it’s gonna happen this year, but Tengen hasn’t moved an inch.”

Ryou frowned. 

What the hell was going on?

And so, the boy went through that year filled with anxiety and uncertainty. He tried to keep his eyes and ears open for any sign of trouble, yet nothing occurred. It was too calm. Way too calm. The only thing that stopped him from running away and investigating himself was Yuuji and Wasuke. Gojo also helped too. That guy could be so distracting that it wasn’t rare for Ryou to get so annoyed at the kid that he forgot his worries. 

Now that Gojo had become a second-year student, Nanami Kento and Haibara Yu had joined Jujutsu High as first-year students. Unfortunately, since the twins were stuck in Kyoto, they couldn’t meet the young sorcerers. To remedy this, Gojo made sure to send a ton of messages and photos of his new cute juniors. Well, that was mostly a one-sided opinion since it was clear that Nanami hated being around his white-haired senior. 

While things remained peaceful in the Jujutsu world, Wasuke’s condition had gotten steadily worse. Initially, he could remain at home and just went to the hospital regularly, but now the old man had to be under strict watch by the doctors. At the start of the year, their grandfather finally put his foot down and demanded to be put into hospice care. Yuuji was completely distraught at the decision. The two had quarreled for several days, and it took two weeks before the boy snapped out of it. Their time together was limited and they couldn’t waste it on fighting each other. Despite Wasuke’s deteriorating health, their grandfather kept his tough exterior and never failed to berate them whenever they visited. 

“You should attend your extracurriculars.”

“Youngsters like you shouldn’t hang around hospitals so much!”

“Che! You two act as if I’m going to die soon!”

Neither of the twins paid attention much. Gojo, who was trapped in Tokyo, regularly called Wasuke to check up on him. Although the boy couldn’t share anything regarding Jujutsu, he somehow had an endless fountain of stories to entertain the old man. Unfortunately, it often ended up with Wasuke lecturing the teen over being naughty. Despite the constant scolding, the boy still continued his scheduled calls.

Time passed, and the twins finally entered their final year of middle school. Despite Ryou’s discouragement, Yuuji ended up joining an occult club for his extracurricular activity. “It’s not hard, and hanging out with the members is fun. What’s the harm?”

‘The harm? Who knows, maybe you’ll find a finger and decide to eat it?!’ Ryou almost wanted to shout. Yet his logic told him that there was no harm. He had stayed in Kyoto for long enough, and he knew there were no Sukuna’s Fingers in this area. So, Yuuji joining the group should be fine. The boy still couldn’t help but scrunch his nose whenever his brother mentioned that useless club, though. 

Nothing occurred until July. Since Yuuji had group work today, it was only Ryou who visited Wasuke. With a bouquet of flowers in hand, he entered the familiar hospital room to find his grandfather looking out the window. He seemed a bit more energetic than usual.

“You’re here again,” the man grumbled.

“You should already get used to it,” Ryou said as he passed the bed to reach the other side

“Ryou,” Wasuke said as the boy carefully placed a bouquet of Iris into the flower vase. “Take care of Yuuji, okay?”

The boy stopped his action to fix the positions of the plants. “... I know.”

“That boy is a bit of an idiot at times. Gojo-kun too. The two of them can get into all sorts of mischieves. You may be younger than him, but you are a lot more level-headed. Make sure you keep an eye on them.”

“You sure that’s what you want to say?” Ryou asked as he turned around to face his grandfather. “I thought you were going to tell me to help people.”

“No, I know what kind of kid you are,” Wasuke said. “A lot colder. Nothing wrong with that. Yuuji has a big enough heart to care about everyone, but he seems to forget to take care of himself. You can do that for him.”

“I know,” Ryou said as he got closer.

“Take care of yourself too.”

Ryou grasped the withered old hand, and Wasuke lightly returned the gesture. Neither said anything for a long time. Slowly, the grip became weaker, and the man named Itadori Wasuke breathed his last breath.

“... Goodnight, Grandpa.”

When Yuuji heard the news, he immediately went to the hospital to see Wasuke. Seeing his usually energetic old man so stiff and cold made tears gather in his eyes. Yet the boy refused to shed it. Ryou sighed and went to hug his brother. The other pressed his face into the crook of his neck. Although he did not make any sound, the older twin could feel patches of wetness on his shirt.

They held the Wake ceremony not long after. Wasuke had told them to skip the rites since all of his friends died first. They did not have any other relatives left, so only Ryou and Yuuji could hold this ritual. Although they accepted help from the Gojo clan to prepare the funeral rites, they refused to receive any visitors. They knew that it would be only the two of them. Gojo tried to come to Kyoto when he heard the news, but he had the bad luck of having a mission during that week. To make matters worse, it was in a faraway city. 

The white-haired teen barely managed to arrive during the day of cremation. With heaving breaths, the boy said, “I’m sorry I’m late.”

“It’s fine,” Ryou said. The other had arrived just in time for the cremation to be completed. It was now the time for Kotsuage. Usually, it was only relatives of the deceased who were allowed to pick up the bones and remains of the body using chopsticks. Instead of two, there were three large metal chopsticks prepared by the crematorium.

Yuuji offered one to Gojo. The white-haired teen’s eyes widened at the item. “Are you sure?”

“He won’t mind,” Ryou replied as he began transferring the bones from the table to the urn. Yuuji pushed the chopsticks again, and this time, the other boy accepted. Together, they slowly moved the remains of Itadori Wasuke into the prepared vessel. None of them spoke after they completed the Kotsuage ceremony. Although the Gojo clan had prepared a pot of land for Wasuke’s grave, they would need to place the urn at their family shrine for forty-nine days.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be here back then,” Gojo said as they stared at the picture of Wasuke.

“He would just berate you for coming anyway,” Ryou said.

“It’s fine, Satoru,” Yuuji assured him. “He really enjoyed your calls, you know. I don’t think I’ve seen him that energetic except during those times.”

Gojo gave a weak smile. The three stayed together that night. They didn’t do much except eat dinner and hang out in the living room. The older teen had to head back to Tokyo the next day, but he promised to return for the burial. The twins accompanied their childhood friend to the train station, where they watched the other depart.

It was just the two of them now.

As the brothers returned back home, Ryou wondered how the original Yuuji dealt with this alone. Perhaps he didn’t have time to think much since he was immediately shoved into the world of Jujutsu. He doubted the kid had time to properly mourn, considering he had to face many life-and-death situations and suffered many traumatic events. The teen glanced to see his usually cheery brother being down. 

Without hesitation, Ryou took the other's hand and grasped it tightly. ‘I’m here.’

Yuuji returned the gesture. ‘I know.’

And so, the Itadori twins continued their idyllic life. Nothing else occurred within a week, and the brothers used that time to process their loss. Toji had even called Ryou to check up on him, but unlike the man, the teen had expected the death of his grandfather, so it didn’t hit him as hard. The fleetingness of human life. Such a lesson had been ingrained deeply into his mind when he lived as the King of Curses. 

Yet, catastrophe struck when Ryou had least expected it. He had always assumed his fingers were static objects that wouldn’t change position unless Kenjaku or someone from the Jujutsu world moved them. But he had underestimated the foolishness of ignorant idiots. One prime example was teenagers with too much bravery and too little sense.

Yuuji was staying at school that day due to his ‘club’ activities. Although Ryou didn’t like his brother going out at night due to curses, Kyoto was somewhat safer since they were near the Gojo clan. After living so many years peacefully, the boy had gotten used to the relative safety in this new life. That was why he reluctantly allowed his younger twin to spend more time with his school friends. The kid had been so down after Wasuke’s death that the prospect of him recovering a bit of his cheer made Ryou allow him to stay at school during the night.

As Ryou prepared his dinner that day, he suddenly felt a shiver on his spine. His lungs stopped moving as he experienced a sense of foreboding. 

Darkness.

Death.

Blood.

Power.

His power. 

Ryou immediately turned around toward the direction of the source. How? It couldn’t be here. He had checked everywhere. His eyes widened when he noticed where he was looking at. No. It was impossible. The boy turned off the stove and dashed toward the middle school.

God fucking damn it, Yuuji!

Ten minutes before Ryou noticed the presence of his finger. The three members of the occult club were about to perform an unsealing ritual for a rumored cursed object. The teens looked at the wrapped item with dubious expressions.

“Where did you get this, Tsuchida?" Yuuji asked as he prodded at the weird object. It was covered with old papers that were written with strange sigils. Even being completely covered, it was emanating a dark aura.

The girl, Tsuchida Kyoko, grinned. “I accidentally found it! The shop seller said it was meant to be a protection charm, but the previous owner threw it away! I saw how weird and freaky it was, so I bought it!”

“It sure looks ominous,” the other teen boy, Kida Keiichi, muttered.

Yuuji wasn’t sure about this whole thing, but since he wasn’t a coward, he didn’t see any harm in playing around with an old talisman. “Is there a special ritual we have to do or something?”

“Nah, let’s just open it!” Tsuchida said eagerly. “I really want to know what’s inside! Any guesses?”

“Uuuh, a stick?” Kida replied.

Tsuchida squinted her eyes as she looked at the weirdly shaped object. “Really? I don’t think so. Maybe a rock or a jewel is a better answer.”

“Well, it’s a blind guess.” Kida shrugged. “What do you think, Itadori?”

Yuuji stared at the object for several seconds. For some reason, the thing felt awfully familiar to him, as if he had seen it before. His gut was telling him to be careful. Although he never saw the content, he felt like he knew what those talismans were hiding.

Yuuji said with full certainty, “A finger.”

The two students sent a disgusted look at that reply.

“Oh, wow, you are really going all out here, huh,” Tsuchida said.

“But why would people turn a finger into a talisman?” Kida asked as he leaned away from the table where the object was lying. “Whose finger would it belong to? Humans? Animals?”

Red eyes.

Maniacal laughter.

Death.

Destruction.

Stop it!

No!

Su-

“Itadori?” Tsuchida asked

Yuuji blinked. The other members were looking at him concernedly. The boy gave a shaky smile and said, “Sorry, I got lost in thought. I don’t know. What if we just open it?”

The other two students glanced at each other but decided not to push it. Since Tsuchida was the one bringing the object, she had the honor of unraveling the paper. Despite being old, the bindings were quite hard to pry open. When Tsuchida failed, Kida tried to do it too but had no luck. Finally, it was Yuuji’s turn.

Unlike the other two’s attempts, Yuuji’s fingers easily unraveled the papers. The binding was quite long, and when he finally got it off, it showed the true form of the talisman.

It was a finger.

An old finger with a long and dark nail.

Ah.

Suddenly, Yuuji’s instinct was telling him to look up. While the other occult club members were distracted by the object, the boy glanced upward just in time to see something appearing above them. He couldn’t see anything at first, but then… a strange creature pulled itself out of the shadows of the ceiling.

Yuuji’s eyes widened. It was chaos. He tried to warn his friends but the creature immediately fell onto the table. Still holding the finger tightly in his hand, Yuuji jumped back just in time to avoid getting hit. 

Tsuchida shrieked in terror and Kida fell to the ground harshly. The monster struggled onto its feet but its attention was immediately locked on Yuuji. It lunged toward the boy, but the teen retaliated by kicking the creature away. He was very glad that Ryou and Satoru insisted on training him despite his protests. Although he could never reach their level, Yuuji was more fit compared to other people his age. His kick could easily take down bullies several times his size, yet this monster only got stunned for a second.

‘Run.’

Not wanting to ignore his gut feeling, Yuuji immediately dashed out of the room. For whatever reason, he knew deep down that he would be the main target of this monster. As long as he got away, they wouldn’t target them.

“Run! Escape from school!” Yuuji shouted at the two students who were still stunned inside the room.

Since it was late at night, it was quite hard to navigate through the hallways. The usually bright moon was somewhat hidden by the clouds, limiting Yuuji’s sight. The boy refused to look back and sprinted forward. The creature was still chasing him with its horrifically long legs.

Just as Yuuji turned a corner, he encountered another strange monster. The boy barely managed to dodge its grasp, but its interruption slowed his movement. Shit. Yuuji kept running, and when he reached the staircase, he saw another monster climbing up. Fuck.

Not having any other choice, the boy took the path to the upper floor. This wasn’t good. He was getting cornered. Yuuji hoped Tsuchida and Kida used this chance to escape. Although he still hadn’t looked back, he could hear shrieks coming from behind him. It seemed the creatures were fighting against each other. Although that was good news, that distraction caused Yuuji to miss seeing two long arms that managed to grab him from a hall on his left. 

“Ack!” Yuuji tried to punch the limbs to release him, but the monster refused to let him go. Instead of pulling him close, the creature propelled itself toward him. As it leaped, it began to open its massive jaw, intending to swallow him whole.

Yuuji stared as his death came toward him.

His last thought was that Ryou and Satoru would be sad to hear him gone.

CRASH!

Suddenly, a figure broke the windows behind Yuuji and landed a kick on the monster. The impact sent the creature backward, but before it could take Yuuji with him, the new person slammed another foot down and forced its grasp on the teen open.

“Ryou!” Yuuji exclaimed when he finally registered that his brother had saved him.

With a furious look, the older twin turned to the boy. “You fucking moron! We’re going to have a long talk after this!”

Instead of chatting more, Ryou grabbed Yuuji and forced him to run. The boy let his brother lead him as the two continued their escape.

“What’s going on? How are you here?! Do you know what those creatures are?!” Yuuji exclaimed as they ran.

Ryou shouted back, “Those are curses! You just fucking opened a seal on a cursed object, and its power drew in those creatures! You dumbass! Didn’t I tell you to stay away from weird objects!”

“I didn’t know what it was!” Yuuji protested.

“Shut up! It was definitely covered in seals, and you had to open it to get the finger!” Ryou shot back.

“It was Tsuchida’s idea!” Yuuji dodged to avoid a flying creature that tried to swipe at him.

“And you listened to her?! Itadori Yuuji! You are grounded! For a whole damn year!” Ryou ended his statement by slamming his fist into the monster. 

BAM!

It got embedded into the wall by the sheer force of Ryou’s punch. Oh wow. His brother was pissed off beyond belief.

“Ugh! Fine! What are we supposed to do now?!” Yuuji asked. Despite Ryou fending off the monsters, they were still outnumbered and slowly cornered.

“We have to survive until the sorcerers arrive,” Ryou explained.

“Who?” Yuuji tilted his head.

“They’re people who hunt curses,” Ryou replied. “There’s no point leaving the school. It’ll just make things more messy. Nobody is going to miss a sudden influx of cursed spirits appearing in Kyoto. So we just have to hold on until they show up.”

The two decided to go on the rooftops so they could see any monsters that would attack them instead of staying in the dark hallways. When Ryou saw no immediate threat, he turned to his brother, “Give it to me!”

“No!” Yuuji took a step back and held the finger closer. He didn’t know why, but his instinct told him he couldn’t trust anyone with this. After all, it was dangerous.

“I said give it!” Ryou tried to grab the cursed object from his brother, but Yuuji held on. Although he was weaker than his twin, his adrenaline made him able to fend off the other’s attempt to pry off the finger.

“I said no!” Yuuji shouted.

“You fucking moron! You don’t understand what you are messing with!” Ryou exclaimed.

“No! You’re the one who doesn’t understand!”

“Ha?!”

Before the two brothers could continue their wrestling, a curse showed up to assault them. Instead of arriving from the door, it had climbed up using the walls and tried to grab Yuuji. Ryou noticed the threat and kicked his brother away. Unfortunately, that caused him to get caught by the cursed spirit. Ryou tried to extricate himself from the curse, but it seemed to consider that eating the human was a great idea before it grabbed the finger.

While Ryou struggled against the first curse, another spirit showed up to join the fight. This one could fly, and it immediately targeted Yuuji, who was still recovering from his brother’s kick. 

“Ack!” Yuuji screamed when he got pulled into the air.

“Yuuji!” Ryou shouted when he saw his brother in the grasp of another curse. “Let go of my brother, you wretch!” Despite wanting to rescue his twin, the teen had to deal with the curse who was intent on eating him. Since he didn’t have any cursed energy or weapon, he could only use his fists and kicks to defend himself. Ryou technically had some weapons from Toji, but he had kept them in hidden storage away from their home. He didn’t want Gojo to notice that he had those cursed tools. Unfortunately, in his panic, the boy forgot to grab one before he had gone to save his brother.

Yuuji also didn’t make it easy for the second curse to eat him. After he punched the spirit’s beak away, he shouted, “Hey Ryou! They want this because it has power, right? Then, if I just eat it, won’t that solve the issue?”

“No you fucking imbecile! Don’t eat it!” Ryou finally managed to slam a solid kick on the curse’s face and sent it falling to the ground. Just as he was about to jump up and save his brother, the teen had already thrown the finger up into the air while his mouth was wide open.

“NO!” Ryou shouted.

The cursed object fell straight into the boy’s mouth, and he immediately swallowed it. A second later, a familiar power exploded outwards from the teen’s body. Ryou had stopped moving from shock. 

What the fuck was going to happen now? He was here, yet Yuuji still ate the finger. Fuck. His brother wasn’t born after being tinkered by Kenjaku. Was he going to die? Yet there was nothing Ryou could do. Yuuji had eaten the cursed object, and only fate would decide what happened. 

The cursed spirit holding Yuuji also didn’t try to move under the sheer pressure coming from the boy. It knew it was dealing with something much more powerful than it. 

Another second passed, and the aura of death went away.

Huh.

Ryou couldn’t see the familiar tattoos that should’ve appeared whenever Yuuji had eaten one of his fingers. The curse also seemed to notice the change and immediately resumed its attempt to eat the boy. Before the older twin could react, Yuuji had launched his attack.

DIVERGENT FIST!

Yuuji's attack wasn’t pure physical strength. While Ryou couldn’t see cursed energy, he noticed the familiar delayed impact that canon Yuuji could do with his skill. What? 

Yuuji immediately followed the attack with a kick enhanced with cursed energy. The blow struck the curse straight on the chest, and it was finally exorcised. Finally free from his captor’s grasp, the teen fell to the ground. Instead of falling head first, the boy artfully flipped in the air and landed safely on his feet.

“Yuuji!” Ryou shouted as he approached his twin. 

Yuuji didn’t respond to his brother’s call and continued looking down with wide eyes. Inside his mind, he was overwhelmed by a sudden massive wave of memories. He was Itadori Yuuji. He grew up in Sendai, no in Kitakami. He was an only child; no, he had a twin brother. He was a physically gifted boy, not correct; that was his brother’s talent. He was in high school; no way, he hadn’t graduated yet. He was a sorcerer-what?

Then, another great flood of knowledge and emotion flooded Yuuji’s brain. He ate a finger. Sukuna’s Finger. He was supposed to be executed. Gojo-sensei said he could be a sorcerer and help them get rid of Sukuna. He was supposed to help people, but he just kept bringing death and destruction. 

Shibuya. Gojo-sensei had been sealed away. So many deaths. Bodies cut into pieces. So many screams. Buildings turn to dust. Fire and flame. Judgment from the sky. Laughter. Despair.

‘You got it from here.’

Nanamin.

No.

‘I've had a pretty good life’

Kugisaki.

No.

Hate. Mahito. I’ll kill you!

The Culling Game. They had to stop it. Kenjaku. 

‘So start by saving me, Itadori!’

Fushiguro.

Sukuna, no!

Shinjuku. Preparation. Battles. Plans. They got it. They had to win this. He had to save Fushiguro. Everyone.

Sensei! Sensei! 

Gojo-sensei was dead.

Dead!

How could he die?

Sukuna stood over his body.

Red eyes. 

Laughter.

No.

“YUUJI!”

Yuuji blinked.

Someone was holding his shoulders tightly. 

The boy stared for several seconds as he tried to recognize the face before him. Sukuna? No, Ryou. 

Red eyes. Golden eyes.

Mocking laughter. Soft smiles.

Cutting blades. Warm hands.

“Yuuji?” Sukuna-Ryou asked with a familiar deep baritone. Strange. Yuuji had never heard him speak toward him with anything except contempt and hate. No, that wasn’t true. His brother had always been fussing over him. He was cruel. He was nice. 

“Hey.” Sukuna-Ryou slowly moved his hands from his shoulders to his temples. With gentle pressure, he guided Yuuji’s forehead so it was touching with his. “Calm down and follow my breaths.”

Breathing. Yes. Breathing was good.

Yuuji followed the other’s instructions and slowly slowed down his breath. He hadn’t noticed it before, but he seemed to be hyperventilating. That wasn’t good. You had to keep your cool as a sorcerer. 

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

When Yuuji had finally calmed down, Sukuna Ryou asked, “Are you okay?”

Yuuji couldn’t answer verbally and only offered a nod.

What the fuck?

Omake:

Ryou: Goddamn it Yuuji, I had a plan!

Yuuji: *Having an existential crisis*

Chapter Text

Yuuji wasn’t sure what the hell had just happened, but there were two sets of memories inside his head. He was still Itadori Yuuji, but he had lived two different lives. One was filled with anguish and pain, and the other lived peaceful and idyllic days. Which one was true? Was he Itadori Yuuji, the sorcerer whose goal was to take down the King of Curses, or was he Itadori Yuuji, a regular middle schooler who was a younger twin brother of Ryou? He didn’t know. Neither answer felt right or wrong. The more he tried to think, the worse his headache became. Just as the boy began to furrow his brow in pain, he felt another gentle pressure on his temples.

“Enough of that, Yuuji,” Ryou said, “try to focus on me and stop getting lost in your head.”

Yuuji forced his eyes open to look at the other—Itadori Ryou. The boy looked identical to Yuuji, but his hair was pushed back, which reminded him a lot of Sukuna. The young teen also had that familiar deep baritone that the King of Curses had. Yet his sharp eyes were golden instead of blood red. Half of Yuuji wanted to leap away from the touch, while the other wanted to lean into it.

Danger. Safety.

Enemy. Brother.

Before Yuuji could get lost in another spiral of memories, two people suddenly showed up near them. Two tall teens jumped off from a massive curse in the shape of a dragon. One had striking white hair and was wearing round sunglasses, while the other was a black-haired boy whose hair was tied into a bun. Yuuji knew them.

“Yuuji! Ryou! Are you guys okay?!” Gojo Satoru exclaimed as he strode toward the twins with his long legs. “What the hell is going on here?!”

Yuuji could only stare blankly at the teen. Gojo-sensei. He was supposed to be dead. He had seen the man being cut into two by Sukuna. There was no way he could survive. He was dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. De-

“Yuuji,” Ryou said as he grasped his brother’s hand tightly.

Yuuji took a sharp breath. No. That wasn’t true. Satoru was fine. He had seen him return to Tokyo after helping them with their grandfather’s funeral. The boy promised to return for the burial. Yeah. He was fine. The younger twin couldn’t help but stare at the other’s torso, right at the location where Sukuna had bisected him with the World Cutting Slash.

Ryou squeezed Yuuji’s hand again and made him realize that everyone was looking at him worriedly. The teen forced himself to speak despite the dryness of his mouth. “I’m fine? Um, Gojo-sen-”

“Yuuji!” Gojo shouted and dramatically pulled the boy into a tight hug. “Didn’t you promise that you won't ever call me that?! Satoru! Sa. To. Ru!”

Yuuji could only blink several times as he tried to process the demand. Satoru. Yeah. His childhood friend hated being called by his family name. He had been trying to force Ryou to use his first name for many years, and it had become a weird game between the two of them. But another part of him protested against that. No.

‘Gojo-sensei is Gojo-sensei.’

Seeing how he didn’t get any response from the younger twin, the white-haired boy continued, “I can’t believe this! What have I done? Did I do something wrong? Have I failed to send enough souvenirs?! I’m sorry, I’ll buy you more! So please-”

“Enough!” Ryou interrupted the other’s dramatic wail with a sharp hit to the head. “You’re overwhelming him, idiot.”

Yet, Gojo refused to budge. “Yuuji! Do you see how your brother bullied me? I’m being bullied every day now! You’re the only one on my side! Huhuhu…”

“Come on, Satoru, knock it off,” Kenjaku(?) said exasperatedly as he tried to gently pry the taller teen off.

Just when Ryou looked ready to lose his patience, Yuuji finally responded by patting the white-haired boy on the back. “Ah… yeah, sorry, Satoru.”

“I knew it! Yuuji is always in my corner! This has to be because of Ryou! You guys are meanies!” Satoru stuck out his tongue at the other two boys.

Ryou only rolled his eyes and forcefully pried off the white-haired teen. This time, the other didn’t fight back. Satoru said, “See! Yuuji looks a lot better now! Nothing a hug from Gojo Satoru can’t fix!”

Both Ryou and Kenjaku Suguru sent a disgusted expression at the white-haired boy, but the older twin didn’t say anything more after he examined Yuuji. Although the boy still looked shaken, he no longer seemed as if he was on the verge of a panic attack.

Yuuji gave a weak smile. “Sorry, my head just feels a bit off, that’s all.”

Ryou narrowed his eyes at that answer but didn’t say anything.

“So, this is awkward, but have any of you seen a weird talisman covered in paper seals?” Suguru cut in.

“Oh, that, I ate it,” Yuuji replied automatically.

Both Satoru and Suguru froze.

“... Seriously?” the two teens asked.

“Seriously,” Ryou confirmed with a heavy sigh.

Yuuji scratched his head sheepishly. This felt like deja vu. Instead of Gojo-sensei and Fushiguro, he was surrounded by Satoru, Suguru, and Ryou. Well, the situation was still the same: Yuuji had just eaten a cursed object.

“B-but that’s a special grade cursed object!” Suguru exclaimed in horror. “You should’ve died after eating it!”

“Yuuji! Why did you eat Sukuna’s Finger?!” Satoru pried the teen’s mouth open as if he could see the cursed object if he tried to look inside hard enough.

“Ah tho i wa a gee edea (I thought it was a good idea),” Yuuji protested while his childhood friend still held his mouth open.

Ryou sighed again. “This idiot thought that eating it might stop the curses from chasing us.”

Suguru blinked. “Curses? Oh yeah, you two are weirdly calm despite being trapped inside a school full of cursed spirits. How come?”

“Toji already told me about about the hidden Jujutsu society, and then I informed Yuuji of the situation after I saved him just now,” Ryou replied.

Satoru let go of Yuuji in favor of turning his full attention to Ryou. “Toji?! What did he tell you?! How long have you known?!”

“Since the first time I talked to him. He spilled the secrets before you arrived. I think he was trying to make me panic or something,” Ryou answered.

Satoru was hyperventilating now. It wasn’t because of panic. The boy was on the verge of going on a rampage and killing a certain ex-Zen’in. “TOJI! THAT FUCKING BASTARD!”

Ryou clicked his tongue. “Enough, stop yelling. You are going to draw more curses toward us.”

As if listening to his command, a curse peeked out of the side of the building. It seemed it was wondering whether it could defeat these two powerful sorcerers. Satoru growled and immediately shot Blue and fully exorcised the creature. “Let them come! I’m in the mood to kill something!”

“There, there.” Suguru patted his classmate, who was red from anger. “Well, at least we can skip the explanations for now, but still, this is really a tricky situation you’ve gotten yourself into.”

“Why are you two here, anyway?” Ryou asked.

“We’re on a mission to retrieve a cursed object that’s most likely one of Sukuna’s Fingers,” Suguru explained. “We were astonished to find out that after our investigation, the shopkeeper who should have the item has already sold the talisman to a middle school girl.”

“We immediately went to Kyoto after hearing it,” Satoru grumbled, “and arrived just in time to see curses gathering in your school.”

“We thought that we had to retrieve the Sukuna’s Finger and seal it again to stop this mess, but then we felt that dark aura suddenly disappearing,” Suguru continued. After speaking those words, the teen turned a questioning look at Yuuji. “Which I still don’t get how that occurred. Satoru, can you examine Yuuji?”

“No need to ask.” Satoru immediately pulled off his sunglasses and leaned his face close so he could thoroughly examine the younger twin with his Six Eyes. Yuuji blinked as those bright blue eyes stared into him. This was really a deja vu. Gojo-sensei had done the same when they first met, but his Six Eyes had been hidden by his black blindfold. Although the Six Eyes were very beautiful, being gazed at by those powerful orbs so intently also made the teen quite nervous.

“Hmmm…” Satoru narrowed his eyes as he leaned one centimeter closer.

Yuuji had to lean his own head back so they wouldn’t accidentally kiss.

Ryou clicked his tongue and pulled the taller teen by his collar. “Enough. Tell me what you’ve seen.”

“Ack!” Satoru pretended to choke because of that sharp yank and sent a pout toward the older twin. “How mean, Ryou. I’m trying to help here. I mean, my Six Eyes is amazing, and I can see almost everything, so I’m taking a thorough look at Yuuji.”

“And?” Ryou raised an eyebrow.

“And I don’t get what I’m seeing.”

The older twin narrowed his eyes.

Satoru made a thinking posture. “I can still see the dark cursed energy that should belong to the King of Curses, but it’s strangely hollow. You see, cursed objects, like Sukuna’s Fingers, don’t only contain power, but they also host the soul of their owner. If Yuuji has become a vessel for Sukuna, I should be able to see a second soul within his body.”

“Are you saying that the soul of the King of Curses is no longer contained within those fingers?” Suguru replied with a furrow.

Satoru shrugged. “I’m just telling you what I’m seeing.”

Yuuji shot a quick glance at Ryou, who was looking ahead impassively. Yeah, he had been wondering about that too. The first time he had eaten Sukuna’s Finger, he could somewhat feel the existence of another soul within his body. Yet this time, he could feel none. No matter how hard he tried to search deep within himself, he could not find a glimpse of that red-eyed curse that had haunted him.

Was it true, then? Was Ryou Sukuna? Yuuji couldn’t be sure. Half of him insisted that was the truth. Although the curse had taken Yuuji’s appearance while being trapped within his body, his true form also boasted the same likeness to the teen. Ryou and Sukuna also had the same voice. The way the two carried themselves was also similar. Yet, the other half of him couldn’t accept that this gruff but kind brother was the terrifying King of Curses who had gleefully massacred so many lives. It just wasn’t possible.

“So, what are we going to do now?” Ryou asked.

“What else?” Suguru sighed. “You two have to come with us to Tokyo. There is no way we can hide the disappearance of one of Sukuna’s Fingers, and we must inform the higher-ups.”

Satoru scrunched his nose in distaste but shot a grin toward the twins. “No worries, guys! You have Gojo Satoru on your side. I’ll handle those geezers!”

Yuuji wasn’t worried at all. Gojo-sensei had stopped him from being executed immediately, and that would have been the case here, too. Even if Satoru was much younger, Gojo Satoru was still Gojo Satoru.

Ryou sighed. “Fine, but let’s go to our house first since I left in a hurry to save this idiot. Oh, and one of you may want to check on the other members of the Occult Club. To make sure that they are still alive.”

While Suguru headed off to check up on the other two middle schoolers, Satoru accompanied the twins home. They couldn’t stay for long, so they quickly secured the house and packed up some clothes. When that was done, the three of them reunited with Suguru, who assured them that the other Occult Club members were safe and sound. They then rode the bullet train to reach Tokyo and were immediately picked up by a driver from Jujutsu High.

When they arrived, Yuuji was immediately cuffed with suppressions and herded to the Isolation Chamber. Ryou, on the other hand, was taken to another room to be questioned while the higher-ups called Suguru and Satoru to the meeting chamber.

“Execution! Of course, Ryoumen Sukuna’s vessel has to be executed!” an elder shouted when Suguru finished explaining what had occurred in Kyoto. The atmosphere was already bad when the two young sorcerers entered the dark chamber, but it got worse as soon as the teen reported the result of their missions.

The dark-haired teen could only sigh because he knew what would happen next. Satoru had been keeping himself silent the whole time since he had promised his friend that he would handle the reporting. However, hearing these geezers demanding Yuuji’s execution was the last straw.

“Listen here, you stupid geezers! None of you is allowed to touch a hair on Yuuji!” Satoru exclaimed loudly, cutting through the shrieks from the elders.

“How dare-” one of the higher-ups tried to say, but the teen continued.

“Did you fail to hear that Sukuna has failed to incarnate despite having a vessel?! I confirmed it with my own Six Eyes. There is nothing inside Yuuji except the power of the King of Curses! Why are you still demanding his execution?”

An elder scoffed. “What if this is merely the case because the boy has only consumed one? What if it merely takes time for the King of Curses to return? Nay, I say we should nip it in the bud.”

“Are you even listening to yourself?” Satoru crossed his arms. “Sukuna’s Fingers have been causing fatalities despite only being cursed objects. We have finally found a safe means to stop this problem. Yet you still think letting those crusty fingers remain and gather more power is preferable?!”

“Are you implying that we should feed more Sukuna’s Finger to Itadori Yuuji?” another higher-up said.

Suguru’s eyes widened as he looked at his friend, but Satoru kept looking forward as he replied, “Yes.”

An elder clicked his tongue. “And what if the King of Curses returns as we feared? Unlike you youngsters, we know better than to underestimate this figure. He may have perished long ago, yet echoes of his bloodshed remain in this world. Should he ever return, you will have to take full responsibility for it, Gojo Satoru!”

“I’ll take full responsibility,” Satoru said.

The elders then began to squabble with each other. Some were still insistent on executing Yuuji, while others could see the benefit of letting the boy consume more Sukuna’s Fingers. Satoru remained silent, ignoring their petty verbal fight. Unlike these geezers, he knew that there was no way the King of Curses could ever incarnate. After all, his soul was no longer contained within those fingers. No. Ryoumen Sukuna had been reborn as Itadori Ryou.

Satoru had only seen that overwhelming darkness once, but he could never forget it. Previously, he could never understand what his Six Eyes had witnessed the first time he encountered Ryou, yet now he had found his answer. When he examined Yuuji, he got a similar feeling from the remnants of the King of Curses. It was much weaker and strangely subdued, but the essence was the same. So, it could only mean one thing. Ryou was Sukuna.

Perhaps this connection was the reason why Yuuji had survived consuming the remains of the King of Curses. After all, twins were considered one being. So, although Ryou was the one holding the true essence of Ryoumen Sukuna, Yuuji was still connected to him, and thus, his malevolent power wouldn’t harm the younger twin.

“Alright, we have come to an agreement,” an elder said, breaking Satoru out of his musing. “We agree to postpone the execution of Itadori Yuuji until he can consume all of Sukuna’s Fingers. When all twenty of the cursed objects have been disposed of, we will commence the execution. You, Gojo Satoru, shall be the executor.”

Suguru took a sharp breath while Satoru stilled. What?

“This is our final offer. Should you reject it, then we shall execute Itadori Yuuji immediately,” the elder continued.

Satoru clenched his shaking fists tightly. These pieces of shit. They might believe these stupid paper screens could hide their faces, but his Six Eyes could easily see some of them smirking. How dare they?

Instead of lashing out, the white-haired teen barked out a laugh and said, “Fine.”

The two young sorcerers immediately exited the building once the meeting was adjourned. Suguru looked worriedly at this friend, who was walking at a faster pace than him. “Satoru… your hands are bleeding.”

“It’s fine.” Satoru had tightened his fists so hard that he embedded his nails into his palm. Blood dripped down slowly from those open wounds. It was fine. Everything was fine. Satoru could just hide one of the fingers to prevent Yuuji from being executed. He just had to postpone it long enough so he could get stronger. Then, at that point, even if the elders wanted to put up a protest, they could do nothing, even if the teen refused to follow their orders.

A hazy scene flashed through Satoru’s mind. It was the meeting chamber. Instead of the dark and pristine room, the paper screens were broken and fallen on the ground. Accompanying them were the sight of the corpses of those higher-ups. One had their head chopped in half. Another had his face smashed onto a standing screen. The rest lay bloodied and cut apart on the cold stone.

Yeah.

Everything was just fine.

The Six Eyes swirled like an icy storm behind Satoru’s sunglasses.

He was the strongest, after all.

Sitting inside the Isolation Chamber gave him another feeling of deja vu. Yuuji almost expected Gojo-sensei to sit before him, but he was alone this time. At least the silence allowed him to finally think. Although they had to ride the bullet train, the younger twin had fallen asleep as soon as he sat down. Ryou had to wake him up when they arrived in Tokyo. Afterward, they were immediately separated when they reached Jujutsu High.

Now that his head was clearer, Yuuji could sort out his jumbled memories. It was very hard. Sometimes, he wasn’t sure which one was which, but he felt that he had sorted the majority of them into the correct section. He opted to call his life where he had been the sorcerer as his first and his calm and peaceful life as second. To be fair, he wasn’t sure which one came first or if it even happened at all. Maybe he just hallucinated the whole thing after he ate that finger, but his instinct told him that he remembered everything perfectly.

Okay, so what had happened? The last thing he remembered from his first life was fighting Sukuna. It was a long and arduous battle, with many sorcerers defeated by the King of Curses. In the end, he alone remained to face that monster. He had used his Domain and pulled the other inside. Although he tried to make him understand, the curse refused to change, and they fought again. He just had to break Sukuna’s Hollow Wicker Basket, and then his sure-hit attack would work. Yet, the King of Curses recovered his burnt-out cursed technique and used his domain expansion. Everything was black afterward.

Did Yuuji fail?

The boy wanted to curl into himself, but his hands and feet were tied to the chair, so he could only let his head hang. After all those sacrifices, he failed. Failure. He was a failure. How could he disappoint everyone? How could he continue to be so useless? Gojo-sensei. Higuruma. Choso. All of them were dead. He wasn’t sure about the fate of the others. That Divine Flame had consumed everything. Although Todo had arrived, even the boy wasn’t sure if he managed to save everyone. What if they were all dead? Was it all for nothing?

No.

It wasn’t over yet. Yuuji was here, right? He wasn’t sure where exactly he was, but Gojo Satoru was alive. Kenjaku hadn’t started his twisted game yet. Everything was okay, and everyone was alive. If he could just fix everything, then it should be fine, right? Yeah. He just had to change the future. He could do it. He had to.

Yuuji bit his lower lip. His mind jumped to the face of his twin. Itadori Ryou. The teen wasn’t sure what to think of his brother. One part of him wanted to seek him out, and the other wanted nothing to do with him. Every time he looked at the other, he just wanted to turn his face away. It hurt. It felt like someone was stabbing his heart from the inside. Ha. Maybe it would be more apt to say that someone had torn his heart out of his chest.

Before Yuuji could spiral into another dark thoughts, the entrance to the Isolation Chamber opened to show Satoru strolling in. Unlike Gojo-sensei, Satoru was wearing his Jujutsu High uniform and round sunglasses. The man truly didn’t age that much despite having over a decade age gap.

“Yo! Yuuji! Sorry to make you wait for so long.” Instead of sitting on the other chair, the teen went to unravel the bindings holding the boy down.

“Eh? Aren’t you going to tell me something first?” Yuuji asked.

Satoru tilted his head. “Hmm. It’s nothing that important. Anyway, I’ll just tell you about it when Ryou is around. It’ll be better than repeating it twice, and I hate this place. So, up we go!”

Yuuji could only let the teen drag him out, and the two were greeted by Suguru and Ryou outside. The older twin frowned and reached out toward his brother, “Are you al-”

SLAP!

Before that hand could reach Yuuji, the boy automatically slapped it away. Everyone’s eyes widened at the act.

Ryou froze for a second but quickly pulled back his hand to stuff it inside his pocket. On the other hand, Yuuji turned his face away. One part of him could only remember those hands hitting and slicing him, while the other half berated himself for his harsh act against his own brother.

“Are you guys okay?” Satoru frowned as he glanced between the two brothers.

Ryou sighed. “It’s nothing. Just tell us what those higher-ups decided.”

Satoru looked like he wanted to know more, but he only pursed his lips and followed the other’s demands. The teen began to explain Jujutsu society, curses, and Sukuna's Finger. Although Ryou insisted he knew about those, Satoru still wanted to talk about them because he wanted to be 'thorough.' He finally ended his lecture by saying, “The good news is that Yuuji is safe for now. The bad news is that those elders still want to execute Yuuji, but only after he has consumed all of Sukuna’s Fingers.”

So, just like Yuuji’s first life. When neither of the twins showed any adverse reaction to the news, both sorcerers raised their eyebrows high.

“Um, did you not hear what I said, Ryou?” Satoru asked doubtfully.

“I’m not deaf,” Ryou groused. “I heard it perfectly. If you are expecting me to throw a tantrum, then you’ll be disappointed. Toji explained how the Jujutsu society works, so I know there’s not much we can do except follow their plans.”

“Still, hearing your brother is going to be executed is not news one can accept so easily,” Suguru said.

Ryou clicked his tongue. “Why are you focusing on me? Isn’t Yuuji’s feelings more important here?”

The two sorcerers turned to the younger twin, who blinked at the attention. “I’m… fine? I mean, it makes sense. The cursed objects are dangerous, right? So I don’t mind eating more of them.”

Satoru and Suguru shared a dubious expression at that answer. Then, the white-haired teen groaned and threw himself at the boy, “Yuuji! You’re too nice! I know it’s for the greater good, but you are still risking your life!”

“But I’m fine? I want to help people, and it’s something only I can do, right?” Yuuji asked as he patted the other on the back.

Satoru paused at that and huffed. “You are still too good for this world.”

Ryou pulled the white-haired teen off his brother and said, “Instead of standing here, what if you give us a place where we can rest? Neither of us got any sleep yesterday, and it’s almost sunrise. I would rather get an hour or two of rest instead of talking more about this.”

Indeed, both Satoru and Suguru had not rested ever since they got this mission about Sukuna’s Finger. Frankly, they were also tired and wouldn’t mind to lay down for a bit. Since there weren’t that many students at Jujutsu High, most of the dorm rooms were empty, so it was easy to find two for the twins.

Satoru even picked the two empty rooms near his place so he could hang out with them easily. Ryou rolled his eyes at that answer while Yuuji gave a weak smile. As the two brothers entered their separate rooms, Yuuji glanced at Ryou, who entered his assigned place with an impassive face.

The room Yuuji got was quite similar to the place he had in his first life. Instead of examining more, he threw himself on the bed and curled up on himself. What to do? He really didn’t know how he should act around Ryou. It was difficult. No matter how hard he tried, echoes of Sukuna would always reappear whenever he interacted with his brother.

“I’m sorry.”

Yuuji wasn’t sure who he was saying that too. Was it to Ryou who was in the other room? Or was it to the part of himself who was only a younger brother who cared for his twin?

In the other room, Ryou was also lying on his own bed as he pondered over the recent events. He wasn’t stupid. Yuuji was able to use Divergent Fist, and then he called Satoru “Gojo” when he showed up. The way he rejected Ryou’s touch was another proof. He wasn’t sure how it occurred, but Yuuji seemed to have gained memories from the canon timeline. That was the only theory that could explain why the boy acted like this.

Ryou sighed.

What a mess.

As if being reborn as a human wasn’t enough, now he had to deal with his brother, who had gained memories of that traumatic life. Whatever semblance of a plan he had had turned useless. He would need to be extra careful when making moves now. There would always be a wary Yuuji who would keep an eye on him.

Ryou turned to his side and groaned into the pillow. “How troublesome.”

Although it didn’t hurt, he could still feel the slap his brother had given him when he reached out. This was the first time it had happened. The two of them had always been close, and physical contact was a given. Now, Ryou had to be careful when interacting with his twin. He wasn’t just dealing with his brother, but he was also facing canon Yuuji, who was definitely suspicious of his true identity. Getting too close to him would only trigger his trauma.

Ryou tried to engrave that warning into his brain. As he slowly fell into a fitful sleep, he ignored the stinging pain in his chest. It was fine. He could deal with this.

Despite the two brothers lying on different beds in their own rooms, the two slept back-to-back while their fronts faced in two directions.

Omake:

Ryou, Yuuji, and Satoru: *Sitting in a house full of fire* This is fine.

Chapter Text

When Yuuji woke up the next day, the sun was already up quite high in the sky. Instead of immediately jumping out of bed, the teen continued lying down as he tried to remember what he had just experienced. His name was Itadori Yuuji. He had lived two lives. One where he had been a sorcerer and the other where he was just a normal kid. He now had a twin brother, who he was pretty sure was the reincarnation of the King of Curses. Oh, he was also apparently childhood friends with Gojo Satoru, who had been his teacher in his previous life. 

Yuuji sighed deeply. Despite getting some sleep, he was still very tired and didn’t want to get up. However, he knew he couldn’t spend his days in bed and forced himself to get out. Since the sun had already risen for several hours, it seemed the other students had left their dorm rooms. When the boy approached the kitchen, he heard several voices talking to each other. 

“If you are not going to help, then sit down, Gojo!” Ryou shouted.

“But I am trying to help!” Satoru protested.

Yuuji arrived just in time to see Ryou trying to hit the white-haired teen with a spatula. The teen swung the kitchen tool with such precision that one could mistake it for a sword. Satoru yelped as he crouched down to avoid getting hit, even though he could use his Infinity to stop the item from landing.

With narrowed eyes, Ryou pointed the spatula at the table. “No, you’re not. Now sit down.”

Shoko and Suguru snickered as they watched their friend pout and sullenly sit down like a scolded child. Satoru sent a glare at the two before he turned to grin brightly at Yuuji who was standing near the entrance. 

“Yuuji! You’re the last one to wake up!” Satoru said.

“I don’t think you have the right to say that, Satoru,” Suguru cut in. “I had to wake you up, or else you would be the one waking up the last.”

Satoru stuck out his tongue.

Yuuji blinked at this mundane sight. It seemed Ryou had taken the kitchen duty and was cooking late breakfast for the three sorcerers. He couldn’t believe that he would ever see the day the curse would do something so… domestic. Yet before the feeling of absurdity could set in, the other half of him reminded him that he had seen this scene quite often. 

Wasuke had always believed everyone should be independent, and that included being able to cook. The old man had immediately introduced them to the kitchen when they were five. It started with simple things like helping him move ingredients, but as they got older, their grandfather expected them to learn how to cut and make simple dishes. When the twins reached their teenage years, they had become quite proficient at cooking. Ryou had been faster at grasping this skill, and it wasn’t rare for the older twin to ensure his brother didn’t accidentally make a mistake.

The first time he accidentally cut his finger was when he was six years old. Wasuke had been out working, and the twins were quite hungry. Ryou wanted to make them simple sandwiches, but Yuuji insisted on helping him cut the vegetables. He had seen his brother do it several times, and he wanted to try it, too. Unfortunately, kids generally didn’t have good motor skills, and the expected result arrived. As Yuuji cried, Ryou clicked his tongue and cleaned the wound.

“Stop crying. Didn’t I tell you to be careful?” Ryou asked.

“But I did,” Yuuji protested.

The older twin sighed as he put on the bandaid over the wound. “See, you are fine now.” 

Yuuji looked at his hurt finger with teary eyes. Not waiting for his brother to answer, Ryou pulled the younger twin toward the cutting board. “Try again.”

The boy sent a hesitant look at the sharp knife that had cut him. Seeing his fear, the older twin said, “Are you going to let one failure stop you?”

Yuuji stubbornly shook his head. His brother had always been faster and smarter than him, so the younger twin had always needed to run after him. Fortunately, no matter how much better his brother got, the other always waited for Yuuji to reach him.

With careful motion, Ryou guided Yuuji on how to handle a knife and the proper way to cut things. “Here, you have to hold it like this. Make sure your fingers are curled in so you won’t get cut again.”

“Yuuji?” 

Yuuji blinked. The three sorcerers were looking at him concernedly. The teen blinked several times before he replied, “Sorry, I got lost in thoughts.”

“Well, won’t it be better if you think while sitting down?” Satoru gestured to the empty seat to his right and Yuuji accepted his offer. 

“So, I heard you’re going to join Jujutsu High now?” Shoko asked immediately.

Yuuji had to stare at her for a second as the image of older Ieiri Shoko appeared before him. “Um… maybe?” They hadn’t talked about that at all. He glanced at Satoru and Suguru.

“Well, you are still in middle school, so you can’t technically join yet,” Suguru replied.

“Yeah, but those old guys refuse to let you out of their sight, so you have to stay in the dorm,” Satoru added while crossing his arms. 

Yuuji nodded. That made sense. What he was more curious about was Ryou’s situation. When the boy glanced at his brother, the sorcerers understood immediately. 

“I doubt Ryou will allow you out of his sight either, Yuuji,” Satoru replied, “Well, it’s fine. Some of the conservative elders will get a bit uppity, but since Ryou has a Heavenly Restriction, he should be able to keep up with fighting curses. We just need to give him a proper cursed weapon!”

“I have some already,” Ryou said as he put down two plates of fish on the table. Seeing that the boy had done cooking, Suguru and Shoko immediately got up to help the teen move the food. 

Satoru remained seated as he asked, “What do you mean?!”

“Toji gave me some cursed tools a few years ago,” Ryou replied. “Nothing too fancy, but I can use them in a pinch.”

“That guy again,” Satoru hissed. “Anyway! You don’t need them. I can give you much better weapons!”

“Stop treating Ryou as if he’s a male host, Satoru,” Suguru said exasperatedly when the two sorcerers were done helping.

Satoru ignored his friend’s words and muttered, “Che, that guy is a bad influence.”

“Pot calling the kettle black,” Shoko pipped in. 

Ryou ignored the exchange and took a seat beside Shoko. Incidentally, that position was the farthest one from Yuuji’s seat. The sorcerers traded glances when they saw this while the younger twin looked down at his breakfast. It was a simple but hearty meal. Besides the standard bowl of warm rice, there were salted salmon, miso soup, scrambled eggs, and seaweed. He remembered eating this quite often while growing up.

“Itadakimasu!”

With those words, everyone started to eat their breakfast. Since Yuuji had only eaten a light snack for dinner yesterday, he quickly finished his meal. Although the food was nothing fancy, it was obvious that Ryou was a good cook. Huh. That familiar fact seemed strange now that Yuuji knew that Ryou was Sukuna. As far as he knew, the King of Curses had that one loyal servant who seemed to fulfill all his needs, but then again, Ryou had been raised by Wasuke, and there was no way he would let his grandson laze around.

They finished their meal just in time for Suguru to receive a call from Yaga. Unlike in his previous life, the man was still a teacher during this time. Since it was obvious that the sorcerer wanted to talk about Yuuji’s situation, they went as a group to meet with the Jujutsu High teacher.

Although Yaga knew that he would likely encounter this troublesome duo, he was still quite displeased to see their faces when he met the Itadori twins. Satoru grinned directly at him while Suguru only smiled. Shoko didn’t look at her teacher and only played with her unlit cigarette. Seeing that the twins didn’t seem to mind, the man could only sigh. 

“My name is Yaga Masamichi. I’m the teacher of first and second-year students at Jujutsu High. The principal has asked me to inform you about your situation,” Yaga said.

Yuuji nodded while Ryou remained silent. 

Yaga continued, “Let me be frank; your current situation is not ideal. Yuuji is still scheduled to be executed, and it is only being postponed indefinitely until he consumes all twenty of Sukuna’s Fingers. Since we don’t know the locations of all of them, it may take years to find them all. Thus, the elders have decided that it would be wiser to teach Yuuji how to become a sorcerer since he has already gained the ability to use cursed energy.”

The man stopped to give them a chance to ask questions or protest. When none came, he looked at Ryou. “Yuuji is expected to stay at Jujutsu High’s dorm, but I’ve heard about your status as a Heavenly Restricted individual. It’s not ideal, but you can still fight curses with your physical prowess.”

“I’ll attend Jujutsu High,” Ryou replied.

Yaga blinked at the prompt reply, but seeing the solemn expression of the young teen, he knew that saying anything more would be useless. “I see. You two won’t technically attend the school yet since you are still in middle school. You’ll have to stay in Tokyo and move to a nearby middle school. However, you are still expected to attend extra classes here that will teach you about Jujutsu.”

“Um, who’ll be our teacher?” Yuuji asked.

Yaga sighed. “Me.”

“Oh wow, they’re really working you to the bone, huh, Yaga-sensei,” Satoru said while putting his hands on the back of his head.

Yaga glared at this most unruly student. “Then perhaps you should lighten my burden and cause fewer problems.”

“No promises.” 

Not expecting a better answer, Yaga only shot a withering look at the teen. Then, he returned his attention back to the twins, “I’ve heard that you are still in mourning and haven’t buried your grandfather yet. Don’t worry you can still return to Kyoto to finish all of your business.”

“Yup! And I’ll go there too!” Satoru said.

Everyone except Yuuji sighed at the unnecessary proclamation. Of course, Satoru would go. Even if the elders had some words against it, the teen would listen to them anyway. Yaga continued explaining other matters regarding Jujutsu and related topics.

When Yaga was done, the group left the man’s office and headed outside, where they met the first-year students. Yuuji stopped in his tracks when he saw a familiar face. Although the teen did not bear any frown lines and had a different hairstyle, the boy could recognize that familiar blonde hair color. As the teen turned toward their group and sent a scowl at his senior, Yuuji couldn’t breathe.

Nanamin.

Half-burned body.

A smile.

Explosion of gore and entrails.

Nana-

“Yuuji.”

Yuuji blinked and turned his face to see Ryou looking at him. Seeing that face immediately snapped him from his dark thoughts. The teen clenched and unclenched his hands. Calm down. This wasn’t the place to lose his cool. 

“Yo! Nanami!” Satoru exclaimed as he bounded over to his junior.

“Gojo-senpai!” an unknown black-haired boy greeted happily while Nanami continued to send dark looks at his senior.

“What’s with the scowl, Nanami? Did your mission not go well?” Satoru asked as he leaned toward the boy.

Nanami leaned away. “It was fine.”

“Uh-huh, it was only a Grade Two cursed spirit, and we can handle them just fine!” the black-haired first-year student added.

“Better yet, who are they?” Nanami asked as he glanced at the twins.

Yuuji had to look away from those hazel-colored eyes. Ryou took a step forward, and half covered his brother with his body, bringing attention to himself. 

“They are your junior, of course!” Satoru replied as he gestured excitedly at the brothers.

“Ha?” Nanami frowned. “We are first-year students!”

“They won’t officially join the school until the next school year,” Suguru explained as he pulled back Satoru, who was leaning ever closer to a more annoyed Nanami. “After all, they are still in middle school.”

The black-haired first-year student asked, “But why are they already enrolled then?”

Satoru hummed. “Long story short, Yuuji here is the vessel for the King of Curses. Since the elders are cowards, they won’t let the kids return to their home, so they’re stuck here!”

The two first-years sent a disbelieving look at their seniors. Ryou sighed deeply and whacked Satoru on the head. “Have some tact.”

“Ugh! But it’s easier to be straightforward!” Satoru whined as he rubbed his head. “Everyone will know about it eventually.”

Ryou glared at his childhood friend and looked at the first-year students, whose mouths were open after seeing their invincible senior being hit on the head. “My name is Itadori Ryou, and my brother is Yuuji. Nice to meet you.”

The black-haired boy was the first one to break out of his surprise and reply, “Ah-um, nice to meet you too! My name is Haibara Yu!”

“... Nanami Kento,” the blonde student replied as he sent dubious glances at his annoying senior.

Satoru pouted. “What are you looking at, Nanami? Have you forgotten what I told you before? They’re my friends!”

“Oh!” Haibara exclaimed as he finally remembered his senior’s stories. Honestly, there were too many, and he forgot the majority of them. “You two are Gojo-senpai’s childhood friends!”

Nanami’s eyes narrowed, wondering who could be crazy enough to be childhood friends with this menace.

Ryou sighed. “Unfortunately.”

“What do you mean, unfortunately?” Satoru whined. “Anyone would feel honored being my friend!”

“If they’re brain dead, maybe,” Suguru said behind a cough.

“What did you say?!” Satoru whirled around to turn to his classmate.

“What? Can you repeat it? I think I already forgot,” Suguru smirked tauntingly.

“You!”

Shoko sighed as her classmates began their usual squabble. Meanwhile, Yuuji was glad to be given some breathing room. He didn’t expect to meet Nanami so soon and hadn’t expected to see the dead man alive again. After he breathed out, he looked up just in time to see Ryou glancing away from him. It seemed his brother had noticed his strange state and was checking on him. 

Yuuji bit his lower lip. Again, with the worry. Half of him had already expected his brother fussing while the other half was stunned at the sight. Sukuna had never cared when he got hurt physically, much less when he was hurting emotionally. For him, any type of pain that Yuuji endured was something the curse was eager to witness. Ryou had never shown such inclination. During their years growing up together, the older twin had acted like a stellar brother who always looked after his younger sibling. Yet no matter how much those sweet memories told him that his brother was safe, Sukuna’s laughter would always echo back in response.

Luckily, the encounters with the first-year students were rather short since they had to report to Yaga. The second-year students took them back to the dorm, where Yuuji immediately excused himself. He still needed more time alone, and nobody stopped him from returning to his room. He could feel Ryou’s stare as he walked away.

Although moving to school during the last year was quite a hassle, nothing couldn’t be solved by money. The twins were quickly assigned to a new middle school, where they would finish the rest of the school term. Nothing really happened much. They attended regular school and returned to Jujutsu High to get extra lessons from Yaga. Most of them were basic stuff regarding the Jujutsu world although Yuuji was quite familiar with this knowledge, he had learned mainly from experience, so hearing about them directly from a teacher was quite a new experience.

During these weeks, the relationship between the two brothers was still strained. While neither of them was outwardly hostile, they still kept their distance from each other. Everybody could see the tension between the twins. 

The one with the most opinions about it was Satoru. His childhood friends were hiding something. Something big. Something bad. During all their years together, he had never seen them being like this. Oh, sometimes they would fight, but those were always limited to petty squabble that children would get into. Nothing this bad. He had tried to give them some space and time since he knew that it wasn’t his place to butt in. People might believe Satoru was someone with no tact, but he knew when to shut his mouth. It was just that most of the time, he didn’t care about the proper response and action one should take.

But Satoru had enough. Someone had to step in, and since it was obvious that neither Yuuji nor Ryou would do anything, then, as their oldest friend, he would do something. He first approached Ryou, who he deemed to be the more mature of the two. If he could get information about what the hell happened that made them fight, then he might be able to mediate between them.

“Go away, Gojo,” Ryou groused when Satoru approached him. The teen had just returned from middle school, and Yuuji was nowhere to be seen. This should have been very rare, considering how close the twins had been.

Instead of whining and acting dramatically like he usually did, Satoru replied, “It’s important.”

Ryou stopped walking away when he heard his serious tone. “What is it?”

“You and Yuuji, what’s going on between you two?” Satoru asked.

Ryou sighed. “It’s none of your business.”

“Of course it is!” Satoru exclaimed. “I’m your friend! Since the situation won’t get better, someone has to interfere!”

Ryou glared at the teen. “And it has to be you?”

“Who else?” Satoru glared back.

The two stared at each other for several seconds before Ryou closed his eyes. “It’s not my place to tell you, and it’s not as if I fully understand what’s going on either. If you want to know more, ask Yuuji.”

With that, Ryou continued to walk away. Satoru tightened his fists as he watched the other’s back. Following the older twin’s advice, the white-haired boy approached Yuuji next. It was late at night when he finally had the time to confront the younger twin. Yuuji was sitting on the bench near the vending machine, and he seemed to be deep in thought. Yeah. This was another new thing. After consuming Sukuna’s Finger, Yuuji became a lot more silent. He would still smile and laugh when Satoru interacted with him, but it wasn’t long before that gloomy expression returned.

The boy didn’t even notice him as Satoru got closer, too lost in his own thoughts. When the white-haired teen sat down beside him, Yuuji finally snapped out of his musing. “Satoru?”

“Yo!” Satoru grinned. “You look like you have a lot on your mind. Care to share?”

Yuuji shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

Satoru was starting to loathe that sentence. It had to be something since the twins were no longer speaking with each other. He hated it. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Yuuji and Ryou weren’t supposed to fight like this. “Funny. I asked your brother the same thing, and he told me to ask you.”

Yuuji froze. “... Ryou?”

“Who else?” Satoru sighed as he slouched onto the bench. “You two haven’t spoken with each other for so long. I get worried. Everyone does, actually.”

Yuuji didn’t answer and only looked down into his lap.

“I have been trying not to pry too much, but I figure that since the two of you aren’t doing anything to fix it, someone else should,” Satoru continued. “Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

The boy continued to be silent. Satoru began to wonder what else he could do to make his friend talk when the other said, “... I have been seeing… memories.”

Satoru blinked. “Memories?” 

“I can’t tell you much about it… it’s just nothing good. I’ve been trying to deal with it myself, but it seems I’m just worrying everyone. I’m sorry.”

Satoru frowned. Had Yuuji witnessed Sukuna’s memories? That should not have occurred. Although he had never met vessels before, he had read various texts about them. If someone was compatible enough, they would usually lose their agency and become a flesh puppet for the curse. In the rare case that someone could suppress the curse, they would usually have a very cranky and horrible roommate inside their head. No records ever spoke about a vessel getting memories. Then again, Yuuji was a special case. The soul of Ryoumen Sukuna had been reborn as his twin. Perhaps the cursed object didn’t only contain his power but also his memories. While Satoru had never seen the true face of the King of Curses, it wasn’t a stretch to imagine that Ryou might have a similar appearance to his previous body. If that were the case, Yuuji would be forced to watch his twin do all those horrible things, which might scare him from interacting with his brother.

“I see… it must have been hard,” Satoru said. “Have you been having nightmares?”

Yuuji pursed his lips. “I guess. Nothing I can’t handle, though.”

Satoru sent a dry look at his friend. “I really doubt that, considering you’ve been shutting everyone down. Listen, I’m not going to force you to speak more about it, but I think I understand the gist of the situation.”

“You do?” Yuuji gave a doubtful expression to his friend.

Satoru nodded confidently. “Yeah, and all I want to say is, Ryou isn’t Sukuna, you know that, right? I mean, he is, but he is also not?”

Yuuji’s eyes became as wide as a plate as he whipped his head to face his friend fully. “What? Satoru, you- you knew?”

Satoru shrugged. “That Ryou is the reincarnation of Ryoumen Sukuna? Yeah. I have these, remember?” Pulling off his sunglasses, he showed off his Six Eyes. “Do you remember the first time we met?”

Yuuji frowned as he tried to dig up that old memories. “... You approached us at the park, right? When we visited Kyoto.”

Satoru nodded. “Yup. I met your brother several days before when I sneaked out of the estate. Even while being assaulted by all that noise and information, my eyes managed to capture that spark of dark aura coming from your brother. It freaked me out, let me tell you. I kept sneaking out for several days and was finally able to find you two at that random park.”

“Oh… so that’s why Ryou was so insistent on staying inside the hotel room,” Yuuji muttered.

Satoru clicked his tongue. Although he was glad to meet the twins, he couldn’t deny that forcing himself to run around the city for several hours daily to find Ryou wasn’t pleasant. He had a constant headache that week. “Even though I only saw it once, I remember it perfectly. And do you know what I saw when I examined you after you ate Sukuna’s Finger?”

“... The same dark aura?” Yuuji asked.

“Bingo!” Satoru grinned. “It’s not hard to put the two together afterward.”

“A-and you don’t care?!” Yuuji asked as he stood up.

Satoru raised an eyebrow at the act. “Should I?”

“But it’s about Ryoumen Sukuna!” Yuuji exclaimed as he waved his hands wildly. This was the most emotive he had seen the teen during these past few weeks.

Satoru straightened his posture and leaned toward the younger twin. “Yuuji, I know well what the King of Curses has done. Not only do I have to hear Yaga lecture us about it, but I even read many texts about that guy during my extra classes at the estate. I’m very aware of all the horrible things he has committed. Frankly, I still don’t care.”

Yuuji shot him an incredulous look.

“Really? Why should I care?” Satoru replied. “I’m not saying I condone the things the King of Curses has done, but Sukuna is Sukuna, and Ryou is Ryou. Just because they are related doesn’t mean they’re the same. Maybe if I were a better person, I would care, but I’m quite selfish. As far as I’m concerned, Ryou is my friend, and I don’t care if he is the reincarnation of the King of Curses.”

Yuuji frowned and tightened his fists. “That’s…”

Satoru sighed. “Yuuji. Can you imagine your brother doing those things? Your grumpy but secretly sweet twin who could never deny you anything. Have you remembered all the ridiculous things you managed to drag him into just because you used those powerful puppy dog eyes of yours? I think the latest one was when you forced him to wear that Mickey Mouse headband. Did you see his face?”

Yuuji’s mouth couldn’t help but curl up. He remembered Ryou’s disgusted face as his twin placed that mouse headband on his head. He was also reminded of how his brother retaliated at Satoru by unveiling his dark history. Although he had been exasperated back then, looking back now, he admitted it was quite funny. 

“See?” Satoru smiled when he saw the other’s face lightened at the memory. “Do you believe that someone as horrible as the King of Curses would ever let you do that?”

No. If Yuuji dared to do it, Sukuna would slice him to pieces. The curse had always hated anyone who dared to act out of turn against him. He only accepted obedience and respect from everyone. As someone who never liked to bow his head, Yuuji definitely felt the full wrath of the King of Curses many times.

The white-haired boy continued, “I admit it’s definitely harder for you to differentiate the two if you actually see Sukuna’s memories, but try to remember that your brother cares deeply about you. The current situation is a great example. You’ve been keeping your distance these past weeks, but Ryou didn’t try to get close and respect your decision. Even though I can easily see that he feels extremely bad about everything.”

Yuuji lowered his head. Talking about his brother reminded him about one topic he had been curious about. “... Do you think Ryou remember? That he was once the King of Curses?”

Satoru stopped at that question. After thinking for some time, he replied, “I’m not sure, but even if he doesn’t, I think he still inherits some of his personality.”

Yuuji tensed when hearing that.

Satoru sighed. “Nothing that bad. I’m pretty sure Ryou isn’t going on a killing spree any time soon. But… he always has this distant and apathetic expression. Itadori-san spoke to me about it once.”

“Grandpa?” Yuuji asked. 

The white-haired teen nodded. “It wasn’t that deep of a conversation since I was also a child back then. But Itadori-san mentioned that Ryou was a very distant kid.”

“He’s always like this,” Wasuke said. Only the two of them were at the house that day since Yuuji and Ryou hadn’t returned from school yet. “Even when he was just a baby. I don’t think I’ve heard him cry. Jin and Kaori got very worried, but the doctors assured them that nothing was wrong. He would still make noises if he needed something, but he never cried or screamed like Yuuji.”

Satoru couldn’t understand. Wasn’t that a good thing? He never liked screaming babies.

As if reading his thoughts, Wasuke smiled. “Even if it’s annoying, parents need to know that their kids are okay. That they need them. But Ryou never act like that. He’s always independent. He never asks for anything and never expects anything. Sometimes, I feel like even if we forget to feed him one day, he’ll just wander off to find food on his own.”

“It’s quite sad,” Wasuke said, “No kid should act like that. Yet Ryou always assumes that he can only rely on himself. Thus, he never takes anyone to heart. He doesn’t have friends, you know before you showed up.”

Satoru blinked. He didn’t?

The old man continued, “Yuuji has some, but Ryou doesn’t have anyone. There are classmates, but he never interacts with them beyond anything necessary. I think he only cares about me and Yuuji. I got very worried. Being independent is one thing, but being too isolated is another. Humans aren’t meant to work like that. To be so alone. It’ll break you.”

The white-haired boy remained silent. He thought he understood somewhat. That loneliness… He remembered sitting inside that room surrounded by many people, yet he still felt so… alone.

“And then you suddenly appeared. I don’t think I ever saw him react that emotively toward anyone except Yuuji and me. Hah. He was so huffy and refused to see you the next day after you two met. But I forced him to go. He needed it even if he refused to admit it.”

A feeling of happiness fluttered in Satoru’s chest at those words. 

Wasuke patted Satoru’s head. “I’m glad. I’m happy that you three are friends. At least… when I’m gone, I know those two won’t be alone. So take care of each other, okay? Make sure that you three always remember that you are not alone. That you’ll always have each other.”

Neither teen said anything when Satoru was done retelling what the old man had told him. Yuuji sat down again, and he sniffled as he remembered his grandfather. He remembered that the old man passed away recently. Instead of him, it was Ryou who accompanied him in his last moment. 

“... Is that why you keep bothering Ryou?” Yuuji asked.

Satoru replied, “Heh, that’s one of the reasons. I figure that being annoying is the best way to get him out of his head. Well, another reason is that I just enjoy teasing him. Who wouldn’t? His grouchy face is just asking for it.”

Yuuji huffed out a laugh. Ryou would definitely smack the boy on the head if he heard that. “... Idiot.”

“Hey, if it works, it works!” Satoru defended himself.

The pink-haired teen laughed out loud this time. He wasn’t sure of the reason. Perhaps it was Satoru’s offended expression, or perhaps he just needed to let out this pressing feeling in his chest.

Satoru smiled and knocked his knee with Yuuji’s. “Do you get it now?”

“Thanks. I think I get it now.” The pink-haired smiled softly.

Yuuji knew what he should do.

Omake:

Satoru: It’s all within my plans!

Ryou: *If he heard this conversation* Well, I’m planning to murder you. 

Chapter Text

Yuuji intended to speak with his brother. The problem was Ryou didn’t want to speak with him. Whenever the boy tried to get close to the other, the older twin would immediately head the other way. His brother would also ensure he was accompanied by another person at all times. Since the matter Yuuji wanted to speak about was sensitive, he had to confront Ryou alone. However, that seemed impossible. His brother had made avoiding him an art. Somehow, the teen always managed to drag someone to be a shield between them. Considering there weren’t that many students at Jujutsu High, that was a remarkable feat. 

When that wasn’t possible, Ryou would just plainly walk away from Yuuji. At one point, the younger twin even tried to chase after his brother, but the other just booked it. Since he no longer had his enhanced body, he quickly lost sight of his twin. Trying to corner the boy during nighttime didn’t work at all. Despite not being able to see or feel cursed energy, Ryou somehow managed to always know where Yuuji was and quickly disappeared from his room.

It was honestly getting ridiculous.

“What should I do?” Yuuji asked defeatedly at Satoru.

Despite knowing how bad the situation was, the white-haired teen couldn’t help but snicker at his friend’s expression. He had witnessed the new weird dance between the two brothers. Although he tried to help Yuuji, it seemed Ryou knew better than to expect him to help, so he actively avoided his childhood friend, too. Frankly, Satoru felt slightly hurt at the distance, but he told himself that this wasn’t about him.

“Hmm, using unnecessary force will just make Ryou more defensive,” Satoru said. “We still need to corner him, but we can’t go over the top either.”

Yuuji blinked at the reasonable statement. “Oh wow, Satoru, and not going over the top. Never thought I would see the day.” His friend and Gojo-sensei had always loved being excessive. 

Satoru pouted. “What are you talking about? I can be reasonable!”

“So, what’s your suggestion?” Yuuji asked, ignoring the dramatic reply. 

Satoru sighed at the lack of response but said, “I think you should try approaching him after we bury the remains of Itadori-san.”

Oh yeah. They still hadn’t buried the ashes yet and were planning to return to Kyoto next week. Since their grandfather didn’t have any friends left, it would only be the three of them who oversaw the burial process. 

Satoru grinned when he saw Yuuji understanding his plan. Patting the other on the shoulder, he said, “Just hold on a bit longer, eh?”

Although Yuuji didn’t like how distant Ryou was still being, knowing that there was a new plan, the teen was a lot more patient. The older twin still sent him regular glances from the corner of his eyes whenever his brother showed up. Knowing that Ryou would just run away, the younger twin no longer tried to approach him during this time. Two days passed without Yuuji trying to corner him, but his brother stopped leaving the room when the younger twin showed up. Yet, the tension in his shoulders remained.

Forty-nine mourning days had finally passed, and the twins returned to Kyoto to bury their grandfather the next day. Although the elders didn’t like having Sukuna’s Vessel traveling too far away, they finally gave in after Satoru and Yaga pushed them. The teen even assured them that he would accompany the twins, so there was no way Yuuji could run away. After a round of debate, the higher-ups reluctantly agreed.

The three returned to Kyoto riding the bullet train. A car from the Gojo clan had been waiting for them. After returning home to take the urn containing their grandfather’s ashes, they headed to the temple, where they would hold a final remembrance ceremony. Like before, they refused to accept any visitors, so only three teens attended. After listening to the monk reciting prayers and sutras, they headed off to the cemetery where they would bury the remains of Itadori Wasuke. Since the plot was prepared by the Gojo clan, there was already a stone monument ready. They only had to place the remains inside the chamber, which marked the end of the ceremony.

Although this was the second time Yuuji said goodbye to his grandfather, it still felt difficult. In his previous life, he was quite distracted by the Jujutsu society. Hell, he even got killed the following month after becoming a sorcerer. There really wasn’t that much time to mourn. None of them said a thing as they stared at the engraved name of Itadori Wasuke. After several minutes passed, Ryou was the first to walk away.

Yuuji and Satoru glanced at each other. This was it. The white-haired teen gave a thumbs up and the younger teen nodded before he chased after his brother. It seemed even Ryou deemed it unreasonable for him to run away in a cemetery so the older twin only continued his slow walk.

“What do you want?” Ryou asked.

“To talk,” Yuuji replied.

“About?”

“Us.”

Ryou stopped walking outside the cemetery and looked back through his shoulder at Yuuji. Seeing the stubborn expression on his brother’s face, the teen sighed. “Let’s return home first.”

Despite not being here for many weeks, their home was still clean and tidy. This was likely because Satoru had ordered one of the servants to come and clean the place every week. Yuuji had even considered returning the place to the Gojo clan since they wouldn’t be staying there, but Satoru rejected the idea.

“I gave it to you, so it’s yours to keep.”

Only people as rich as Gojo Satoru could imagine gifting a very expensive house as a kid. Back then, Yuuji didn’t understand a thing and accepted all the ridiculous stunts Satoru had done as a child. Now that he was older and had an extra set of memories, he couldn’t help but feel bad for the Gojo clan members who had to deal with this very unreasonable boy. 

Well, not that he could complain much. While he had a rather happy childhood in his first life, he couldn’t deny that he preferred his other childhood. Although he did not have trouble making friends, he still lacked someone he could share a close bond with before he became a sorcerer. However, he didn’t experience such a thing during his second life. Ever since he was born, he had Ryou by his side, and not long after that, Satoru appeared like a hurricane and refused to leave. Yuuji couldn’t help but smile when he remembered how often the two fought during their childhood.

His reverie was cut short when they finally returned to their home. After getting out of the car, the younger twin kept close to his brother as he opened the gate and then the door to their house. Once the two of them were inside, Ryou took a seat on the sofa and said, “Speak up.”

Not wanting to put extra pressure on his twin, Yuuji also took a seat. “I’m sorry I was avoiding you.”

The older twin replied, “... Is that all? You don’t need to worry about that. Nobody ever says you have to stick to me so much. You are already older, so it makes sense that you want to be more independent.”

Yuuji frowned. “You know damn well that’s not what I’m talking about.”

Ryou didn’t answer and only stared at the wall impassively. 

The younger brother sighed. “I just- I have been having nightmares. They have been messing with my head, but I’m okay now.”

“You don’t need to explain anything to me, Yuuji,” Ryou cut in, still not looking at him.

Having enough of his brother’s attitude, the younger teen stood up and grabbed the other’s face. Ryou could’ve dodged it, but he let Yuuji force him to look at his brother. “Listen to me.”

The younger twin waited for his brother to lose the layer of apathy that had clouded his sharp golden eyes. It took several seconds, but Yuuji could finally feel the other was truly looking at him.

“What?” Ryou gritted out.

Yuuji took a deep breath before letting out all the words he wanted to say, “I’m sorry that I shut you out and for being a bad brother. I was wrong. After eating that finger, I got strange memories that have been bothering me. I- I still can’t tell you everything yet, but I want you to know that you haven’t done anything wrong. I-”

“Yuuji,” Ryou interrupted. “You don’t need to explain anything to me.”

The younger twin bit his lower lip when meeting the earnest look from his brother. After shaking his head, he replied, “No, I have to. Let me.”

Ryou sighed but allowed the other to continue to talk.

Yuuji said, “Ryou, I just want you to know that you are my brother. No matter what happens, I want to believe that you are my twin.”

He didn’t know if his words made sense, but he had to say it out loud. It wasn’t just a promise to Ryou but also to himself. Even now, he could still hear that cruel laugh in the back of his head, mocking him for daring to trust any version of Sukuna.

“Foolish brat, do you truly believe that someone as useless as you are worthy of love?”

Yuuji pushed away that dark voice. Sukuna’s taunting words would always remain with him, but he wanted to stop listening to them. He forced himself to see Ryou as himself and not as the shadow of that vicious curse who could only cause pain and suffering. After taking another deep breath, he said, “I’m sorry I’ve been so distant. I won’t do that anymore, so can you please stop avoiding me?”

Ryou remained silent for a long time before the younger twin released his hold on the other’s face. As Yuuji’s hands fell down to his side, the older twin grasped them lightly. “Fine, if that’s what you wish.”

Yuuji returned the gesture and grinned at his brother.

Things did not immediately return to normal. Yuuji was still a bit awkward interacting with Ryou, but the teen consciously tried to push away the unreasonable fear his other life had imposed on him. ‘This is Ryou. Your brother, not Sukuna.’ That was the mantra he kept repeating to himself. The older twin also didn’t push his brother too much and always waited for the other to initiate the first contact. The others quickly took notice of this positive turn of events. 

Although none of the sorcerers said a thing, they tried to help the brothers whenever they could. Satoru was the most motivated out of everyone, though he certainly exploited every chance he could to mess with Ryou. It wasn’t rare for Yuuji to be the mediator between the two of them. When the white-haired teen wasn’t squabbling with his brother, then he would turn his attention to Suguru. Fushiguro had often insisted that he was very similar to Gojo-sensei, but Yuuji wanted to argue that at least he wasn’t this much of a troublemaker. Problems just tend to flock to him, that’s all.

Since Ryou and Yuuji were still middle schoolers, the elders could not yet order them to go on missions by themselves. Oh, they certainly tried to do that at first, but both Yaga and Satoru put a stop to that immediately. 

“They’re complete beginners! Do you want to kill them?” Satoru asked during a meeting with the higher-ups.

“How could one become a better sorcerer without fighting real curses?” an elder asked.

“Maybe teach them some basics first?” Satoru shot back. His gut feeling was telling him that he couldn’t let the twins out of his sight, especially not when they were so new at being sorcerers. These geezers might’ve agreed to let Yuuji live for now, but who knew what devious plan they concocted behind his back?

In the end, they agreed to let the twins go on a mission every month under supervision. Since Satoru was a special grade and the closest sorcerer to them, he volunteered to be the one accompanying them. 

“It’s rare to see you be so responsible,” Yaga commented as they walked away from the meeting chamber.

“Bleh. I just don’t like allowing those geezers to get what they want,” Satoru replied.

The man sighed. “This won’t last forever. Those twins have to learn to stand on their own. You can’t protect them forever, Satoru.”

“I know.”

Except for the elders being their usual annoying selves, things had gotten rather calm. Ryou and Yuuji slowly mended their relationship, and they regularly attended extra Jujutsu classes in addition to their regular schooling. Most of the sorcerers were quite surprised to see them take up the role of sorcerers quite well despite growing up as mundane humans.

Although they had the same background, Suguru had grown up hunting curses, and as far as he knew, neither Yuuji nor Ryou had ever fully stepped foot into this hidden world. Yet the brothers readily soaked up all knowledge and training no matter what lessons Yaga threw at them. Satoru was the least surprised out of them all.

“Aren’t you worried about them at all?” Suguru asked as they watched Yaga spar with both Ryou and Yuuji.

“Should I?” Satoru asked while yawning. “Ryou can handle himself, and Yuuji also has potential. As long as they are together, I don’t think there is much that can pose a threat to them. As long as they don’t meet any special grades, it should be fine.”

Considering how rare special grades were, it would take a hell of bad luck for the twins to encounter one. “You think they can handle Grade One curses?”

Satoru hummed. “Not yet, but definitely soon.”

“Huh.” Suguru knew that Satoru didn’t have that opinion just because the twins were his childhood friends. While the white-haired teen had a lousy personality, nobody could deny that he was talented at many things. One of them was his ability to judge someone’s capabilities.

Several more days passed peacefully until Ryou decided to visit Toji during the weekend. Satoru wasn’t pleased at all. “Why do you want to meet with that good for nothing?”

Ryou rolled his eyes. “Who are you to tell what I can or can’t do? I’m just informing you this since somehow you have become our supervisor while Yaga isn’t here.”

“Yuuji! Your brother is being mean again!” Satoru whined as he leaned his full body on the younger twin.

Yuuji only laughed. “Come on. You should come to. It’ll be fun. We can finally meet Megumi!”

Satoru narrowed his eyes as he remembered the face of that frowny baby. “Why would I want to meet that urchin head?”

“You’ll like him! I promise!” Yuuji beamed his bright grin at his childhood friend.

Satoru pretended to cover his eyes from sunlight despite already wearing a pair of sunglasses. “Ugh, you’re not playing fair here.”

“If he doesn’t want to go, no need to force him.” Ryou didn’t bother to wait and walked away from the two. 

Satoru could only click his tongue as he followed the twins to Saitama, where Toji and his family were now living. The trip took around an hour. It seemed the ex-Zen’in had been living quite well despite cutting off all ties with his old family. The Fushiguro were currently living in a decently sized suburban house, which seemed to be near the school district. The teens arrived just in time to see Toji walking alongside two kids while holding a bag of groceries.

“Oi! Did you kidnap a kid?” Satoru asked the moment the man looked at the group of visitors.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Gojo brat,” Toji shot back.

“Who are you calling a brat, you no good bum?” Satoru replied as he leaned toward his opponent. 

“At least this bum doesn’t have to rely on his generational wealth to support his luxurious lifestyle,” Toji retorted, also leaning close.

As sparks flew between the two, Ryou immediately stood near them and slammed his fists on top of their heads.

BAM!

With a disgusted expression, the teen said, “Enough, you imbeciles. Both of you should act more mature.”

Both Satoru and Toji still shot glares at each other but still halted their quarrel. While the two had been fighting, Yuuji had immediately crouched down to look at the two kids beside the man. His sight was locked on the black-haired boy who was glaring at him.

“Who are you?” Fushiguro Megumi asked with a frown.

With a bright and happy smile, Yuuji replied, “Itadori Yuuji! Nice to meet you!”

Instead of Megumi, it was the young girl beside him who replied, “Ah-um nice to meet you too! My name is Fushiguro Tsumiki!”

Seeing her brother didn’t do the same thing, the girl shot a disapproving look and tugged his shirt. Megumi clicked his tongue and said, “Megumi.”

“I know! Your dad is friends with my brother, Ryou,” Yuuji replied happily. Although he knew that Fushiguro Megumi was alive and safe as a kid, seeing his friend face-to-face really eased the weight in his heart. The last time he saw his friend in his other life was when his body was used as a puppet by the King of Curses. No matter how hard he tried to reach him, the teen had given up on life. The pain of being forced to kill his sister and Gojo-sensei had made him unable to move on. It was only near the end when the other started to fight back again, and yet…

Yuuji closed his eyes as he forced himself to stop from returning to that dark corner. In the meantime, Megumi had shifted his eyes toward the other Itadori. The frown on the kid’s face became even more fierce as he looked at Ryou. The older twin merely gazed back impassively. 

Before the kid could utter a word, Satoru used that chance to shove himself between the two. Slightly pulling his sunglasses off, he examined the baby that had turned into a young boy. “Man, you are as frowny as ever, huh?”

“Hah?! And who the hell are you?” Megumi replied.

“Megumi!” Tsumiki hissed.

“Ugh, as unpleasant as his father,” Satoru said, not bothered at all by the impolite tone. “Gojo Satoru. You should feel honored meeting me, brat. I’m pretty sure most of your childhood toys were bought by me.”

Megumi silently answered by frowning even deeper. 

“Alright, instead of blocking the road, we should head inside,” Ryou interrupted. He could see where this conversation would go, and he wasn’t interested in pulling Megumi off Satoru.

The white-haired teen immediately protested, “No way! That house looks so cramped! Let’s just head out and visit interesting places nearby.”

Toji’s house was certainly not cramped, but since Tsumiki looked eager to go out, everyone agreed with the plan. The man still had to go inside to drop off his groceries, but the group soon headed toward a nearby mall. Satoru did what he was best at and immediately used his money to treat the kids and Yuuji. From snacks to toys, the teen bought anything his companions asked for. Since Tsumiki looked so happy, Megumi could only grumble silently. Yuuji tried to comfort him by offering him snacks, but the boy only turned his head away. The four ended up playing in the arcade, where Megumi challenged Satoru to a game match. Not feeling any sense of shame at all, the white-haired teen accepted it.

While the group was busy having fun, both Toji and Ryou stayed slightly behind them. The older twin examined the two children before him. Although the boy didn’t ask anything, Toji explained, “Megumi gets attached to her. Dunno why. That brat has always disliked everyone equally, but Tsumiki seems to be an exception. I found out she and her mother were struggling financially, and to make matters worse, she was also terminally sick.”

“... You married her,” Ryou guessed.

Toji shrugged. “Seemed the most straightforward way. Doubt Megumi would like having his friend thrown into the orphanage. Her mother passed away not long after our marriage, though.”

“You don’t need to explain yourself to me,” Ryou replied.

Toji grinned. “I’m not telling you this for free. Since I now have two kids, how about you increase the number of races you will help with your godly luck? Thrice a month or, better yet, every week?”

Ryou sighed. “Don’t push it. Anyway, I’m not visiting you just for fun. Have you started doing what I asked?”

Toji scratched his neck. “Hmm. Not yet. It’s hard finding the stuff you asked for, especially considering you want me to be extra careful. Why are you asking me in the first place? Can’t you ask that guard dog of yours?”

“Gojo will draw unnecessary attention,” Ryou replied, “and he’s not my guard dog.”

“Sure acts like it.”

As expected, Megumi lost the game against Satoru. The white-haired boy had always been good at many things he tried, and gaming was among them. 

“I’m next!” Yuuji said as he raised his hand like an obedient student.

“Of course, Yuuji!” Satoru replied while giving a thumbs up.

The rest of the day was spent playing games and visiting various shops in the mall. Since Satoru bought them so many things, Toji ended up having to carry them all. Ryou tried to stay to the side, but Yuuji forced him to play a shooting game in the arcade. Although it wasn’t similar to archery, he still had great aim and ended up winning. That led to Satoru challenging him, and the two played several matches together. Both of them had the same level of skill, so they mostly ended up in a tie. However, Ryou stopped playing when he won the latest match. It was mostly because he was tired of wasting his time playing useless video games.

“I’ll demand a rematch one day!” Satoru exclaimed angrily.

“Whatever,” Ryou replied.

Since it was almost dinner time, they decided to eat out at a restaurant in the mall. Satoru still insisted on paying for them, and Toji didn’t bother to argue. The cheapskate definitely didn’t mind not having to spend any money. When it was near sundown, the group finally said goodbyes to each other.

“I’ll miss you, Megumi!” Yuuji said with teary eyes.

Megumi sent an exasperated look at the teen. The boy didn’t understand why the other was so attached to him. Yet despite hating physical contact, he didn’t seem to mind when the younger twin kept touching, patting his head, or tugging him somewhere. “Weirdo.”

“Thank you so much for hanging out with us, Itadori-san, Gojo-san!” Tsumiki said politely. The girl was the happiest out of everyone in the group since it was rare for her to hang out without caring about money at all.

“Hehe! Don’t worry, I’ll treat you guys wherever we meet up!” Satoru replied self-satisfiedly.

Toji began to gesture at the two kids toward their home while his other hand was holding the stacks of items Satoru had purchased that day. “Alright, it’s time to go home.”

Yuuji gave one last excited wave at the three Fushiguro and finally turned to the other teens. “Um, before we leave, do you think we can go somewhere first?”

Satoru blinked. “Are you not done playing?”

“Nothing like that,” Yuuji replied as he scratched his cheek. “Actually, I have been having weird feelings the whole day. I think I finally realized that it could be Sukuna’s Finger.”

Ryou narrowed his eyes but didn’t say a word.

“Oh! So you want to grab it?” Satoru said as he put a fist on his other palm. “Sure! Since I’m here, nothing bad will happen.”

Yuuji gave a bright smile after hearing that easy acceptance. The three of them got in the car they had brought from Jujutsu High and went to Yasohachi Bridge. Since they had to go to the bottom of the structure, they ordered the vehicle to stop at the side of the road while the three sorcerers climbed down. Luckily, there weren’t any students attempting a test of merit by bungee jumping off the bridge. Satoru immediately made a noise as they got nearer.

“It’s here?” Yuuji asked eagerly.

Satoru put a hand on his chin. “Not quite sure since I can’t feel any signature of Sukuna, but there’s a curse here.”

Not waiting any longer, the group immediately crossed over the small stream of water, and… nothing happened. What? Yuuji began to look around in panic. It should be here, right?

“It’s here, yup,” Satoru said as he gestured at the area around them. “But it’s rejecting us.”

“Huh?” Yuuji tilted his head in confusion. That was strange. In his other life, he and his friends easily entered the domain by simply crossing the river. Why was it different now? Was it because of Ryou? His brother didn’t react at all and only examined the surroundings with his hands in his pockets.

“Don’t worry.” Satoru grinned. “This is still easy for me. Stay back.” 

Yuuji followed his order and stood beside Ryou, who was watching silently. Raising his index and middle fingers, the white-haired teen began to use his cursed technique and channel the Blue orb. 

“Bang.” With a grin, Satoru shot off that ball of energy.

Yuuji almost expected it to hit the bridge, but it hit the air above the river instead. The space began to ripple and then crack. A second later, a hole was made in the air, showing the familiar barnacle-filled domain. The sorcerers headed inside, yet no angry cursed spirit immediately attacked them.

This was getting very weird.

Satoru immediately headed toward the center of the barrier and raised his hand. Channeling his power again, he pulled something from the ceiling, and a brown blur dropped. It instantly got exorcised when it got too close to the special-grade sorcerer. With a wave of ashes, a finger fell into the teen’s palm.

“Tada!” Satoru showed off the new Sukuna’s Finger they had just acquired. “Easy peasy!”

Yuuji blinked. He had expected more fighting when he suggested heading to Yasohachi Bridge, but somehow, the group got the cursed object without even being attacked once. Sure, they got rejected by the barrier, but it was nothing compared to the mess he had to deal with in his previous life.

Accepting the finger, Yuuji looked doubtfully at the object. “Is this real?”

“Of course it is!” Satoru exclaimed, affronted. “Are you doubting my eyes? The Six Eyes?”

Yuuji quickly shook his head. “No, it’s just-” Not knowing what else to say, the teen could only sigh. Fine. It wasn’t as if this was the weirdest thing he had experienced. Waking up in another timeline or world still topped the list of bizarre things he had encountered.

“Can I eat it?” Yuuji asked the other teens.

Satoru shrugged. “I mean, you are the vessel, so duh.”

Ryou also didn’t utter a word of protest. 

Since the two didn’t say anything against it, Yuuji immediately consumed the second finger. A familiar flow of energy unraveled within his body. However, instead of exploding outward, it shimmered into a small fire before it was extinguished. Huh…

“How is it?” Satoru asked.

“It’s fine?” Yuuji replied. He still couldn’t hear or feel Sukuna within him. While his power remained, the King of Curses was still missing from inside his vessel.

“Good. Are we done here then?” Ryou said.

Yuuji shot a doubtful look at his twin, half-wanting to ask whether the other knew what the hell was going on. Yet, knowing that his brother wouldn’t answer, the teen could only nod. And so with their mission completed, they headed out to the car and returned to Jujutsu High. 

Back in the Fushiguro house, Tsumiki was about to tell Megumi to brush his teeth before going to bed. She had expected her brother to be reading his book, yet it seemed the boy was crouching down over a piece of paper.

“Megumi?” Tsumiki asked as she got closer. After looking down, she was able to see what her sibling was doing. The boy was drawing. What a rare event. Although Megumi was a smart kid, he didn’t like the arts so much and preferred to read and do sports instead. But today seemed to be different. 

With a focused furrow, Megumi continued to draw on the blank piece of paper. Calling it a bit of a mess was an understatement. Instead of drawing, it was more akin to harshly scribbling on paper since the boy was pressing the crayon so hard as he drew each line. 

“Ah, Tsumiki,” Megumi said when he finally noticed his sibling.

“What are you drawing?” the girl asked worriedly. Although he didn’t say anything, she could feel that he was upset about something.

The boy shook his head. “It’s nothing. I was just venting.”

Tsumiki pursed her lips but didn’t push further. Megumi had always been a private person and didn’t like anyone getting into his business. Since the activity didn’t harm anyone, she didn’t feel the need to nag him about it. “I just want to tell you to brush your teeth before going to bed.”

“Okay.” Megumi waited for his sister to leave his bedroom before he looked down at his artwork.

While Tsumiki couldn’t understand what the boy was drawing, he knew what he aimed to create. On the paper was a massive hulking figure with four red eyes and arms. There was a bloodthirsty grin on his face while blood was splattered on the ground. 

Megumi frowned at the drawing one last time before ripping it to shreds. 

Omake:

Toji and Satoru: *Acting like kids*

Ryou: Why do I feel like a single parent?

Chapter Text

Haibara Yu had taken quite a liking to their juniors. Technically, they weren’t Jujutsu students yet but considering they were already staying and studying at their school, he already considered them as one. Yu was definitely closer to Yuuji, who was much brighter and more welcoming, but he also quite liked Ryou because of his silent and straight personality. The older twin reminded him a lot of Nanami actually. 

The twins usually hang out with the second-year students, but sometimes they interact with Yu and Nanami. It was usually during the extra Jujutsu classes since the brothers got their lessons after the first-year students. Most of the time it was Yuuji and Yu talking with Ryou and Nanami silently standing near them. 

Meal time was another possible time for them to meet each other. Although the sorcerers were used to making their own food, it wasn’t rare for Yuuji to offer to make them dinner. Since the boy was a good cook, they usually couldn’t find the strength to reject it. Ryou would usually end up helping since his twin had to make so much food. It had somehow become a weekly thing. Although they were generally busy with school and missions, the Jujutsu students tried to come whenever the twins took kitchen duty. 

It was one of the best things that had happened since he became a sorcerer. Although Yu always tried to look at the positives, he wasn’t blind to the difficult and dangerous lives that sorcerers had to deal with. Even as students, they were already expected to jump into perilous battles that might take away their lives. It was a hard life, but it was definitely not all doom and gloom. Sure, they had to fight various monsters that wanted to eat or kill them, but he had also met many good people.

Geto was the first person to catch his attention. Like Yu, his senior was also from a mundane background, yet he managed to become one of the special-grade sorcerers. Despite having to shoulder numerous burdens and difficult missions, Geto still managed to uphold his belief and continued to help many people. He was really a good person! Yu looked up to his senior a lot since he wished to be like him. 

Still, he couldn’t deny that it was rather hard to connect with someone older and much more powerful than him. Geto tended to hang out with Gojo, and the two certainly became a great pair. Even though he sometimes spoke with his senior, he understood that it was unlikely for them to get that close. That was why Yu was excited to have more sorcerers from mundane backgrounds. Since he was their senior, it made sense that he could impart some knowledge to his juniors. He was ready!

Unfortunately, Yu’s expectation was dashed. Instead of him teaching his juniors, it was the other way around. The event occurred during a mission. It was nothing big, just the usual hunt for a Grade Two curse that had been terrorizing a small village. Something like this could be easily handled by the two first-year students, yet the higher-ups ordered them to bring the Itadori twins along.

“It would be good for them to have real-life experience fighting curses,” an elder said when they summoned the two students.

“Shouldn’t Gojo-senpai be told about this first?” Nanami asked.

“That boy is busy with his own mission,” the higher-up replied. “With the second-year students being gone, there’s no one who will be able to accompany the twins for their monthly mission, so it’s up to you two to take care of your juniors.”

“Of course! Leave it to use!” Yu said excitedly.

Nanami shot an exasperated glance at his classmate. The idiot obviously didn’t notice anything off with this arrangement.

So, the two first-years could only follow the orders they were given, and the four young teens headed off to the location of their mission. Based on the briefings they read during the car ride, there had been several unexplained deaths that occurred in the mountains. Most of them were hikers who wanted to relax in nature, but there were also some small kids who were too curious for their own good. 

Yuuji’s frowned as he stared at the document in his hand. “We need to stop this.”

“Don’t worry, Yuuji!” Yu replied from the front seat. “No cursed spirit can escape from us.”

The young twin could only smile at the reassuring grin from his senior. 

“Two peas in a pod,” Nanami muttered as he looked at the two boys.

Ryou, meanwhile, was in deep thought as he read the briefings.

Once they arrived at the village, the sorcerers split up to gather more information from the townspeople. While they had some basic understanding of the mission, it was always better to hear it straight from those near the incident.

“People need to stop going up those mountains? What’s so great about trees?” an elderly woman said.

“I hear someone got the bottom half of their bodies gone,” a man muttered. “Ugh, it has to be wild animals, right?”

“It just keeps happening,” a woman said as she shook her head. “People keep dying everywhere. Last I heard, it happened on the northern side, but there was a kid who died when exploring the western mountain.”

When the sorcerers were done interviewing people, they gathered outside a konbini. Yu took the liberty to buy some snacks and drinks for everyone since they hadn’t eaten anything since lunch, and now the sun was now almost reaching the horizon. 

“I believe we’re dealing with two curses here,” Nanami said.

“There seem to be two primary locations where people die, right?” Yu asked after he finished chewing his onigiri.

“One on the north and another on the west,” Ryou muttered.

Yuuji frowned as he said, “They only show up during nighttime, yeah? We’ll need to wait, then. Are we going to split up or go together?”

Nanami touched his chin thoughtfully. He had seen the twins, and they were quite adept at fighting despite only learning about being a sorcerer recently. However, that didn’t make him comfortable enough to let them wander off on their own. “It would be safer if we go together…”

Yu slapped his classmate on the back. “Come on, Nanami! No need to be such a worrywart. These are only Grade Two curses, after all!”

“Better be safe than sorry,” Nanami shot back.

Yu ignored the reply and said, “How about this? Yuuji can go with Nanami while Ryou can accompany me! Most sorcerers work in pairs when they team up, so this will be a great experience.”

“We’ll head north,” Ryou stated.

Yuuji blinked at his brother. North? Wasn’t that the location where someone got their bottom half chopped off? “Are you sure?”

Noticing the worried expression on his twin’s face, Ryou replied, “We’ll be fine.”

Seeing that neither Ryou nor Yu would change their minds, Yuuji and Nanami could only relent. The four teens waited at a cafe until the sun went down before they headed off to their respective destinations. 

Yuuji shot one last worried look at his twin before following Nanami to the west. After spending so many weeks around each other, the younger teen had gotten used to this young Nanami. Frankly, except for his appearance, the guy hadn’t changed much. He looked younger, sure, but his personality was still the same. 

“Itadori,” Nanami said while they were climbing up the mountain. “When the curse shows up, you don’t need to force yourself to fight it. You are still very young. There’s no need for you to fight like this.”

Yuuji blinked. “Um, okay? I think I can handle myself, though. No need to worry about me, Nanamin!”

The blond sighed and turned his face away.

They were really the same.

While regular hikers would need to take several hours to reach their destination, the two sorcerers could easily traverse through the rugged mountain thanks to their cursed energy. It didn’t take long for them to reach the scene of the incident and the teens immediately tensed as they felt a familiar miasma exuded from a cursed spirit.

“It’s here,” Nanami warned as he pulled out his weapon.

Yuuji entered into a fighting stance while he observed his surroundings. Based on its aura, their enemy didn’t seem to be that strong. A Grade Two spirit at most. Even so, the sorcerers didn’t dare to let their guard down. A buzzing was heard a second later, and something moved above them. 

BAM!

Yuuji and Nanami leaped out of the way to dodge an oncoming aerial attack. As they moved back, they examined their opponent. The cursed spirit seemed to be born from the fear of mosquitoes. It towered over them as it examined them with its massive insect eyes.

“Blood… blood…” the curse said.

Nanami and Yuuji immediately attacked their enemy. Despite its large stature, the creature could move relatively fast and was able to dodge the sorcerers’ first attacks. As the curse tried to take flight, Yuuji used his Shrine ability to cut off a piece of wood from a tree and throw it at the creature. 

CRASH!

The log hit the monster straight in the face, but it retaliated by spewing blood projectiles from its proboscis. The pink-haired teen dodged the bullets and used a nearby tree as cover. Nanami, who had been ignored by the curse, used another tree as footing and leaped into the air. With his blunt sword brandished, the blond managed to land a solid hit on the curse’s abdomen.

The spirit shrieked in pain and lashed out by flapping its massive wings. The air current sent Nanami flying back, but the sorcerer was able to grab a branch and safely land on the ground. Yuuji really missed his ability to manipulate blood. Although he had awakened Shrine early in this life, he could no longer use that other technique since he hadn’t consumed the Death Painting Wombs in this world. As if that wasn’t bad enough, his output was greatly limited. He wasn’t quite sure why he struggled so much with controlling and channeling his cursed energy when he had the knowledge and experience in his head. It was as if there was a chain holding him down.

Still, that wouldn’t stop Yuuji from exorcising this curse. Using the tree as his footing, the teen leaped on top of the monster, which had finally stopped flapping its wings. The monster tried to throw him off, but the boy placed his hand firmly on its back and used his technique.

“Cleave.”

Invisible cuts began to spread from Yuuji’s palm, and the monster was sliced into pieces. It wasn’t enough to kill the monster, though, since the creature's upper half was still intact. It tried to regenerate, but Nanami flew toward the falling monster and used his Ratio technique to finally exorcise the curse.

As the spirit turned into ashes, the blond said, “Good job.”

Yuuji scratched the back of his head. “Thanks, but I think I could do better than that.”

Nanami frowned. “You are already stellar for someone so young. I doubt even clan children can be as composed as you.”

Yuuji only shook his head. Yet, before the two could continue their conversation, a distant explosion could be heard.

“Is that?! Haibara!” Nanami exclaimed as he looked to the north.

“Ryou!” Yuuji shouted as he immediately began running.

While Yuuji and Nanami headed west, Ryou and Yu began to explore the northern side. So far, there wasn’t any sign of a curse that could be the culprit of the strings of murder. As the two teens walked, Yu couldn’t help but start a conversation, “Say, Ryou, you have a Heavenly Restriction, right?”

Ryou only nodded as he fixed the large weapon bag he was holding on his shoulder.

“I mean, Yaga-sensei has explained this stuff to us before, but I want to hear more about it from you. How does it feel having a Heavenly Restriction?” Yu asked.

Ryou explained, “Nothing special. I just feel like a regular human, except for the fact I can do many physical feats that most people struggle with. Though this level of power can certainly be achieved by those with enough cursed energy control.”

“Don’t speak like that! I think you’re awesome!” Yu said as he gave a reassuring grin at his junior. “You’re headed off into a fight against curses with only pure raw strength. That’s admirable!”

Ryou only sighed at the other’s exuberance. “Instead of talking about me, how about you tell me about your cursed technique?”

Seeing nothing wrong with the question, Yu answered, “It’s nothing fancy or powerful. I call it Stamp! I can place a mark on my enemy, which can temporarily halt their movement! They can still break out quickly if my opponent is much more powerful than me, but it’s quite useful at creating openings!”

“Can you only place that mark on living things?” Ryou asked as he stopped moving.

“Um, I mostly do it on my enemies, but that shouldn’t be the case?” Yu crouched down and placed his hand on the ground. A moment later, an X mark appeared on the dirt. “I can do it! But I don’t see what I can do with this… Ugh. I’m not as good as Nanami at figuring complex stuff like this…”

Ryou fixed his cursed glasses as he examined the cursed technique. Turning his attention to the other boy, he offered his palm and said, “Place it on me and try to stop my movement.”

“If you are sure? It’s not going to be comfortable, though.” Yu put another mark on the boy and said, “Stop!”

Ryou immediately froze. With Stamp being in full effect, the boy couldn’t even blink as he continued to stare at the X mark on his hand. Not wanting his friend to suffer longer, Yu quickly removed the binding. “See? It’s a bit useful, but you can still break out of it.”

The older twin nodded. “I see. It has slight similarities to Cursed Speech. You are using your cursed energy to mess with the opponent’s movements. It’s effective but also too straightforward.”

“Eh?” Yu tilted his head. 

Ryou explained. “I’m not saying stopping your enemy’s movement isn’t good, but everyone is always wary of being attacked directly. Since you can place your Stamp everywhere, you can use it to create other distractions. For example, how about you try to channel your energy into that mark on the ground to create an explosion?”

“I can do that?” Yu asked.

“Why not?” Ryou replied.

The black-haired boy was still a bit unsure, but he didn’t mind trying it out. The worst thing that could happen was nothing happening. As the boy activated the mark, it began to spark a blue light. 

BANG!

Ryou immediately grabbed his scruff and pulled him back just in time to avoid the explosion. Luckily, Yu didn’t put too much energy into his Stamp, so it wasn’t that large. 

“Woah!” the black-haired boy blinked at his work. Unlike Geto or Nanami, the teen had a hard time grasping his technique, and since he preferred to fight hand-to-hand, he relied mainly on enhancing his body instead of utilizing his power. 

“Hmm… That’s good,” Ryou said as he released his hold on the other teen. “Now, can you only place your mark using your own hands?”

“Um… Maybe? Maybe not?” Yu had always used his hand and never imagined placing a Stamp with his feet. Following the older Itadori’s order, the teen tried to channel his power via his foot. It took a lot more effort, but he managed to place one after several seconds. “I did it!”

“Good job,” Ryou said. “But you have a bad habit of thinking too narrowly. As a sorcerer, it is important to think creatively. Even someone much weaker can defeat a stronger opponent if they can outsmart their enemy. Remember that.”

Yu nodded. “You’re really smart, Ryou!”

The other teen only sighed. “And you’re too straightforward.” As he continued to walk, he said, “Try to play around with your cursed technique after this and test the limits of your power. Only then can you understand what you can and cannot do.”

The black-haired boy followed his companion obediently. Woah. Geto and Gojo had praised the older Itadori for being smart, but this was the first time the teen fully understood. Although Yaga was a good teacher, he was also overworked and couldn’t pay much attention to every student. Since the matter of cursed techniques was considered a personal thing, the man also didn’t try to push his students too much, allowing them to figure it out on their own. That was why Yu was a bit blind regarding this matter for a long time.

“Yosh! I’ll do my best!” Yu said as he gave a salute.

The two teens walked for several minutes before they arrived at a large clearing. As they examined their surroundings for any sign of the cursed spirit, Ryou looked down when he felt a slight tremor underneath him. It was so subtle that no regular person could notice it. Yu, who mostly relied on his cursed energy senses, also didn’t realize anything. The older twin quickly grabbed the other and leaped back.

BOOM!

“Ack!” Yu shouted when he saw a large worm-like curse bursting out of the ground. Despite its size, it was very fast, and it immediately burrowed back into the ground. 

“Keep running and place those marks!” Ryou shouted as the two sorcerers ran around the clearing. 

Although Yu followed the order, the teen couldn’t help but curse as they got chased by the fast and scary worm. “Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!” 

It took some time, but Yu managed to fill the areas with his stamps. Afterward, the teens climbed up to two nearby trees, and Ryou pulled out a bow and arrows from his weapon bag. The bag was a cursed tool that could hold several items inside. It was a gift from Gojo, who wanted to outshine Toji. 

When Ryou was ready to release his arrow, he said, “Do it.”

Yu understood the order and detonated one of the marks on the ground. The curse fell into the trap and immediately flew out. Yet instead of catching human flesh, it only bit empty air. Ryou immediately shot his arrow, and it landed straight on the spirit’s face.

BAM!

The arrow exploded upon impact, causing blue flames to appear on the curse. The bow Ryou was holding was another cursed weapon from Gojo called Shooting Star. Any arrow it released would detonate upon impact and cause fire damage. It was quite useful.

The curse shrieked in pain and immediately burrowed underground. Before Yu could even ask if they should go down, the ground beneath them began to rumble. 

“Oh no,” Yu said.

The two sorcerers leaped into another spot. They got out of the way just in time to see a much bigger worm appearing from the ground. 

“Big! It’s too big!!!” Yu shouted when he realized the size of their enemy. If the worm before was huge, this one was stupidly massive. It could probably swallow a whole house with its mouth. It was absolutely not a Grade Two!

While Yu was starting to panic, Ryou remained calm. He gestured for his ally to follow him, and the two teens jumped into a large tree branch. The older twin said, “We’ll need to use you as bait. I’ll throw you into the air, and you’ll activate another mark. I’ll draw its attention to me so you will have enough time to land on it and place your Stamps.”

“Eh?” Before Yu could say anything more, the ground under them rumbled dangerously again. The sorcerers ran away again to another place before the jaws of death could claim them.

“Do you get it?” Ryou shouted.

“Oh uh! Uuuuuggghh! Okay!” Yu really wasn’t sure about this plan, but it wasn’t as if they had a lot of options. 

“Good.” Ryou grabbed the other teen on the scruff and leaped into a high tree branch. Then, with a massive swing, he launched Yu into the air.

“AAAAAAH!” The teen screamed as he flew into the sky like a featherless bird. Just when he reached the highest peak of his short flight, he detonated another mark right underneath him. 

BANG!

The ground rumbled dangerously, and the curse took the bait. It began opening its jaw at Yu and showing another smaller mouth that they had previously assumed was the full cursed spirit.

“I’m gonna die!” Yu shouted as that yawning abyss headed toward him. 

TWISH - BANG!

Luckily, Ryou didn’t leave his companion to his fate and shot several arrows at the curse. It distracted the spirit enough that Yu managed to fall right beside the massive worm that had come out of the ground. After angling himself, the teen managed to land his feet on its massive flesh and started running down.

“Stamp! Stamp! Stamp! Stamp! Stamp! Stamp!” Yu shouted as he ran desperately. 

The worm began to curve and headed straight toward Ryou. The older twin dodged at the last second and landed safely on a faraway tree. Seeing that it missing, the curse headed underground again. Yu was able to stumble down to the ground and immediately detonated all the marks he had placed on the curse. It took several seconds since he wanted to use his full power. 

BAM! CRASH!

The worm curse shrieked as it was forced out of the ground. Unfortunately, it quickly locked on the culprit of its pain and headed straight toward Yu. The black-haired boy, who had gotten slightly winded after using his technique too many times, tried to run away. However, before the monster could reach him, Ryou suddenly appeared in front of him. The boy had exchanged his bow for a katana and stood before the teen.

Just as the worm almost reached them, Ryou unsheathed the blade and sliced the creature into pieces. Losing its face, the remaining part of the curse spasmed wildly on the ground. The older twin didn’t waste his chance. He leaped into the remnants of the spirit and performed another round of sword slashes. Pieces of flesh flew into the air and turned into ashes as the Grade One spirit was finally exorcised.

Ryou landed lightly on the ground and sheathed the katana. On the other hand, Yu could only stare blankly at his junior. Oh wow. That was a close call.

“Ryou! Haibara!” twin shouts came a moment later, announcing the arrival of Nanami and Yuuji, who were breathing hard after they ran from the western side.

“Oh! Hi guys! We just defeated the curse! You missed the best parts!” Yu exclaimed as he waved his hand.

Ryou sighed.

Yuuji and Nanami could only send shocked and confused looks at the two teens as they stood between the falling pieces of the massive worm that had just tried to eat them.

“What?” Yuuji and Nanami said.

Satoru laughed wildly as Haibara finished retelling what had just occurred during his last mission. The boy certainly had a knack for storytelling. Between the emotive expressions and wild gestures, it wasn’t hard to imagine what had happened.

Haibara rubbed the back of his head as he gave an embarrassed expression. “Honestly, it was all thanks to Ryou’s effort that we beat that curse. If I were alone, I wouldn’t be able to kill it!”

“It’s still amazing that you can handle the situation that well,” Suguru said. “Good job, Haibara.”

“Thank you, senpai!” Haibara beamed at the praise. “There are a lot of things I have to learn, though. Ryou has given me some pointers, so I’ll need to train harder!”

“Is that so?” Shoko said.

“Uh-huh! I think he can be a great teacher!” the black-haired teen replied. “Ah! I need to go now. Thanks for listening to me, senpai!”

The three second-year students waved at their junior as he left the room to meet with his classmate. When the boy was gone, the bright expression on Satoru’s face immediately fell away.

“Those fucking geezers,” Satoru grumbled darkly.

“Calm down, Satoru,” Suguru said. “It could be a mistake. Sometimes, the intel we get doesn’t match the level of threat the curse actually possesses.”

Satoru clicked his tongue and took another swig from his canned drink. “Like hell I will believe that.” Bloodied and empty chest flashed in his mind. “Those elders have gotten too cozy on their cushy seats. Maybe I should just… kill all the higher-ups.”

Shoko sighed. “This new verbal tick of yours is getting out of hand.”

Satoru huffed and used Blue to destroy the empty can of drink. “I just hate how they try to steal youth away from kids. Those bastards.”

“Why are you speaking as if you’re an old man already?” Suguru replied and immediately dodged the retaliatory kick from his friend.

“Shut up, both of you,” Satoru shot back as he crossed his arms. 

“Come now, Satoru, instead of being angry at old senile men, how about we focus on the upcoming event?” Suguru said in a coaxing manner.

Satoru shot a disgusted glance at the other teen. “That boring thing? What could it possibly offer? I can blast away everything, anyway.”

“Isn’t it still rather interesting to see how other sorcerers from Kyoto measure up to us?” Suguru replied.

“Che, more like disappointing.”

Since Yuuji had an extracurricular activity that day, Ryou returned to Jujutsu High alone. After what should have been a disastrous mission that led to Haibara’s death, the four young sorcerers were quickly sent back to Tokyo. When Yaga heard what happened, the man looked like he almost had a heart attack. Luckily, nobody actually got hurt, which was a miracle in itself. Ryou wished that Haibara could keep his mouth shut since he didn’t need extra attention. Gojo and Yuuji were already figuring out the truth, and the other sorcerers were getting too suspicious. He was still confused as to why his brother hadn’t addressed the elephant in the room, but he would take this fleeting peace.

Yet, it seemed fate never liked him to be too idle. When Ryou decided to visit one of the vending machines at Jujutsu High, he accidentally ran into a very annoying individual. That sharp brown eyes and dyed blonde hair could only belong to one person, Zen’in Naoya. The older twin realized that it was September, meaning the Goodwill Event was about to be held. Luckily, he was not yet enrolled, so he didn’t have to deal with the exchange.

“Oh, what do we have here?” Naoya said as he stared at Ryou. Behind him was one of the named Zen’in members, Ranta.

The pink-haired boy gave a bored glance at the two people before he turned his attention back to his drink. Although the older teen tried to hide it, it wasn’t hard to see that the heir of the Zen’in clan hated being ignored.

“You’re the older brother of that vessel, correct?” Naoya continued. “I’m surprised that you two still dare to walk around this place as if you have a right to do so.”

Ryou only drank his cold coffee silently. Too sweet.

Naoya said, “You losers should know better that you are on borrowed time. Trying to be sorcerers? Don’t make me laugh. Once your brother is dead, you have no use to be around anymore. Well, it’s not as if you have much use even now. Someone weak like you should know your place.”

Finished with his drink, Ryou compressed the can with his hands and turned toward Naoya, “Do you always bark this much? You just want to pick a fight, right?”

The Zen’in heir gritted his teeth. “You useless trash. How dare you speak to me like that?!”

“Naoya-sama, let me-” Ranta tried to step up and deal with the supposed ‘trash’ that had annoyed his master.

“No, I’ll deal with him alone.” Naoya marched toward his opponent and used his Projection Sorcery. 

Although Ryou was bringing his weapon bag, he didn’t bother to pull out one of his cursed tools. There was no need to go all out to deal with a brat like him. Unlike adult Naoya, his teenage version hadn’t fully mastered his cursed technique yet. Since Ryou already knew the trick behind his power, it wasn’t hard to defend himself against him.

Naoya immediately got close to Ryou and tried to hit him, yet the other was able to block his attack. The impact did push him out into the field outside the building. 

The Zen’in heir strode outside with confidence. “I don’t get what those two see in you. You are weak and a trash who was born from a mundane background. Yet you somehow manage to keep their attention.”

Ryou blinked, not understanding what the other was saying.

“Gojo Satoru and Zen’in Toji,” Naoya said. “Those two are the ones who stand at the top of the world. The strongest. And who the hell are you? Just a small fry.”

“Ah,” Ryou said when he understood. So Naoya was picking a fight with him because he was jealous that his idols were looking at someone. How foolish. Gojo and Toji's unreliable faces flashed in his mind. Ugh. “You need a better role model.”

Naoya growled. “Shut your mouth, trash. Today, I’ll show those two that you are not worthy of even being considered a sorcerer!”

“Sure, in return, how about this small fry and trash show you how to win a fight?” Ryou said with a smirk as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. 

A vein on Naoya’s forehead throbbed at that blatant gesture meant to be an insult. Did this trash think he could underestimate him?!

“You’ll pay for that!” Naoya activated his technique again and began to run around the younger teen. Instead of attacking directly, the Zen’in heir decided to touch his opponent, forcing Ryou to follow the rule of Projection Sorcery. Nobody could actually move at 24 frames per second, so it was basically a free hit for him. 

As Naoya gained enough speed, he finally launched his first and final attack that would end the fight. Yet, at that point, with a graceful movement, Ryou pulled his right hand out of his pocket and aimed his fist straight at the Zen’in heir’s face.

“Never underestimate your opponent,” Ryou said.

BAM!

Since Naoya had already established his trajectory using his cursed technique, he couldn’t dodge away. Ryou’s fist landed solidly on his face and sent him flying backward. 

“Ugh!” Naoya grunted.

“Naoya-sama!” Ranta shouted when he saw the Zen’in heir was taken down. “How dare you!”

Before the other Zen’in could attack, someone interrupted the fight. “Oya! What do we have here? I thought the exchange hadn’t started yet?”

It was the second-year Tokyo students. There was a smile on Gojo’s face, but anyone with sense could notice that he wasn’t happy at all. 

“You know that fighting between students outside of friendly spars is forbidden, right?” Geto stated at the two Zen’in.

Naoya quickly got on his feet and wiped away his bloodied nose. There was a slight flush on his cheek. It seemed the boy was embarrassed that one of the strongest saw him in this pathetic state.

“Come on, they already started it, so why don’t I help you end it?” Gojo asked as he summoned Blue. The two Zen’in tensed at the appearance of the dangerous technique.

Ryou sighed as he approached the taller teen and whacked him on the head. “Cut it out. You’re going to destroy a building.”

Gojo clicked his tongue as he fixed his skewed sunglasses. “Are you just going to let him off like this?”

“I’ve already taught him a lesson, and if you want to pick a fight with him, do it during the exchange.” After replying, Ryou didn’t bother to wait and left the area. He had better things to do than humor emotional teenagers.

The white-haired teen huffed. “Fine, you heard that Zen’in.” Pointing his finger at Naoya, Gojo continued, “You’re my target.”

‘Well, Naoya got his wish. Hopefully, he enjoys it,’ Ryou thought blandly.

Luckily, no other incident occurred for the rest of the week. Since the twins had school that day, they couldn’t watch the exchange event, but Haibara was more than happy to share his experience. 

“It was fun!” Haibara exclaimed. “I don’t know why Gojo-senpai was more focused on hunting down a Kyoto student than curses, but we still won in the end!”

Yuuji blinked and shot a look at his brother. The younger twin had heard of the encounter with Naoya from Gojo, who had whined that his brother was being a meanie for not allowing him to pummel a kid to death.

Ryou only shrugged.

It wasn’t his problem. 

Omake:

Naoya: Why do Satoru and Toji care so much about a useless piece of shit like you?!

Ryou: I don’t know. You can have them. They give me too much headache anyway.

Toji & Satoru: No. 

Chapter Text

Ijichi Kiyotaka knew he wasn’t meant to be a sorcerer, yet he still attended Jujutsu High. Born in a small Jujutsu family, his parents were decent sorcerers who worked tirelessly to exorcise curses. While the two of them had a decent cursed technique, Kiyotaka was not blessed with one. He still could use cursed energy, but he was useless without a technique. Seeing the disappointed looks on his parents’ faces never failed to make him feel embarrassed and incompetent, which was why he didn’t protest when they asked him if he wanted to enter Jujutsu High. Frankly, he knew he wouldn’t fit in and be able to keep up with those prodigious and powerful young sorcerers, yet he also didn’t want to let down his parents further. And so, he went. 

Kiyotaka wasn’t sure what he should expect from his time at the school. He had heard a lot of rumors regarding his seniors. The most prominent one was the troublesome duo that had terrorized the Jujutsu world despite not having graduated yet. Between those two, the one that made him the most anxious was the heir of the Gojo clan. He had never personally met the person, but he somehow knew that the other would be the bane of his life. A week before entering the school, Kiyotaka had numerous nightmares of a white-haired man piling endless work and stress on him.

Ijichi. Ijichi. Ijichi. Ijichi. 

That monster kept repeating as he continued to torture Kiyotaka with more demands. No matter how much he cried or how often he pleaded, nobody would help him. Because who would dare to speak a word against the mighty Gojo Satoru? And so, Kiyotaka could only silently suffer. It wasn’t rare for him to wake up in cold sweat, hearing the ringing, gleeful laugh of his eternal tormentor. He knew that if he stepped foot on Jujutsu High, his fate would be sealed. Yet there was nothing he could do. Just like many things in his life, Kiyotaka could only follow the path laid down for him. 

When he walked toward the dorm where he would be staying for the majority of his time while attending Jujutsu High, he encountered two students. It took him several seconds to realize who they were. The Itadori twins. They were the other first-year students who would be his classmates. There were rumors that the Sukuna’s vessel had been found several months ago. The central had been keeping it a secret, but since his parents knew the principal, the head of the school had informed them about the identity of this vessel.

Itadori Yuuji. The vessel of the King of Curses. Itadori Ryou. The older brother with a Heavenly Restriction. As he examined the twins, Kiyotaka wondered which one was which. Sharp golden eyes flicked toward him and promptly made the teen freeze. It was a hostile stare, yet the boy couldn’t help but get stiff under those eyes. The action caused the other twin to turn around and look at Kiyotaka. Unlike the first set of eyes, these ones were much warmer and welcoming.

“Oh! Ijichi!” the boy said.

“You know him?” the other asked.

“Ah! He’s-um- I think Yaga-sensei said he’ll be our classmate?”

The first teen hummed.

Seeing the twin curious stares, Kiyotaka could only give a bow as he introduced himself. “I-Ijichi Kiyotaka! Nice to meet you!”

“I’m Itadori Yuuji!” the warm boy said and pointed at his brother. “This is my brother, Ryou. Yaga-sensei said that you’ll also attend as a first-year student, right?”

“A-ah yes… yes.” Kiyotaka blurted out. He wasn’t sure how to engage with these two people. He was never good at interacting with others in the first place. What did you usually say to people you just met? He already told them his name. Was there anything else he could do? It wasn’t as if there was anything interesting he could bring up. 

Luckily, before they could continue their conversation, another person suddenly showed up to interrupt them. Seeing that white hair on a tall teen immediately brought dread to Kiyotaka.

“Hey, hey, hey! Why are you guys standing outside, we have been waiting for you for a long time now. Shoko wants to start the movie already!” Gojo Satoru said as he threw his hand over Yuuji’s shoulders. It seemed the teen wanted to grab Ryou, too, but the other easily sidestepped his reaching hand. 

Not bothered by the human sloth hanging on him, Yuuji replied, “Sorry, Satoru. We just met Ijichi here. He’ll be our classmate, you know!” 

Bright blue eyes locked on Kiyotaka, and the younger teen had to suppress the urge to shudder. Oh no. He was here. 

“Ijichi, huh…” Gojo said as he examined the newcomer. 

Please don’t call my name. No. He was going to get nightmares at this point. Kiyotaka already wanted to cry as he saw his bleak future. 

Ryou sighed and lightly slapped the back of Gojo’s head. “Alright, you are now the one holding us back. Stop torturing the new student and go inside.”

Gojo pouted as he looked at the retreating teen. “What do you mean torturing? I’m just greeting him.”

“Sure you are,” Ryou replied but did not look back.

“Alright, let’s just go,” Yuuji said as he pulled Gojo back to the dorm. As the three walked away, the boy turned his head toward Kiyotaka. “Oh, Ijichi! Feel free to join us if you want to watch movies together!”

Kiyotaka couldn’t reply. When those three disappeared inside, the teen finally let out a small sigh of relief. There was no way he would attend the social event despite Yuuji’s warm invitation. No way, he couldn’t handle it. The boy waited outside for several minutes before he dared to open the door and squirreled into his assigned room. Thankfully, it was not that close to the second-year students’ dorm room, so that should lower his chance of encountering Gojo. However, he knew that there was no way he could avoid the older teen for the rest of his study time at Jujutsu High. With a heavy heart, Kiyotaka could only prepare himself to suffer.

His first day of learning at his new school started smoothly. The Itadori twins were quite pleasant. While Yuuji was always kind and helpful, Ryou was a lot more cool but still polite. Although they all got along, it didn’t take long for Kiyotaka to realize that he was nowhere near their level. Despite being twins, the brothers were very adept at fighting. Yuuji could use a cursed technique, while Ryou was blessed with great physical prowess. Seeing them spar made Kiyotaka understand the gap between them. While he had never slack off at exercising, he was not good at fighting. 

It was no good.

Kiyotaka was always a disappointment. Despite being much weaker, neither twin ever looked him down for it. Yuuji even offered to let him join them on their daily morning jog. Kiyotaka took up the offer, but those two ran at a pace that he could not keep up with. It wasn’t rare for them to bypass him several times. Since Kiyotaka did not have any cursed technique, he could only focus on refining his control. Even then, what could he do with it? Unlike the twins’ physically fit bodies, Kiyotaka struggled with developing muscles. No matter how much he tried to enhance his physical prowess, if he multiplied something by zero, the result would only be zero. 

How useless.

Kiyotaka spent his days aimlessly attending classes and trying to improve as a sorcerer despite believing that he wasn’t good at it. However, that routine was interrupted when Ryou approached him one afternoon.

“Ryou-san?” Kiyotaka asked when he saw the older twin looking down at him with narrowed eyes. Had he done something wrong? As far as he knew, he had only been sitting at his table as usual.

“Are you busy?” Ryou asked.

“No?” Kiyotaka replied.

“Then, come with me.” Not even waiting for him to answer, Ryou turned around and walked out of the classroom, fully expecting his classmate to follow. Despite feeling that he was about to be beaten or, worse, murdered, Kiyotaka followed obediently. 

Instead of taking him into a hidden corner, the older twin brought him to the empty library. This place was already not that popular in regular schools; it was even more empty in Jujutsu High, which didn’t have that many students to begin with. Its more constant visitors were the cleaners that were assigned to keep this place presentable. Yet that day, two first-year students graced their presences in this neglected space.

“Sit.” Ryou pointed at an empty seat before heading off deeper into the library. Kiyotaka obediently followed the order and anxiously waited for the other to return. It took several minutes, but the older twin showed up holding a stack of texts and scrolls. After dropping the documents on the table, Ryou shoved one of the texts toward Kiyotaka.

“Read it.”

Kiyotaka opened the book and was surprised to find out it was about seals. Since sorcerers tended to focus on cursed techniques, they rarely paid attention to other branches of sorcery. Creating and using cursed tools was perhaps the only other big part of Jujutsu, yet there were quite many sorcerers who looked down on those using one. As for seals, these were mainly used by assistants to help them create simple barriers. It was not a very popular subject.

“What’s this, Ryou-san?” Kiyotaka asked.

“I’m quite curious about seals, but since I can’t use cursed energy, I figure I need someone to help me,” Ryou replied.

Kiyotaka highly doubted that. He was very sure that Yuuji would be more than happy to help his brother. “I-I’m not sure if I can be of much help here. Yaga-sensei should be able to inform you about this subject than me.”

“Don’t be foolish, Yaga doesn’t know this subject that well beyond the basics,” Ryou said. “We are going to go through these texts together.”

“Eh?”

Without even waiting for him to answer, Ryou commenced this sudden extra lesson. Since Kiyotaka never had a spin, he could only submit and follow his classmate’s whims. As far as study sessions went, it wasn’t that bad. Kiyotaka was quite good at theories, and he enjoyed learning new things about Jujutsu. 

The lesson lasted for an hour before Ryou said, “Good. You read this one too. We’ll draw a real seal tomorrow.”

“Eh?” Kiyotaka could only blankly watch as the other walked out of the library, leaving the teen holding another book that just become his extra homework.

Since they were classmates, there was no way Kiyotaka could hide from Ryou. When the next day arrived, the boy tried to seek help from Yuuji, but the other only blinked when he heard his twin give a short explanation of their new activity.

“That’s great!” Yuuji said with a beaming smile.

No, it wasn’t.

Yet since nobody would stand up for him, Kiyotaka could only let Ryou drag him to the library again. This time, the other had prepared papers and a brush. The teen looked at these common tools with anxiety. Yaga had touched on seals during his class, but the man had not expected them to actually make one. Even managers who accompanied sorcerers used seals prepared by the central. 

Ryou used his finger to slide a paper closer to Kiyotaka. “Come on.”

Why did this feel like a pop quiz? Kiyotaka could only brace himself as he picked up the brush. Their goal today was to make the most basic seal one could make. The act of creating a seal was not as easy as it looked. Although regular people might assume that you were only scribbling using a brush, you actually had to input cursed energy with each stroke you created. You also had to place each line in the correct order and use the right amount of energy, or the seal wouldn’t work. That was why people preferred those with barrier techniques instead of using physical seals. Tengen was one such sorcerer. Although it seemed the ancient sorcerer was also a master of the art of sealing, this legendary figure was known due to their legendary barrier technique that became the core of the Jujutsu world. Many tried to reach their height, but all failed.

Kiyotaka still couldn’t understand the point of this exercise, but he still did his best. Perhaps he wanted to prove himself, or perhaps he didn’t want to disappoint Ryou, who looked at him with expectation. When he finally completed his first seal, his hand was shaking, and several beads of sweat slid down his temple.

Ryou took the paper to examine the result and nodded. “Good. Activate it.”

Kiyotaka sent a wave of cursed energy into the seal, and a small transparent barrier appeared around them. The radius was very small, and it could only dampen sounds to a certain degree, but the seal he created still worked. It was only a small achievement, but a swell of happiness burst from his chest.

“I-I did it!” Kiyotaka exclaimed.

“You did it.” Ryou nodded. “On your first try too. You seem to have a bit of talent in sealing.”

Talent. That was a word that had never been pointed toward Kiyotaka until now. He had been a good and obedient kid, but he wasn’t smart. He certainly wasn’t talented. He was awfully unremarkable, which made him feel distant from his peers, from Gojo, with his unrivaled talents, to Yuuji, who had mastery over his cursed technique despite being born from a mundane background. Kiyotaka was nothing compared to them. Yet somehow, Ryou was now telling him he was good at something.

“I…” Kiyotaka started but couldn’t continue.

Neither spoke for a moment until Ryou sighed. “Let me be frank, you are not suitable to being a sorcerer.”

Kiyotaka flinched at those harsh yet truthful words.

“There is no shame in that,” Ryou continued. “Not everyone can fight, and there is no need to force yourself into something you are not built to do. If you are still planning on staying in the Jujutsu world, it’ll be better for you to be an assistant manager.”

“Are you telling me to quit, Ryou-san?” Kiyotaka asked.

“It’s up to you,” the older twin replied. “It’s your life, do whatever you want with it. If you are still interested, come here tomorrow.”

After saying that, Ryou left the library while Kiyotaka continued to sit at the table silently as he stared at the textbooks. The boy was listless for the rest of the day. He wasn’t sure how he should feel over Ryou’s words. His classmate did not say it with harmful intent and merely pointed out what he believed to be the truth. Kiyotaka also agreed on this topic, yet he was still conflicted over it. 

“It’s your life, do whatever you want with it.”

It was such a simple statement, and many people would agree with it, but Kiyotaka had never been one to do it as he pleased. Ever since he was a child, he had always looked at others and wondered what he should do. It was usually his parents who told him what he should achieve, but sometimes, he also looked to others for guidance, from teachers to classmates. He was like a chameleon who changed color based on other’s expectations, but now somebody told him what he wanted to do.

Kiyotaka did not sleep well that night, and it wasn’t because of a white-haired man torturing him in his sleep. When tomorrow arrived, Ryou did not act like anything was off. The twins focused on lessons from Yaga and other teachers. Kiyotaka fidgeted in his seat but didn’t say a word. Yet when the day finally reached the time for the usual extra study, the teen’s feet automatically brought him to the library. It was as empty as ever. Not even Ryou was there. Not knowing what else to do, the teen sat down in his usual seat.

It took several minutes, but familiar footsteps could be heard outside. Ryou opened the door to the library and looked at Kiyotaka. His expression did not change as he said, “Make up your mind, yet?”

Kiyotaka replied, “I-I want to learn more about sealing… but I haven’t decided yet on that other topic.”

“It’s your decision.” Ryou sat down on the seat across from him and threw him another book. “Read that. I’ll quiz you later.”

“Y-yes!” 

It became a routine after that. Kiyotaka wasn’t sure where Ryou’s mastery and understanding of the art of sealing came from, but the other teen was good. Although Kiyotaka was the one who could only create seals, the other seemed to be able to judge whether he made a mistake with one glance. 

When he asked Yuuji about this, the other only gave a blank smile. “Um… yeah, my brother is talented.”

There seemed to be some complicated matter between the twins, so Kiyotaka didn’t dare to prod more. However, there was one other thing that became a big problem. Since Ryou would accompany Kiyotaka to study every day, it didn’t take long for Gojo to notice. The white-haired teen tried to corner him when Kiyotaka was on his way to the library one day.

“You… what are you doing?” Gojo asked as he towered over Kiyotaka.

The younger teen began to sweat immediately. “I-I-I… I don’t know?”

“You have been spending so much time with Ryou recently,” Gojo said. “Yuuji is missing his brother, you know.”

Kiyotaka was very sure that it was a lie since he had told Yuuji about this matter first. The younger twin didn’t seem to mind at all; in fact, he supported this extra lesson very much.

“It’ll be good for you two!” Yuuji said.

Gojo narrowed his eyes further, pushing Kiyotaka to the edge of panic.

Whack!

“Cut it out, Gojo,” Ryou said as he hit his childhood friend on the head. 

The white-haired teen grumbled as he turned toward the older twin. “What? I haven’t done anything!”

“You’re intimidating your junior, have some shame,” Ryou shot back.

Gojo pouted. “But I’m just curious about what you two have been doing!”

“We’ve been studying,” Ryou replied.

“But you can study with me too!” Gojo exclaimed as he pointed at himself.

“No, you’re annoying,” the older twin said. “Ijichi is a better study companion than you.”

Gojo shot a measuring look at Kiyotaka. It was as if he was trying to gauge an opponent with his Six Eyes. No. Please. 

‘Can’t you see how weak I am? You can destroy me with a flick of your finger!’ Kiyotaka thought desperately. 

Ryou no longer offered help since the boy had entered the library first. Not wanting to stay with his senior longer, Kiyotaka excused himself and followed him. Gojo’s narrowed eyes continued to track him until he went inside.

Oh no. What had he gotten himself into?

Satoru was pouting. Not that it was a rare scene. Although he was a powerful sorcerer, the teen loved to act like a child. Usually, he would throw a tantrum over not getting his favorite sweets, but sometimes, he would grumble about his childhood friends. It wasn’t hard to see that the teen was rather overprotective of the Itadori twins. He also didn’t like having other people get too close to them.

Suguru had heard several versions of this complaint.

“That fucking Toji. Useless bum. What do Ryou even see in him?”

“Ugh. His kid is also the same. That Megumi is trying to steal Yuuji away.”

While the Fushiguro family seemed to receive the full jealousy of Satoru, sometimes he would also turn this toward other people. The most recent one seemed to be the new first-year student, Ijichi Kiyotaka. 

“Why are they studying together so much?” Satoru whined that day as they waited for Yaga to come to their classroom.

“Come on, Satoru, they are in the same year,” Suguru replied. “Of course, they’re going to study together.”

“But I’m better!” Satoru shot back.

“First of all, you are two years older than them,” Suguru said. “Second of all, you’re a genius.”

“So? Isn’t that better?” Satoru exclaimed.

“It’s not if you consider the fact that you are a lousy study buddy.”

“I’m a great study buddy!”

“No, you’re not.”

“What’s that? Are you picking a fight?!” Satoru stood up from his seat.

Not one to back down from a challenge, Suguru also stood up. “What if I am?” 

“Enough.” At that point, Yaga finally decided to arrive and break their standoff. Their teacher gave a tired glare at the troublesome duo and stood behind his desk. The teens reluctantly sat back down, but they angled their bodies away from each other.

“If you two are done fighting, I have an important mission for you two,” Yaga said gravely. “It’s related to Master Tengen. Your goal is to escort the Star Plasma Vessel and erase her.”

Toji’s life had been going quite well. Sure, he still missed his wife, but life was fine. He had money and never needed to worry about food and shelter. The kids were growing up fine, and they didn’t cause too much trouble. Perhaps that was why he should have known that fate would kick him down eventually. 

It had been just another fine and boring day. Toji had just left the grocery store when he was approached by a man. Now, normally he would just ignore random people, but this one pulled his attention. The man’s appearance was nothing noteworthy; he was wearing a dark turtleneck and jacket while his hair was cut short. However, this guy had a weird and suspicious air around him, and most importantly, there was a row of stitches on his forehead. Ryou’s warning flashed in his mind.

“It may be unlikely but there is a chance that you may encounter someone with stitches on their forehead. That person is Kenjaku. Be wary of them.”

“Hello, do you mind if we talk a bit?” Kenjaku said with a warm smile.

Toji gave a sharp grin. “Nope. I’m busy.”

Not bothered by the other’s rejection, the man continued, “Is that so? I thought you’d be interested to know that I have a job for you.”

Toji shot back, “Nah. I’m not that desperate, and it’s not as if I need money from skeevy guys like you.” 

Kenjaku’s smile did not slide off from his face. “Are you sure?” He pulled out a phone from his pocket and showed the screen to Toji. It was a picture of Megumi and Tsumiki. They were both unconscious while their limbs were tied. “You sure have two cute kids.”

Toji’s blood froze. How did he? He had made sure that the area was safe. Nobody knew his real home except those he had informed. Even when he took up contracts, he ensured that he wasn’t followed. So how the fuck did this guy find him? “You fucking bastard.”

Despite sensing great hostility from the other, Kenjaku remained calm as he pocketed his phone. “Ah ah ah. I won’t recommend fighting me. We’re surrounded by regular humans here, and I really don’t want to draw needless attention.”

Without waiting for a reply, Kenjaku headed off to a small family restaurant. Toji could only follow since he wasn’t sure what this guy wanted from him. As the two sat at a table, Kenjaku acted pleasantly while Toji glowered at him. 

Kenjaku chided after ordering a simple meal, “You’re going to scare away the servers with that expression.”

“Like I give a shit,” Toji replied. “What the fuck do you want?”

“Something only you can do,” the curse user said. “Have you heard that the Star Plasma Vessel’s identity has been leaked? Several forces have started to move now.”

“What of it?” Toji had heard of that. In fact, the Star Religious Group had tried to hire him, but he refused the offer. He didn’t need the money, and attempting such a risky mission would only bring trouble.

The server returned to their table to bring the meal the curse user ordered. It was a simple grilled fish with rice and other side dishes. Although Toji was leaking out killing intent, the other was not bothered and picked up his chopsticks.

“Well I want you to join in on the fun,” Kenjaku replied. “Kill the vessel and Gojo Satoru. In return, I’ll give you back your kids safe and sound.”

Toji growled. “Fucking piece of shit. What makes you think I care about those brats?”

Kenjaku chuckled. “You’re really a bad actor, you know. I saw how you froze when I showed that picture. Such a good father. Unfortunately, I really need your talent. So help me okay?”

With a purposeful move, he severed the fish into two.

“After all, I have faith you can defeat the Six Eyes.”

Omake:

Satoru: I'm a great study buddy.

Suguru & Ryou: No.

Chapter Text

Although Gojo was an annoying individual, one couldn’t deny that being in his good graces generally gave you certain perks. For one, he was quite shit at keeping secrets. Oh, he could hide something if he deemed it important enough. This only applied to his secrets, though. Other people’s secrets didn’t receive the same treatment. Thus, Ryou was promptly notified when Gojo received the Star Plasma Vessel escort mission. Toji had told him about it a few hours before, so he wasn’t surprised when he got the message from Gojo about him being given a ‘super duper important mission!’ 

While Ryou had contacted Toji before, he couldn’t help but send a message to the man again after hearing the new development from Gojo. After constantly being in contact with Toji, the teen had gotten used to his habits. Most of the time, it would take fifteen minutes before he received a message. The exception would be when the man was watching a race or busy with his work. Although Ryou had never demanded Toji to inform him regarding this matter, the man had developed a habit of telling him when he wouldn’t be available. Thus, he was quite surprised to see when his message remained unanswered for more than half an hour. 

Ryou went to the internet to check the schedule of ongoing races near Saitama and found none. He even scrolled up his message history to make sure he hadn’t missed any message from Toji. There was none. Now, this could just be the case of the man being his unreliable self, but for this to occur during this important juncture sent alarms in his head. 

Without hesitation, he called Gojo’s number. It didn’t even reach the second ring before his call was answered.

“Hello~ this is the perfect and immaculate Gojo Satoru,” a cheery voice replied. “It’s rare for you to call me. Do you miss me already?”

Even from here, Ryou could hear Geto’s sigh on the other side. “I need to ask you a favor.”

“Eh! What is it? What do you want? Do you want omiyage?” Gojo asked.

“Nothing that banal. I need you to hire Mei Mei to help me with something,” Ryou replied. “Although I’ve some savings, I doubt my money can cover her fee.”

“Ugh! You are calling me just so I’ll give you money?!” Gojo made a pained noise. “I knew you only liked me because of my wealth! You golddigger!”

“Cut it out,” Ryou shot back. “This is important. It may just be nothing, but this could lead to a troublesome situation.”

Gojo grumbled unintelligibly but groaned out, “Fine, but I expect you to make homemade bento for the rest of the week!”

“Sure,” Ryou said and ended the call. It wasn’t an unreasonable demand. He had made food for the whiny teen many times before. 

It only took five minutes before Ryou received a call from Mei Mei. The woman started the conversation by saying, “I heard that you require my service. My, this is the first time that I’ve had Gojo Satoru himself ask me for help. Imagine my surprise that it’s due to your request.”

“Let’s just get to the point,” Ryou replied as he tapped his fingers on his desk while he waited for Yuuji and Ijichi to return after they left to grab lunch. “I need you to investigate a house in Saitama. It would be preferable if you use your crows so you won’t get noticed. Can you do that?”

Ryou gave her the address of Toji’s home, and Mei Mei replied, “Sounds simple enough. I’m near the area, and I should be able to report to you in one or two hours.”

“Make sure you are quick, this is time-sensitive.”

“Don’t worry I’m a professional. After all, I have to leave a good impression on potential long-term customers.”

They ended their call after that. Since the other first-year students hadn’t returned yet, it left Ryou with some time to think. There were two possibilities. First, Toji could still decide to get the job of killing Amanai Riko. That might explain his lack of message. Although Ryou always considered Toji to be rather unreliable, the man didn’t strike him as someone who would actively hunt down acquaintances without a proper reason. While Toji and Gojo weren’t best friends, the two had developed some sort of friendly albeit quite unstable relationship. The fact that he had also been taking care of the two kids proved that this Toji was in a much better mental state than the original timeline. Thus, it was unlikely for him to accept such a dangerous job.

That left him with the second possibility. Kenjaku. Although the manga had never confirmed this fact, Ryou had always felt that the ancient curse user had a bit of a hand in the creation of Star Religious Group. Eliminating Star Plasma Vessels and preventing Tengen from merging with a new body were his primary goals. Since a bearer of Six Eyes would always be born near this event, the connection between Star Plasma Vessels and the Six Eyes wielders was forged by fate. The only individuals capable of breaking that chain would be individuals with advanced Heavenly Restrictions, such as Toji.

Had Kenjaku started to move?

Ryou’s musing was interrupted when the two teens finally returned. Although they usually ate their homemade food, Yuuji was in the mood for takeout, so he and Ijichi went to a nearby restaurant outside Jujutsu High.

“I got some beef bowls!” Yuuji said as he held up a bag of takeouts. As the teen began pulling out the food container, he glanced at his brother and asked, “Is there something wrong, Ryou?”

The older twin blinked. Ah. It seemed his poker face was not as good as it used to be. While he liked to think that he had great control over his emotions, Yuuji seemed to always be able to read him. Since it wasn’t the time to inform his brother about this matter, he replied, “It’s nothing.”

Yuuji narrowed his eyes.

Seeing the stubborn look on the other’s face, Ryou amended his previous sentence. “I’ll tell you more when I have more info. I’m still not sure what’s going on either.”

Yuuji sent a doubtful look at his brother but relented. Since all of them were hungry, the three first-year students immediately ate their lunch. Once they finished it, they went outside to get some training. Although Yaga was supposed to teach them during this hour, the sorcerer was quite overworked and busy, and it wasn’t rare for him to assign them unsupervised training. Ryou was quite happy with the decision since the constant movement of his body allowed him to take his mind off for a while.

More than an hour passed before Ryou’s phone rang. The teen immediately accepted the call and said, “Any news?”

“The house seems remarkably normal,” Mei Mei replied, “but I can’t find the residents anywhere.”

That didn’t make sense. Today was Saturday, and regular kindergarten schools in Japan were only open from Monday to Friday. Since Toji didn’t inform him about taking any job, the man should also be at home. Yet the three Fushiguro were missing. The teen noticed Yuuji and Ijichi stop their training to look at him, but he ignored them to ask, “Did you find any residue of cursed energy in the area?”

Mei Mei chuckled. “Well, I actually found some. It’s quite hard to see considering its location but I’m rather good at noticing these details. Do you want me to continue my investigation?”

“Do so but do not confront the culprit,” Ryou replied. “I’ll try to meet up with you soon.”

As the older twin ended the call, Yuuji and Ijichi approached him with a concerned expression. 

“What’s going on?” Yuuji asked.

Knowing better than to hide this from his brother, Ryou replied, “I’m not completely certain, but I suspect that something has happened to the Fushiguro family.”

Yuuji’s face became pale with shock. “What? Who has attacked them?”

Ryou explained, “I’ve hired Mei Mei to investigate. According to her, there is no sign of struggle but the whole family is missing. There is also cursed energy residue that she’s currently following. I’m planning to head there.”

“Let me help!” Yuuji said anxiously. Aside from the fact that the boy never liked to let injustice go unpunished, he also wanted to make sure Megumi was safe. He had failed to save his friend once, and he didn’t want to fail him again.

Already expecting that demand, Ryou readily agreed. However, before the twins could leave, Ijichi pipped up, “Um guys shouldn’t you inform Yaga-sensei about this first? I think you’ll get in trouble if you leave without permission.”

Ryou pursed his lips. That was true. Unlike in canon, they didn’t have the strongest sorcerer backing them up. If he took Yuuji, who was Sukuna’s Vessel, into a faraway place without explicit permission, that could be deemed as an act of betrayal. They really couldn’t afford to have the higher-ups hunting them like curse users at this point.

Ryou sighed. “Fine.”

Luckily, Yaga could easily be found inside his office room in Jujutsu High. There were stacks of papers on top of his desk, which hid the laptop that the man was looking at. The sorcerer looked up when he noticed the Itadori twins coming in. Unlike the troublesome duo, the two brothers were quite obedient and reasonable. Well, as obedient as teens could be. At least neither of them caused him a big headache that made him consider quitting.

“Is there something you need?” Yaga asked as he fully turned his attention to his students.

“We need your permission to leave the school grounds,” Ryou replied while Yuuji fidgeted on the spot beside him. “We believe that someone that we know has been kidnapped by a group of curse users.”

Yaga frowned. “If that’s the case, you can send a request for full-time sorcerers to investigate.” Although the school sent students to face off against curses, fighting curse users was another matter. Except for the troublesome duo with their special-grade rankings, the rest of the students were only tasked to handle lower-grade curses. Only when they reached the third year would they receive harder tasks. Unlike curses, humans were a lot more tricky and dangerous.

Yuuji shook his head. “We don’t have time for that!”

Ryou tugged his brother’s sleeve to calm him down. “I’m sorry sensei but we believe that going through the proper channel will only increase the risk of them getting hurt. Please let us handle this matter ourselves.”

Yaga stared with narrowed eyes at the two brothers. The twins returned his look with a serious and determined expression. The sorcerer sighed. “Fine. I’ll make this a new mission for you. Give me some details so I can make the proper document.”

“Thank you sensei!” Yuuji said.

“You can thank me by not causing further trouble,” Yaga grumbled. He should’ve known that Gojo’s childhood friends would eventually bring him headaches.

Amanai Riko’s day had been shit thus far. First, she had gotten blown up from her apartment after she returned during her break time. Then, she had woken up in the arms of a weirdo with white hair. There was even another weirdo with weird bangs. Although Kuroi explained that they were allies, she still couldn’t trust them! They had such an untrustworthy aura, and the way they treated her was unacceptable! After all, she would be Tengen’s vessel! Yet these two continued to ignore her!

“Did you change your wallpaper?” Weird Bang asked as he leaned down.

White Weirdo grinned as he showed his phone screen to his friend. “Hehe. I managed to capture this yesterday.”

Although Riko was standing rather far away, she could still see that it was an image of twins. One of them was glaring at the camera while the other was giving a peace sign. The girl shouted, “Listen to me!!!”

“I bet you don’t have many friends if you talk like that,” White Weirdo said.

“I see, we won’t have to feel bad sending you off,” Weird Bang added.

Riko’s face reddened at those insults. “I talk fine at school!”

School. Oh shit. She had to return to school! Despite the discouragement from Kuroi and the dissatisfied expression of the two weirdos, who were apparently named Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru, Riko still insisted on going back. She wanted to see her friends. It didn’t take long for them to reach Renchoku Girl’s Academy.

Riko refused to let those weirdos follow her and immediately ran away to her classroom. Luckily, the class had just started. Although she was late for a minute, the teacher still let her enter and took her seat without punishment. She knew her friends would laugh at her if they knew that she was so eager about going to school. After all, what kind of kids like to study? But Riko wasn’t like normal kids. She had never been normal because she was special. 

She had thought her time as a regular human was done last year. That was the promised time when she had to merge with Tengen, yet no summon arrived. Just as she started to think that maybe her destiny would never arrive, she was finally called to perform her duty. It was supposed to be an honor. After all, she would be helping the world by merging with Tengen, yet she couldn’t help but feel like it was a death sentence. She sighed. Well, no point in thinking about it anymore. Everything was already set in stone. Her fate had been sealed when she was born.

The only thing Riko could do was to enjoy this short and fleeting time as a normal regular girl.

Satoru clicked his tongue as he ended the call with Yaga. Allowing the girl to continue to stay at school like this was basically asking for trouble. “They’re spoiling her too much.”

Suguru sighed. “Don’t be like that, Satoru. You know that this is the last time she could ever experience a normal life. The least we can do is to let her enjoy herself before she has to merge with Tengen.”

The white-haired teen didn’t stop frowning.

Seeing his friend still being pouty, Suguru changed the topic. “Say, have you gotten any update from Ryou? It’s quite strange that he asked you to hire Mei Mei.”

Satoru crossed his arms. “He hasn’t said anything. I did try to message him, but he only said later.”

Ryou wasn’t someone who liked to ask for favors. The boy had always been independent and preferred to do things by himself. The fact that he asked Satoru for help sent alarms in his mind. Something big had to be happening. That was why he was so anxious. He would rather bring Amanai quickly to the Tombs of the Star so he could go and help his friends. Did that make him sound callous? Definitely, but he was never someone who cared that much about strangers. Sue him.

“Don’t be like that Satoru you should be more considerate and kind,” his inner Yuuji said.

“Try to act more mature sometimes,” his inner Ryou added.

Satoru scrunched his nose. Ugh. “Suguru, how are the cursed spirits you sent for surveillance?”

Since Amanai had refused to let them hang close, they could only rely on the cursed spirits under Suguru’s control. Although the teen could not share visions like Mei Mei’s crows, it should be enough to warn them about oncoming dangers. Welp. It seemed that things were getting interesting. As if summoned by his words, some unknown curse users had arrived and exorcised two of Suguru’s curses.

Although Satoru knew that he shouldn’t be happy about this, he couldn’t deny that fighting curse users was better than idling around. The three of them decided to part ways. While Suguru headed off to fight the curse users, Satoru and Kuroi separated to find Amanai. His feet brought him to the chapel, where he found the girl with her classmates. 

It wasn’t hard at all to charm his way out. His face had always managed to get him out of all sorts of trouble. There were only a handful of people who didn’t buy it at all. Ryou was the first one who didn’t buy it at all, but Yuuji also got used to it and was no longer affected by Satoru’s pleading look. What a shame. It had been quite fun to tease Ryou by making Yuuji believe it was his brother bullying Satoru when it was the other way around. Oh well. It didn’t take long for him to find other ways to bother Ryou.

Satoru ignored Amanai’s complaints as he dragged her out of the chapel. As he ran on the rooftops while holding the girl, he got a call from Suguru, who informed him about the situation. Thirty million bounty, huh? The white-haired teen wasn’t fazed at all as a group of enemies surrounded him on the rooftop. Shikigami? No, clones and all of them were real. Regular sorcerers might have some trouble fighting this curse user, but this guy was nothing for Satoru.

Although this enemy wasn’t even enough to make him sweat, the white-haired figured it might be a good chance of him unlocking Red. While he had mastered Blue, he still couldn’t grasp the Reverse Cursed Technique, no matter how hard he tried. Asking Shoko about it didn’t help either. The girl might be a genius Reverse Cursed Technique user, but she was a shit teacher. As he explained his technique to his enemy, Satoru felt his power increased. Okay. He could do this.

Pointing his hand at the opponent, the teen said, “Red.”

Flashes of images appeared in his mind. A cursed spirit with one eye blankly stared at him as he fired off the technique. A familiar black-haired man blocked Red with a cursed weapon.

Satoru could feel it. That built-up of power. Could he finally do it? His energy began to gather on the tips of his fingers, and then-!

Poof.

He failed.

Ugh.

Satoru immediately punched the guy and knocked him out. As if his mood wasn’t bad enough, it turned out that someone had managed to kidnap Kuroi. Now they had to go and save her. The best thing to do was to send Riko to Jujutsu High immediately while they used a body double. 

“I’m going to this exchange too!” Amanai protested as she stood up. “I still can’t trust you two!”

Satoru sent an incredulous look at the girl. “What? You still keep saying that after-”

“Even if you manage to save her!” the young teen cut in. “What if she isn’t back before I assimilate with Tengen? I haven’t… I haven’t even said goodbye to her…”

Although Satoru couldn’t see her face, it wasn’t hard to guess that the kid was crying. 

“Try to be more considerate and kind, Satoru,” his inner Yuuji repeated.

Satoru sighed.

So, they ended up going on a trip to Okinawa. It wasn’t hard to track and save Kuroi, and they (Satoru) figured it would be better to go to the beach. See Yuuji. He could be kind and considerate. Since he had to ensure everything would go smoothly, he had been using his cursed technique nonstop. After seeing the girl’s disappointed expression at having to return so soon, he even allowed them to go back to Tokyo tomorrow morning. See! He was really kind and considerate, Yuuji!

They didn’t just go to the beach that day. From kayaking to visiting touristy places, it was truly like going on a holiday. It would have been nicer if the others were here, too. As Satoru thought that, he was reminded of his childhood friends. While they waited for their food to come, he excused himself from the group so he could contact the older twin.

“Gojo,” Ryou replied.

Satoru said, “Yo! You haven’t called me at all after asking for money, I knew you only liked my money. I’m really hurt, Ryou.”

The other sighed deeply. “We’ve been busy. Though I suppose it’s time to give you updates. The Fushiguro family has likely been kidnapped.”

“Ha??” Satoru couldn’t believe that at all. While he didn’t like Toji, he knew the man was strong and could protect himself and the kids. Who would be strong and stupid enough to beat that man? Except for him, of course.

“Let me amend that. The kids have been kidnapped, while Toji has gone missing,” Ryou explained. “I suspect their goal is to force the man to work for them.”

Now, that sounded more plausible. “What do they want him for? Can’t they just hire him?” He knew the man was working as a freelancer, offering his service to various people.

Ryou didn’t answer for some time before he said, “They likely want him to kill the Star Plasma Vessel.”

That made Satoru stilled. “What?”

“There are not many people who can defeat you and Geto, but the best person who can accomplish that task is Toji. Since you two are somewhat amicable with each other, he would’ve rejected regular offer. So, they have to force him into the act. Thus, they have kidnapped the kids.”

Satoru laughed. This was ridiculous. They were going this far to take him down. “Really? How stupid can they be? There’s no way Toji can beat me.”

Ryou cut in, “Gojo, with your current power, Toji can defeat you. Also, I haven’t missed the pictures you sent, you have been going on a holiday in Okinawa, correct? I assume you have been using your cursed technique all this time. You will get exhausted once the trip ends.”

“Are you saying…” Satoru narrowed his eyes.

“They will likely order Toji to attack you once the bounty on the Star Plasma Vessel has been lifted,” Ryou replied.

“But we’ll be at Jujutsu High.”

“Toji can easily enter the area unnoticed because of his Heavenly Restriction. You have never seen him fight. I’m serious, Gojo. Don’t underestimate him. Although he will be an unwilling fighter, he is also a father. He will need to weigh between the life of his kids and his relationship with you. You know well which one will win out.”

Satoru closed his tired eyes. He suddenly felt even more exhausted than before. “What do you suggest then?”

“Keep acting like before,” Ryou replied. “They are definitely monitoring you, and there were still curse users hunting the vessel so you can’t let your guard down either. Just be prepared for a fight once you enter Jujutsu High. In the meantime, Yuuji and I will try to rescue the kids. If we can show Toji they are safe, then he won’t fight anymore. Just try to survive until then.” 

“Wow, you really don’t have that much faith on me, huh?” Satoru joked. 

“I’m simply being realistic,” Ryou said. “... Don’t die, Gojo.”

His friend ended the call, leaving Satoru to stare at the blue sea. What the hell? He would’ve to fight Toji, huh? Although he constantly picked a fight with the man, he had never imagined them entering a life-or-death battle. Despite his deep distaste, he had accepted the fact that Toji was Ryou’s friend. Fighting him was already a big no, much less killing him. The teen sighed in exhaustion.

This sucked.

Kenjaku smiled as he stared at the screen of his laptop. It showed pictures of a group of teens hanging out on the beach and other tourist spots. “How fun. They are enjoying themselves.”

Toji didn’t reply and kept a scowl on his face. After meeting the man, the other had confiscated his phone and ordered him to follow him. They were now waiting in a hotel room in Tokyo. On the one hand, he couldn’t contact Ryou. On the other hand, the teen would likely become suspicious. However, since the man couldn't do anything at this moment, he could only hope that the kid noticed something was off and did something. Hearing how Gojo and his group fell into Kenjaku's plan was pissing him off. Toji didn’t like the white-haired teen that much, but he knew Ryou would be pissed if he killed his childhood friend. 

“No need to get anxious, Fushiguro,” Kenjaku said. “You will soon play your role. Remember, attack Gojo Satoru immediately once you are near.”

Toji couldn’t help but retorted, “Che. What makes you think I’ll even listen to you? I’ll be deep in Jujutsu High. What is stopping me from telling them about your plan?”

Kenjaku kept smiling. “You can certainly try, but I’ll know immediately. Feel free to test me if you want.”

Toji scowled deeper at his self-assured expression. God fucking damn it. He wasn’t sure if it was merely a bluff or not, and he didn’t dare to test it.

This sucked.

Omake:

Satoru & Toji: This sucks.

Ryou: I fucking know.

Chapter Text

Although Ryou had quickly noticed the kidnappings of the two Fushiguro kids, it still took them a while to find out their locations. Whether it was Kenjaku himself or the people he hired, they were good at hiding their tracks. While Mei Mei managed to find a small trace of cursed energy, they almost failed to follow their track many times. They only figured out their true position during the final day when Gojo and Toji were supposed to fight. 

The two Fushiguro children were currently kept in an abandoned mansion in the middle of a forest. They were veils placed to hide this area from outsiders, and it had taken them a while to finally find a way to get inside. Yuuji fidgeted on his spot as they observed the area. Mei Mei had sent her several of her crows to investigate closer while still being hidden. 

"I believe there are several curse users inside the mansion," Mei Mei replied. "Most of them seem to be around Grade Two or One, but there is one individual who seems to be much stronger."

Ryou narrowed his eyes as he stood up from his crouched position. "I see. Well, it's not as if we can do anything else except attack them. Are you ready, Yuuji?"

The young twin put his fist on his other palm. "Yeah!"

Since they didn't want the kidnappers to have a chance of escaping, the three of them decided to storm the mansion from different directions. Ryou intentionally placed himself near the strongest enemy, allowing Yuuji and Mei Mei to be able to enter the building and face the curse users inside.

As expected, their opponent quickly noticed their presence. Shards of ice formed in the air and flew toward Ryou at high speed. If not for his Heavenly Restriction, he would not have been able to dodge it.

"Ryou!" Yuuji shouted when he noticed his brother being attacked.

"Keep going! I'll handle this!" Ryou replied and then leaped toward his opponent.

His katana was deflected by a sheet of ice as gold and dark pink eyes met. His enemy was a white-haired monk with a familiar face. Uraume. 

"Begone," the ancient incarnated sorcerer said.

Ryou evaded their attack and kicked the other away from the mansion. Uraume landed lightly near the forest, and the older twin stood before them. 

"Sorry, but I'll be your opponent," Ryou said.

Uraume frowned.

After struggling against the long, unwelcoming slumber, Megumi blearily woke up to find himself inside an unknown room. It took him several seconds to realize that he had been kidnapped. Instead of panicking, the boy calmly took in his surroundings. He was placed inside a rundown bedroom with his limbs being tied. Voices were coming from outside.

"We're being attacked," an unknown man said.

"What the fuck this place is supposed to be safe!" another person replied.

"Fuck! Grab the kids!" someone else exclaimed.

Megumi tensed as he anticipated his kidnappers to enter, yet he heard the door open somewhere else. There was silence for a second, and then a girl screamed, "Let go! Let me go!!! Help!!!"

Megumi's eyes widened at his sister's terrified screams. No. He had to save her. The boy struggled against his bindings as her sister became more terrified.

"Shut your mouth!" the kidnapper shouted. "You're lucky our employer wants you alive or else I would've killed you already!"

"Papa! Help!" Tsumiki cried out.

"I said shut up!!"

Megumi struggled even more desperately. Stop being so useless! Move Megumi! Why did you keep being the one needing to be saved?! Save your sister!

As the boy continued his attempt to escape, he began to feel something sparking inside him. It was dark, like tendrils of shadow.

At that moment, the kidnapper entered the room while dragging Tsumiki inside. When the girl saw her brother, she exclaimed, "Megumi!"

"I said keep your mouth shut!" The man hit the girl on the head harshly, causing her to choke out a scream. 

Megumi's eyes reddened in anger. How dare he?! His shadow began to lash out and attack the enemy as if responding to his anger. The curse user immediately dropped the girl to evade his attack.

"What the fuck?!" the man exclaimed. "You are supposed to be mundane!"

Megumi only growled and tried to attack the curse user again. Unfortunately, his shadow still failed to grasp his opponent, and the man got close enough to punch the boy in the temple.

The force sent Megumi crumpling to the ground.

"Geez! Both of you are so troublesome!" the man said. 

As he began to pick up the child, Megumi twisted his body so he could bite the other on the arm. It was disgusting. The taste of oil and sweat, but Megumi refused to let go and kept biting down.

"You damn mutt!" the curse user growled and used his other hand to grab the boy's neck. "I've been playing nice so far but you just have to act like this! Our employer never said we've to keep you in one piece! Only alive! Since you've been such a piece of shit, I'll teach you a lesson!"

The man tightened his hold and began choking Megumi. The boy struggled desperately, but his vision quickly became dark. Tears, snot, and saliva trickled out of the kids's orifices. Then, he finally succumbed back to unconsciousness.

.

.

.

"Get up."

Megumi blinked. Instead of losing consciousness, he stood inside a dark realm. Before him stood a teen with a similar appearance to him.

"How long are you going to stay down?" the teen asked. "You're going to let yourself be beaten by that weakling?"

The boy could only stare as the other crouched down to his level. His green eyes stared at him. "I've failed her once. I've failed everyone. You better not make the same mistakes."

Then, the teen reached out to place his hand on the boy's head. The kid's eyes widened as memories began to pour in—a life in another world, a life filled with regrets and despair, a life cut short.

Megumi wanted to puke. He remembered now. He remembered everything. However, before he could gather himself, his consciousness was tugged back to his body. The boy found himself being pulled by his scruff by the curse user.

"Fuck, I think I almost killed the kid," the man grumbled. "His fault for being such a menace."

Instead of punching the curse user, Megumi raised his hand and gestured. "Divine Dog."

A black-furred dog instantly arose from the shadow and leaped at the man. His summon sank his sharp rows of teeth into the enemy's torso, causing him to scream in pain. When Megumi was released from the man's hold, he immediately channeled his cursed energy into his fist to punch the man in the jaw. Since he was so small, the impact didn't deal much damage. Before the curse user could retaliate, Divine Dog released its hold in favor of swiping its sharp claws on the man's throat. Blood began to gush out from the open wound and the curse user's mouth. The man tried to cover his wound, but it was useless. 

"Y-you…" the curse user gurgled out.

Megumi stared coldly at his enemy before ordering his shikigami to chomp down on the man's head. After ensuring his opponent was dead, he turned to Tsumiki, who was unconscious. Luckily, she didn't seem to be hurt except for the head trauma she just got. Before he could form a plan to escape, another curse user showed up from the lower floor. 

"What the?!" The woman looked shocked to find their captives free and her friend dead. As the curse user pulled out a piece of seal to summon her shikigami, someone else barged in and attacked her from behind. 

CRACK!

The punch sent the woman flying and crashing to the wall. Before she could get up, the new person landed another punch on her stomach. The impact was so powerful that it caused the structure behind her to crack.

Megumi's eyes widened when he realized who had just saved him. "Itadori!!"

The teen blinked at the call, but he beamed when he realized the boy was safe. "Megumi! You're okay!"

Megumi frowned. That was strange. Itadori had always called him using his family name, but a part of him reminded him that the weirdo had always called him by his first name. After all, it would be strange and confusing to be called by his family name when his father was around. Father? Wait, since when did he have a father? Never. Always. The face of Fushiguro Toji flashed in his mind. Oh. That guy. 

While Megumi was busy parsing through his jumbled memories, Itadori had crouched down to check on Tsumiki. His expression became pinched when he saw her condition.

Itadori said, "I'm sorry I was slow. There were some curse users I had to beat first. But you guys are safe now."

Megumi allowed his friend to pick up his sister. The boy approached the other with a frown on his face. While he grasped Itadori's sleeve, he asked, "Itadori what the hell is going on?"

Itadori blinked. "Eh? Did you not remember being kidnapped?"

Not really but that wasn't what he was asking. How the hell did he end up here? This another world or timeline or whatever this was. He had been trapped by Sukuna inside his own body. Forced to become his flesh puppet as the curse murdered everyone he cared about. There was a big battle. Itadori was fighting. And then…

Megumi frowned. Did this Itadori even remember? Based on his other memories, he had met him a few months ago. How come the boy who was supposed to be his age was older than him?

"Megumi?" Itadori asked worriedly. "I'm sorry but we have to go now."

Megumi could only nod.

In Jujutsu High, Satoru and the group managed to arrive at their destination safely. Although they joked around, the two sorcerers were aware of what was at stake. Satoru already informed Suguru of what Ryou had discovered yesterday. They both agreed it was best to play along. Just as the group was done climbing the long set of stairs, Suguru exchanged some words with Amanai and Kuroi. Knowing well what could happen next, the white-haired teen lowered his Infinity. 

SLASH!

Satoru immediately dodged sideways. Although he had kept his senses sharp, he still couldn't keep up with Toji's speed. While the teen was able to avoid being stabbed through the chest, the sword still managed to slice his skin. 

"You sure are sharp, brat," Toji said with a smirk.

"Stupid old man," Satoru retorted.

Suguru immediately sent his large worm curse at the man. That thing would give them some time. Amanai and Kuroi were shocked at the assassination attempt, but Suguru shouted at them, "Follow me!"

Despite knowing she had to run, Amanai still shot a worried look at the white-haired teen. 

"Go, Amanai!" Satoru yelled while still keeping an eye on the curse that had swallowed Toji. "I'll handle this guy!"

"But-" Amanai replied. 

"You have to go!" Suguru grabbed her hand and forced her to follow him. As the three ran away, the black-haired teen exclaimed, "Don't die, Satoru!"

At that moment, Toji managed to break free from the curse by cutting it from the inside. There was a warm-like curse wrapped around his body while his hand was holding another sword. Ryou's words echoed in Satoru's head.

"Toji has an inventory curse where he keeps all of his weapons. That thing can consume parts of itself and make itself smaller. When he swallows that thing inside him, he'll remain untraceable despite holding many cursed tools."

"How disgusting," Satoru said. "Who knew you have a habit of eating live curses, old man?"

"What can I say? It's handy," Toji replied as he brandished his weapon. "It's nothing personal brat. I'm just here under orders."

Satoru stuck out his tongue. "I know. Just don't cry to Ryou when I beat you."

"I can say the same to you." 

The two grinned at each other and clashed.

Fighting Uraume was challenging for Ryou, who couldn't use his power. However, he had a lot of experience regarding the other's fighting skills and habits. Although the monk was considered a special grade, the young teen could still keep up with them. While their speed and technique were lethal, the teen could easily read their moves, allowing them to dodge their attacks.

To ensure Uraume wouldn't interfere with the rescue operation, Ryou had pushed the ancient sorcerer toward the forest. Using the trees as cover, the teen dodged numerous ice projectiles the monk shot at him. 

While Ryou calmly dealt with the situation, Uraume was quite conflicted. This young sorcerer was able to keep up with them despite not having any cursed technique. It would be one thing if it were just his speed. No. The boy was clearly reading their movements. It was as if he was very familiar with the way Uraume fought that he could anticipate their future attacks. It was impossible. Only one person could do such a thing without utilizing cursed techniques. 

Uraume frowned and asked, "Who are you?!"

"Oh? Are we finally introducing ourselves now?" the teen asked.

As the two held a temporary truce, they stared at each other. The boy tapped the blunt edge of his blade on his shoulder. "Hmm well I've been called many names, but I don't want to tell you. I believe it's the polite thing to do to introduce yourself first."

Uraume gritted their teeth. The insolence. Instead of replying, the monk blasted Frost Calm at their opponent. Unfortunately, the teen easily dodged the ice by leaping up into the three branches. 

Refusing to play along, the ancient sorcerer created a thin sheet of ice that cut through all the plants nearby. Despite suddenly losing his footing, the boy remained calm and avoided the shards of ice that Uraume rained down on him. He pointed his sword downward and tried to stab the monk from above.

BANG!

Uraume managed to dodge the attack and retaliated by sending point-blank Frost Calm at the teen. There was no way the kid could dodge that. However, as the cloud of frost dissipated, the monk saw nobody being trapped in their ice.

What?

Then Uraume felt a presence behind them. Before they could channel their cursed energy, a blade suddenly rested on their neck.

"I've always told you that your anger will lead you to your downfall, Uraume," the teen said.

The ancient sorcerer froze. Only one person had ever said that to them. "... Sukuna-sama?"

The teen only smirked and sheathed his katana. The ice around them immediately melted as Uraume lost all of their killing intent. The monk examined the boy with wide eyes. They had felt that the other looked rather similar to their master but that wasn't enough to convince them that this young teen was the reincarnation of their master. After what Kenjaku had done, the ancient sorcerer had almost lost all hope of ever meeting the King of Curses again. Yet here he was.

"Sukuna-sama! Forgive me, I-" Uraume began.

"That's enough." Sukuna waved his hand. "I was the one who didn't inform you in the first place. Tell me, are you still working with Kenjaku?"

Uraume bit their lip. "It's not out of my volition. Kenjaku, he-"

The monk's sentence was cut short as blood began to pool in their mouth. Sukuna narrowed his eyes as he watched his servant try to puke out the dark liquid.

"Did he do something to you?" Sukuna asked as he grasped the other's arm. 

Uraume could only weakly nod before their body stiffened. After wrenching their arm away from their master, they began to take several steps back.

"I've to go," Uraume said. "Forgive me, Sukuna-sama. I- be careful. Please."

Sukuna watched the monk run away. After sighing, he could only say, "How troublesome."

Yuuji was quite happy that he managed to save Megumi and Tsumiki. Although the two were quite hurt, it was nothing that medicine and time couldn't heal. However, he was still worried about his brother. 

Yuuji had encountered Uraume several times in his past life, and that person was strong. Although his brother was capable, the younger twin wasn't sure whether he could challenge a special grade. Luckily, his worry was unfounded since he quickly noticed his brother walking toward them when they exited the mansion. 

Mei Mei was holding the unconscious Tsumiki while Megumi stayed close to Yuuji. Yet, when the boy saw the approaching figure, he became tense as a board.

Before Yuuji could even greet his brother, Megumi had made a sign and summoned his loyal shikigami. Divine Dog leaped toward the older twin and tried to bite his neck. With a simple side step, the boy dodged the attack and used his sheathed sword to hit the summon on the head. 

When those sharp eyes landed on him, Megumi was overwhelmed with rage. "SUKUNA!!"

The boy tried to punch Ryou, but the other easily grabbed his hand and turned him upside down so he could hold him by his leg. Divine Dog tried to save its master, but the teen kicked him away and sat on him. Both the summoner and the shikigami struggled against their new captor.

"You bastard! Let me go!" Megumi shouted when the teen pulled him up so they could stare eye-to-eye.

Divine Dog growled and tried to bite the teen, but the other used his sheathed katana to pin its face to the ground.

"Megumi! Stop!" Yuuji shouted when he finally broke out of his surprise. He couldn't believe how aggressively the kid reacted to his brother. The boy was never fond of Ryou, but he had never attacked him like this. Also, when did Megumi master the Ten Shadows technique? As he watched the two fight, Yuuji started to have suspicions. Could it be?

Ryou clicked his tongue and threw Megumi at Yuuji, who easily caught the boy. "Call back your shikigami."

Megumi only growled.

Yuuji turned the boy around and forced him to look at him. “Megumi, no, Fushiguro, calm down. It's okay. Ryou is not going to hurt you."

Megumi stared at him uncomprehendingly. His breaths came out concerningly fast before it slowly slowed down as Yuuji continued to look at the boy. 

“... Itadori?” Megumi whispered.

Yuuji nodded. "I'm here too. It's okay. You are safe."

Megumi shot a glance at Ryou, who was still sitting on an angry Divine Dog. The shikigami tried to bite him again, but the other just used the end of his sheath to point the jaws away.

"That's Ryou, remember? My brother?" Yuuji said.

Megumi blinked. Brother? Oh yeah, Yuuji had a brother in this world. He had met them before with Gojo, too. The boy frowned when he remembered that his dead teacher was now alive and only a teenager.

Seeing the boy calming down, Yuuji smiled. "I'll explain more later, okay?"

Megumi nodded but still glared at Ryou, who returned it with a flat stare. Gesturing at the angry dog, the teen said, "Can you unsummon it?"

Megumi scrunched his nose at the order but still called back Divine Dog into his shadow. Ryou sighed as he stood up. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he pointed it at the group. “Mei Mei, bring Tsumiki closer.”

"Oh yeah, we have to tell Toji, right?" Yuuji said.

"Huh?" Megumi asked at the mention of his father.

Ryou took a quick photo and said, "Hopefully this will stop your father from killing Gojo."

What?

Fast. Toji was fast. That was the main thought that occupied Satoru's mind as he tried to locate the man. Since his opponent had no cursed energy, he could only rely on tracking the cursed spirit on him. Still, that wasn't enough. 

Satoru was lucky to be able to blast Toji away during his second attempt. The man had exchanged his long sword with a small blade. The Inverted Spear of Heaven.

"Toji will use that weapon to bypass your Infinity. Don't get hit, or you'll die."

'I know, Ryou!' Satoru quickly used maximum output Blue to destroy all the buildings around him. Too many distractions. Too many obstacles. Before he could try to locate the man, a wave of fly-heads suddenly showed up. Trying to distract him, huh? Well, that wouldn't work!

SLASH!

While Satoru looked toward the entrance to the Tomb of the Stars, Toji suddenly appeared beside him. Yet his strike missed when the teen dropped his body to the ground. He then blasted the man away with another Blue.

"Sorry! But I know you'll try to kill me first before going after Amanai!" Satoru shouted.

Despite being hit with Blue twice, Toji still managed to get up. "Ha! I see you have a brain in that skull of yours!"

Satoru immediately exorcised all the curses near him, while Toji opted to get close instead of going into hiding. The teen barely had the time to dodge the barrage of slashes. Although he could blast the man away with Blue again, he really needed to take away that weapon. As long as he kept it out of Toji's hold, then there was no way the man could harm him. Fully enhancing his body, he began to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the man.

It was tough.

Although Satoru hated to admit it, he had to accept that Toji was strong. While the boy preferred to hone his cursed technique, he had never slacked off at martial arts either. However, Toji had an edge over him in this aspect. It didn't take long before he was slowly being forced onto the defensive.

Brrr.

Feeling the vibration from his phone, Satoru immediately shot another Blue at the man. Despite being slammed into another wall, Toji laughed. "Seriously? This is getting old fast."

Satoru held up his hand and pulled out his phone. After unlocking the device, he stared at it for a second before throwing it at the man. "Look at that."

Toji took the phone despite knowing the risk that it might be a distraction. Thankfully, it wasn't. On the screen was the photo of Megumi standing beside a grinning Yuuji while Tsumiki was asleep in the hold of a female sorcerer.

"Heh, seems like I've lost." Toji immediately dropped the Inverted Spear of Heaven and raised his hands.

"Ugh, finally. I'm so tired." Satoru rubbed his eyes as he stopped the use of his cursed technique. He needed a nap.

Suguru sent a worried glance backward. While Kuroi waited near the elevator, the sorcerer and Amanai walked further toward the Tombs of the Star. He hoped that Satoru could handle the assassin. It would be one thing if the man was a stranger, but based on his knowledge, Satoru knew that person. Being forced to fight your friend because someone was threatening to hurt your children. How horrible.

The two stopped near the edge as they examined the massive structures below them. It wasn't hard to see that Amanai was reluctant. Even though she put up a brave face, the girl still wanted to live her life as a regular person. Suguru and Satoru had talked about this before. That they would offer her a chance to choose. Whether to shoulder the burden of the Star Plasma Vessel or to leave and live her own life.

"No matter what you decide we promise we'll protect your future," Suguru said.

Satoru was the one who brought up the idea. Perhaps the teen was reminded of Yuuji's situation when he thought of Amanai's fate. Both were vessels, and both were given unjust fates. One was destined to die by execution, and the other was fated to die by assimilation. It was too cruel. How could they stand idle when they saw such a thing? Wasn't it the sorcerers' duty to protect those who were weak?

And so, with tear filled eyes, Amanai accepted his offer. Suguru only smiled as he took her hand and together, they headed back toward the elevator. However as they walked through the tunnel they encountered a miko holding a broom. Ah it had to be one of the priests assigned to maintain this place. It wouldn't do for the area around the Tombs of the Star to be filled with dust and cobwebs. 

The woman blinked when they saw the two people. "Um… isn't this miss the Star Plasma Vessel? Shouldn't she be heading toward Tengen-sama?"

Suguru smiled warmly. "Ah. I'm sorry but Tengen-sama has postponed the merger so I'll be taking Amanai back for now."

It was a feeble lie but hopefully the miko would buy it. As expected, the woman only nodded and continued her path. Just as Suguru turned to walk forward, he heard Amanai gasped in surprise.

The teen immediately turned around to see the miko stabbing the girl with a blade. It was reeking with powerful cursed energy.

No.

Blood began to pour out of Amanai's mouth. 

No.

Suguru immediately sent one of his cursed spirits to take down the enemy and check on the girl. Amanai was stabbed straight in her heart. Her blue eyes had become dull as she stared at him.

No.

Instead of fighting, the woman laughed as she began to clap. "For Tengen-sama! I've vanquished the evil and taint from this world! May Tengen-sama live forever. Pure and untouched! Ahahahahahahaha!"

Omake:

Kenjaku: *Smiles* Everything is going as planned.

Chapter Text

Shoko breathed out deeply as she exited the operating room. Both Satoru and Suguru immediately looked up at her. The two had been waiting in the corridor outside while their friend performed an emergency healing on Amanai before she could be taken to the hospital. Although they didn't say a word, their tired faces silently exclaimed their question.

"Well, good news is she's not dead," Shoko said. The great tension in the two teens lessened at those words.

"Bad news?" Suguru asked as he rubbed his eyes because there had to be bad news.

"She won't ever wake up," Shoko replied.

"What?!" Satoru stood up from his slouched sitting position.

Shoko really wanted a smoke, but she ended up only palming the box of cigarettes in her pocket. "It's already a miracle that she's alive but the cursed tool that hit her is rather tricky. I'm not sure what it does but it is preventing her from fully recovering."

Suguru bit his lip. It was an unregistered special-grade cursed weapon. Nobody knew what it did but it had done great damage to Amanai. Although he managed to bring her to Shoko, he had not been sure the girl could survive. 

"It's my fault," Suguru said as he covered his eyes. "I let my guard down, and Amanai paid for it."

"It's not, and you know it!" Satoru growled. "It's the work of that bastard who forced Toji to fight me! If you want to blame yourself then you should blame me too for not beating him faster!"

Suguru didn't reply and only breathed out silently. Clenching his fists, the white-haired boy prepared himself to go on a rant and ensured his friend stopped having those ridiculous thoughts. Yet before he could open his mouth, a sorcerer arrived to interrupt them.

"Gojo-san," the man said. The three students turned toward the adult. They knew this person; it was one of the regular sorcerers assigned at the central. "Tengen-sama has summoned you. Please enter the Tombs of the Star Corridor immediately."

"Ha?!" Satoru made an incredulous look as the other teens exchanged confused glances.

Satoru was fucking tired, and making his way back to the Tombs of the Star Corridor was not anywhere on his to-do list, but he still had to go there because the old tree wanted to speak with him. Not that anyone knew why. Apparently, Tengen had refused to meet anyone for a long ass time, and only Satoru had been personally invited. Yay, him. 

After stepping out of the elevator, the white-haired boy tried to ignore the pool of blood that had tainted the stone floor on his left. With a confident stride, he walked down the staircase and entered the inner sanctuary where Tengen resided. The temperature here was cold due to being underground, but it could not drive back the sleepiness that plagued his eyes. When he stepped out of the tunnel, he was greeted by a blank white space. Satoru frowned.

"Welcome, Gojo Satoru," a serene voice said from behind him.

The white-haired boy turned around to see a strange figure. The person looked humanoid yet their head was not shaped like humans and more akin to the bottom trunk of a tree. They also had four eyes and wore a simple white robe.

"Tengen?" Satoru muttered. "Why does your face look like a thumb?"

Instead of getting angry, the ancient sorcerer laughed at his words. "Is that so? You're not the first to comment like that."

Satoru narrowed his eyes. He really wasn't sure what he should expect from this person. Tengen had been an aloof figure who didn't meddle with the outside world. Only when the merger approached did they start to become more active. Yet they now wished to speak with him. Although the Six Eyes were powerful, this ancient figure had certainly met many great sorcerers during their long life. If one would attempt to look from their point of view, Satoru would not be a significant individual in their eyes.

"Why are you calling me here?" Satoru asked. "Are you going to punish me for failing to bring you your vessel? Too bad, I wasn't planning on giving you Amanai. She doesn't want to be trapped underground forever!"

Tengen remained calm despite the boy's harsh words. "I'm well aware of Amanai Riko's desire to refuse the merger. In fact, I've never intended to assimilate with her in the first place."

"What?" Satoru blinked. "Then why the hell did we get that mission?!"

"As you may have known, the merger should've occurred last year, but when the time arrived I informed the current Jujutsu elders of my desire not to merge with the new vessel," Tengen explained. "It seems they do not share my belief and try to force it to happen regardless. A foolish notion, though, I can understand their fears."

"So this whole thing is those geezers' fault?!" Satoru clenched his fists in anger. Of fucking course, those old men had to mess something up. If they hadn't forced the merger to occur and followed Tengen's wish, then Amanai's identity as a Star Plasma Vessel could likely remain hidden! 

Instead of allowing the teen to stew in his anger, the ancient sorcerer continued, "That's not the only thing I wish to inform you about. The person behind this incident and the one whose aim is to kill the Star Plasma Vessel is someone that I know quite well."

Satoru frowned. "Aren't you supposed to be old as shit?"

"That is true, yet this person has a useful cursed technique that allows them to hop between bodies," Tengen replied. "As long as they can find a new one, they can remain alive for a long time."

Satoru barked out a harsh laugh. "Are you saying that we were dragged into an old couple's fight?"

Tengen shook their head. "While we have known each other for many years, we do not share such a friendly relationship. They merely wish to use me to fulfill their goal. That is all."

"So what? You want me to hunt down this guy?" Satoru asked. Although he didn't like being used like an attack dog, he couldn't deny that he wanted to find and teach this old person a lesson. What they did to Amanai and Suguru was unforgivable.

"No, with your current state, it would not be wise for you to challenge them," Tengen replied. "You are too weak, Gojo Satoru."

Satoru wanted to laugh. Him? Weak? He had been called many things but weak wasn't one of them. He might not have fully mastered his curses technique, but he could beat everyone! Well, almost everyone. Toji's annoying face flashed in his mind. Although he hated the man, he had to admit that the other was strong. Besides having their fight cut short, his opponent had also held back a bit, allowing him to avoid many of his attacks in the last seconds.

"So you're letting that guy go?" Satoru gritted out. "Just like that?"

"For now," Tengen said. "I doubt they will move again anytime soon. It would be best for you to focus on getting stronger. After all, you've yet to remember."

"What?" Satoru frowned. First, he was called weak, but now Tengen told him his memory was bad. The nerve! He had a near-perfect memory! 

Tengen seemed to read his thoughts but only smiled. "You may not understand yet, but you will. It will return to you eventually. When that happens, come to me, and we shall speak. Until then, be careful."

Then, the ancient sorcerer disappeared from Satoru's sight. The boy wasn't shocked. He knew the figure he was facing was merely a projection. "What kind of ambiguous bullshit is that?!"

Not receiving any answers, the teen could only turn around and make his way toward the exit. Just before he stepped out, the serene voice spoke again, "Oh, and remember to hold your precious people close. It would be a shame should one fall into the darkness."

Having enough of the cryptic words, Satoru didn't respond and continued to storm out of the main shrine. He was already thinking of ranting at his friends, but the same sorcerer showed up again before him.

"Forgive me for another interruption, Gojo-san," the man said with a bow. "But the elders have summoned you."

Again? Why the hell did old men want to see him so much today?!

Satoru had half considered blasting Blue at those geezers, but his inner Ryou sent him a scathing look that made him refrain. In the end, he could only sulkily follow the sorcerer who led him toward the meeting chamber. The elders had situated themselves in their usual spots. The small candles placed around the room barely lit up the chamber. Those lights were not put there to help visitors see but more to make the higher-ups look imposing. Well, they certainly needed it, considering that most of them were so rickety and old that Satoru could take them down with a mere flick of his finger.

"What?" Satoru demanded as he shoved his hands into his pocket. 

"Gojo Satoru, you have grown more unruly as time passes," an elder rebuked.

Satoru slouched his posture to show them how much he cared about their shitty opinion. "Get to the point. I want to sleep instead of seeing your ugly faces."

Many of the elders began to show signs of anger, but one remained calm to say, "You've just spoken with Tengen, tell us what they have told you."

Satoru narrowed his eyes. There was no way he would be truthful to these geezers. He might not fully understand the vague warnings the ancient sorcerer had said, but he knew it was meant for him only. "Nothing much. I do have a question though. Tengen said they have refused the merger with the Star Plasma Vessel, so why did you still send us to get Amanai?"

An elder replied, "We're merely trying to aid the ancient one, forgoing the assimilation with a new vessel is a risky action." 

"No one knows what could occur should Tengen evolve beyond humanity," another added.

"Oh so it's just you guys acting all high and mighty," Satoru said. "The audacity of claiming to understand more than someone who has been the bedrock of the Jujutsu world. Idiots!"

"Gojo Satoru! You should remember your place!" a higher-up exclaimed in anger.

"Even if you are going to be the next head of the Gojo clan, that doesn't absolve you of propriety!"

"You must learn to respect your elders, child!"

Satoru only jabbed his pinky into his ear. "Blah blah blah. Are you guys done yapping? Just so you know, Tengen is doing fine and dandy without their vessel. They look a bit weird, but everyone becomes ugly when they get old." The boy smirked. "Except me, of course."

"Gojo Satoru!"

The teen waved his hand lazily as he turned around. "That's my name, don't wear it down. If we're done here, I'm leaving."

Ignoring the angry shouts, Satoru headed for the exit. Yet he stopped as his hand touched the door and said, "Also, this is my final warning. You guys have been acting stupid all this time. Amanai getting hurt is already bad enough. If you try to test my patience again, don't blame me for retaliating."

With that warning, the teen left the meeting chamber and headed toward the dormitory. He could hear the screams of outrage from those old fools. Ah, what a sweet lullaby.

When Toji was released from his detainment, he was greeted by a group of people. "Well isn't this quite a welcoming party?"

Before the man stood the Itadori twins and the two kids. Tsumiki immediately ran to hug Toji, but Megumi only glared as he stood beside Yuuji. The man patted the girl's head but shot a look at his son. "You don't miss your old man?"

"If you hadn't been so incompetent, we wouldn't have been dragged into this problem in the first place," Megumi shot back.

"Che, ungrateful brat." Toji approached the kid to harshly rub his palm on his spiky hair. 

Megumi squawked in indignation and tried to push him away, but the man refused to stop. In the end, the boy could only scream angrily as his sister laughed.

"I'm surprised you let yourself get captured," Ryou commented.

Toji finally stopped messing with his kid and replied, "Dunno, maybe I felt bad. They did confiscate the Inverted Spear of Heaven, though."

Ryou frowned. "Isn't that bad?"

The man shrugged as he ignored Megumi's harsh stomps on his foot. "Nah, I never use that thing much. Anyway, Gojo didn't tattle about my cursed spirit so I still have my other tools."

"And he also helped you get out quickly," Ryou pointed out. "Or else you would've been stuck there for a long time."

"What? You want me to say thanks to that brat?" Toji asked while flicking the small boy's forehead when he tried to bite his father's arm.

Yuuji finally intervened and grabbed Megumi's arms. "Calm down, Megumi."

"Let me go, Yuuji! Someone has to teach this useless old man a lesson!" the boy growled.

"Aiya, look who doesn't get enough naps here," Toji mocked.

Megumi's face became red. Before he could lunge at his father, Yuuji picked up his friend and held him tight.

Yuuji said in exasperation, "Toji, stop messing with your kid."

Toji only shrugged again but didn't look repentant. You ignored the angry small boy and asked, "Are you heading home now?"

"I plan to, but I figured I need to see that girl first," Toji replied.

He didn't need to elaborate more. Amanai Riko. The girl had been moved to a secure hospital after being healed by Shoko. Although the teen was young, she was already one of the best Reverse Cursed Technique users in the modern era. Even if they had sent the girl to a hospital, regular doctors wouldn't be able to deal with wounds caused by a cursed tool.

You sent a thoughtful look at the man but didn't comment on this strangely considerate action. "I see. We're planning on visiting Amanai too. You can accompany us if you want."

Although they offered to bring the kids back first, the two children insisted on following. While they didn't understand what was going on, they seemed to know that Amanai had a connection to their kidnapping. When they arrived at Amanai's hospital room, they met with Kuroi, who was sitting silently beside her comatose charge.

The woman's eyes widened when she saw Toji, but the man quickly raised his hands to show that he meant no harm. "Sorry about before."

Kuroi nodded and looked down. "Geto-san has explained the situation to me. It's not your fault since you were forced to attack Gojo-san."

After receiving the unspoken permission, the group entered the hospital room and stood beside the bed where Amanai was sleeping. An oxygen mask was placed on her face while her visage remained weak and pale. The girl who had been so active and happy in those photos now looked on the edge of death.

"How's her condition?" Ryou asked. He had received a short explanation from Gojo, but he wanted to hear more from someone who would likely know more.

"Ieiri-san said that she has done her best to heal Riko," Kuroi explained. "But there still remains one small open wound that refuses to close no matter what. It reeked with cursed energy. Even though nobody understands what's going on, we suspect that this is the effect of the unregistered cursed tool. Whatever it is, it's keeping Riko in a comatose state."

"I see," Ryou muttered. Although he could see cursed energy with his glasses, his sight was nowhere near as sharp as it originally was. So, he had to rely on his knowledge. While he had never encountered this blade before, he could guess that it likely had an effect on souls. That was the only reason why Amanai refused to wake up despite her body being mostly healed. 

"What about the merger then?" Toji asked. 

Kuroi shook her head. "Tengen-sama has refused the merger, and even the elders have agreed. They… they do not know what will happen should Tengen-sama assimilate with Riko in her current condition.

Those higher-ups were likely considering Amanai to be a broken and unfit vessel. It would be better to wait for another Star Plasma Vessel to show up instead of forcing a merger with the girl. After all, Tengen's condition seemed stable, so there was no need to take risky actions. It was a ruthless but logical decision.

Yuuji tightened his fists. The boy had never liked seeing anyone in pain. Seeing a young girl being another victim of Kenjaku's plan had to be hurting him from the inside. "Is there no chance of her recovering?"

Kuroi lowered her head. "... No one is optimistic about Riko's condition. They said… they said I should be prepared for her to never wake up again."

Ryou closed his eyes. As long as her soul remained hurt, she would never have a chance of regaining her consciousness. The Reverse Cursed Technique was powerful, but even it couldn't do such a feat. Nobody spoke for a long time.

Kenjaku hummed as he finally finished reading the report of the last mission. He was currently staying inside one of his established hideouts. Everything went as planned. Amanai Riko was still alive, albeit in comatose. That was within his expectations. After all, the Star Plasma Vessels were protected by fate. If he were to kill one as a babe, another would pop up not long after. The only person who could stop the merger was someone unbound by fate like Fushiguro Toji.

Of course, it would be best if the man could assassinate the girl for him, but that would be unlikely. The ex-Zen'in had come to know the Six Eyes. Forcing those two to fight was already troublesome enough. He knew that the chance of Toji killing the vessel was low. Thus, he had assigned a member of the Star Religious Group to infiltrate Jujutsu High.

Kenjaku had given her a special cursed tool he had made himself. Its ability was to create a festering wound on the victim's soul, rendering them comatose. With the Six Eyes engaging in a dangerous fight with the Heavenly Restricted man, he would not notice the Miko entering the Tombs of the Star Corridor. The curse user had also placed several seals that would lower its presence. As long as the woman stayed away from Gojo, nobody would notice the blade until it was unsheathed. And so, Amanai Riko fell.

Frankly, this whole operation had not been that necessary. Kenjaku had suspected that Tengen had been refusing the merger. If his old friend was not also fighting against fate, he doubted his plan would succeed. 

Hmm. Based on the info his spy had given him, it seemed that Tengen had also evolved further. How nice. But that wasn't the main thing that caught his attention. No. Tengen had been stuck in the past and playing the same song and dance for many centuries. Yet now, they started to change. It seemed even an old dog could learn a new trick.

Not only that…

"So, care to share what you've discovered, Uraume?" Kenjaku asked the monk who had just returned from their mission.

The ancient sorcerer gritted their teeth. "You planned this. Why else would you order me to guard those kids?"

Kenjaku smiled. "Why are you so angry? I'm just trying to help you here. Have you met Sukuna?"

Uraume's hands twitched. It was obvious the monk wanted to attack, yet their body refused to allow them. 

"Come on," Kenjaku said in a coaxing manner. "You know you can't lie to me. I order you to tell me what you have found."

The words that came out of Uraume's mouth were harsh as if they were forcefully dragged from within. "Sukuna-sama… he has been reincarnated as Itadori Ryou."

Kenjaku hummed. He had suspected as much. It was only now that he confirmed it. Sending Uraume to confront the twins had been one of his primary goals. After all, the monk was the closest person to the King of Curses, so they could reliably confirm his suspicions. The Itadori twins and the Sukuna's vessel. Only someone related to the King of Curses could handle his power. At first, he had assumed it was Yuuji, but then he scrapped that idea since the boy was too bright and kind. No, his brother was more likely. That sharp, knowing eyes that always pierced your souls. Kenjaku had only encountered that once. 

Hmmm. Perhaps they would be having a reunion soon.

With Satoru being absolutely exhausted, the task of cleaning everything up fell on Suguru. Not that he minded. He needed to do something useful right now. After exorcizing the fly heads that had infested Jujutsu High, he went to confront the Star Religious Group. 

It was there that he faced the ugly facets of the weak. It wasn't hard to figure out the woman who attacked Amanai belonged to that group. Tracking their bases was even easier. As he faced their members, he couldn't help but ask. Why did you do that? Why did you hurt her? Did you not understand that we were here to protect you? Yet they were deaf to his pleas and questions. Too blinded by their own weaknesses and ignorance. 

In the end, Suguru's effort was for nothing. They were non-sorcerers, and there was nothing they could do about it. It didn't matter, even if they had hurt Amanai. It didn't matter at all. After all, it was sorcerers' duty to protect those who were weak, and they were included in that.

Why?

That question haunted Suguru. There was nothing he could do except return to his life as a sorcerer. To continue to fight against the endless stream of curses. To continue swallow the disgusting condensed orbs.

For what?

Things had gotten very busy after that mission. Perhaps Satoru had pissed off the higher-ups again. That was why they assigned them so much work. And so days passed, filled with nothing but more missions. Exorcising and consuming. Over and over and over again.

To what end?

Suguru found himself staring at the blank wall of his shower. This was one of the rare moments where he could rest. As he gazed blankly at the tile, his mind wandered to an old conversation he had had with another special-grade sorcerer, Tsukumo Yuki. He hadn't taken it seriously at first. That woman wanted to erase all curses, and according to her, there were two ways. The first was to remove cursed energy, and the second was to have everyone be able to control cursed energy. The second method could be accomplished by either turning everyone into sorcerers or eliminating all non-sorcerers.

Of course, he had laughed back then. Who would do such a horrible thing? After all, sorcerers had to protect mundane people. It was their duty. Yet now he couldn't help but ask back. Why should they? Was that fair? Was it fair for them to endlessly sacrifice themselves for those people? Was it fair for Amanai to be trapped in a coma forever? Did he have to continue to consume and suffer for them?

A strange memory flashed in his head. It was a group of people clapping. Their faces were so happy, yet he knew they had committed a terrible sin. That woman's deranged laugh echoed back and harmonized with their claps.

A word began to repeat as their disgusting smiling faces swirled in his mind. 'Monkeys.' Then a wave of hatred flew into him, replacing the numbness in his heart with fiery anger.

"Monkeys," Suguru gritted out.

Omake:

Satoru: What the fuck is going on?!

Ryou, Tengen, & Kenjaku: *Playing 3D chess against each other*

Chapter Text

Megumi wasn’t quite sure how he should feel about this new world. On the one hand, his sister was alive and well. In fact, many people were still alive since all those horrible events had not yet occurred. While he had not seen Gojo again, his memory had confirmed that he had met his teacher, who was now still a teen enrolling in Jujutsu High. 

There was also his… father. Seeing Toji's face made him feel complicated. He remembered his teen self fighting the man after he had been revived using a cursed technique. Back then, he had questioned why that person killed himself after asking his name. The answer was clear. Toji was his father, whom he did not know or care about in his first life. Yet that no-good father was different in this second life. He could not remember the time when he didn’t see that annoying face. Since his mother also died tragically early in this world, Toji had to become a single father. He was certainly not the model figure of a father, but at least he was there for Megumi this time. Not that he was sure whether he should feel grateful or not.

All things considered, Megumi’s life was much better this time. He still met Tsumiki, and he had a father even though he could be unreliable. They also didn’t live on the edge of poverty since the man seemed to have a decent income. He knew he should be grateful for the second chance, but he still couldn’t help but feel unease. Nothing in life ever came this easy. He felt that something terrible was about to happen. Yet, since he was only a kid, there was not much he could do. Sure, he could use his cursed technique, but his cursed energy output and reserve were severely limited. At most, he could maybe fight a semi-grade two curse. 

The only person who could provide more information was Yuuji. Unfortunately, they couldn’t speak with each other after the teen rescued the two kids. That suspicious twin brother of Yuuji was always nearby, preventing the boy from asking important questions. Then, Toji took them back home and he lost contact with Yuuji. It was only several days later when the twins came to visit them at their home. 

Megumi perked up from his spot when he heard the familiar voice coming from outside. However, his expression quickly soured when he saw Ryou’s face. The older teen only glanced at him before looking at Toji, who was lazing on the couch. 

“We need to talk,” Ryou said.

Toji raised an eyebrow in interest and got up to approach the teen. Megumi narrowed his eyes. What the hell those two could be talking about that couldn’t be said in front of them? While he was very suspicious, he couldn't deny that this was the perfect chance to talk with Yuuji. Tsumiki was taking a nap right now, so the two of them could speak comfortably. The teen seemed to have the same idea since he quickly sat down near the boy. 

“Megumi- I mean, Fushiguro,” Yuuji began.

“Megumi is fine,” the boy replied. If the teen started to address him differently, it would bring unnecessary suspicions to them. “So are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?”

The teen scratched his cheek. “It’s not as if I know better than you. I regained my memories last year after I consumed Sukuna’s Finger.”

Megumi pursed his lips at that name. Sukuna. That monster. “But isn’t Ryou supposed to be him?”

“Ah, I mean he is, but he’s also not?” Yuuji mumbled.

The boy shot a dry look at his friend. “I believe this should be a yes or no situation.”

“I mean, Satoru and I agreed that Ryou is Sukuna’s reincarnation, but they are not similar at all you know,” Yuuji said.

“Satoru? Gojo-sensei?” Megumi asked. “Wait, did he remember too?”

The teen shook his head. “No. I don’t think so. I was suspicious at first but it doesn’t seem to be the case. He’s just very perceptive because of the Six Eyes, and he told me that he felt a similar aura from Sukuna’s Finger in Ryou. That’s how he put the two together.”

That made sense. Although their teacher was extremely unreliable and unserious, he was also a genius blessed with many talents. “What did he do then?”

“Uh… nothing? He said he doesn’t care.” 

“What?” Megumi felt his eye twitched.

Yuuji laughed nervously before answering, “He doesn’t care? He said that Ryou is his friend so it doesn’t matter to him?”

Oh. Good. It seemed that no matter the world, that useless white-haired idiot would always be an unreliable bastard. Megumi almost wanted to scream out his frustration, but he only took several deep breaths to calm himself down.

Yuuji waited patiently while his friend gathered himself. “Ryou isn’t bad, you know.”

“Yuuji. I can understand why that idiot is saying that, but you should know better,” Megumi gritted out. Had this idiot forgotten the pain and suffering that curse had brought onto him? He could still remember the day when Sukuna ripped Yuuji’s heart from his chest in front of him. He already felt hurt seeing it, much less Yuuji, who had to experience it himself. Then, there was the Shibuya incident, where the teen was forced to watch the curse kill many people using his own body. There were also those crimes he had committed while using Megumi’s body. He hated that curse. How could his friend accept being a twin with a reincarnation of the King of Curses? Sure, the two might not be the same Sukuna, but the curse would always be the same. Cruel and vicious.

Instead of replying immediately, Yuuji went silent. After several seconds, he said, “I get what you are saying Megumi, but Ryou isn’t Sukuna.”

“You-!” Megumi wanted to berate his friend, but the other kept his gaze steady.

“When I remembered that other life, I distanced myself from Ryou,” Yuuji said. “We didn’t speak for a long time. I was struggling with my memories, and I couldn’t look at Ryou without seeing Sukuna. It was strange. He was my brother, but he was also the curse that tortured me. I couldn’t comprehend it. It was Satoru that snapped me out of it. Ah, have I told you that we were childhood friends in this life? Our first meeting was quite funny. Satoru was the one who caught and followed Ryou for several days. He ended up cornering us at a park, where Ryou beat him in a short fight. You should’ve seen his wide eyes at being beaten so soundly.”

Megumi kept silent. He couldn’t understand the connection between Gojo being an idiot and the matter regarding Sukuna. Well, he had to admit that he wanted to see that guy being humiliated at least once. Served him right. 

Yuuji smiled as if he could read the question in his friend’s head. “Ryou and I are twins so we spent a lot of time together. Do you know how long I’ve spent being the vessel for Sukuna in our previous life?”

Megumi furrowed his brows. “Several months.”

The teen nodded. “Yeah, so for each month of memories, I have of that period, I have around three years' worth of memories of Ryou being my brother. It took some time, but I eventually saw Ryou as my brother and not Sukuna. You haven’t been around him much, but Megumi… they aren’t the same at all, okay? I don’t think Sukuna could stomach pretending to be a caring brother this long. If Ryou were the same as Sukuna, he would’ve tried to kill me during childhood.”

The boy was still unsure about all of this. Even if Ryou was a human reincarnation of Sukuna, he still couldn’t trust him especially because Gojo had confirmed that there were remnants of the King of Curses that stuck with the teen. Who knew if there wouldn’t come a day when he regained his memories and power?

Seeing Megumi’s doubt, Yuuji gave another smile. “It’s fine. It was hard for me too. Just try to spend more time with Ryou, you’ll see what I mean.”

The boy scrunched his nose in distaste. The prospect of spending any amount of time with the reincarnation of Sukuna didn’t appeal to him in the slightest. “Anyway, let’s drop that topic for now. Do you know how we ended up here?”

The teen shrugged. “No clue. I tried to research about time traveling but no luck.”

“What? Are we supposed to assume that we just got thrown into this world by a random chance?” Megumi doubted that very much.

Yuuji sighed. “Well, I don’t know either. You’ve always been smarter than me Megumi. What do you think?”

The boy could only cross his arms. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any idea too. His last memory was Yuuji fighting Sukuna in Shinjuku. It was a long and horrible battle. The King of Curses proved to the world that there was a reason why he claimed that title. Even Gojo Satoru, the strongest sorcerer of the modern era, fell before him.

Before they could continue their conversation, Toji and Ryou had returned from outside. Megumi and Yuuji immediately pipped down. Megumi’s father smirked when he saw how close the two were sitting, “Well, look who’s being buddy-buddy with each other. Do you have a new friend now? I thought you hated everyone?”

The boy shot a disgusted look at the man. “Shut up.”

Placing a hand on his ear, Toji leaned down toward his son. “What’s that? I thought I remembered how you called the kid a weirdo after you met him the first time. What? Are you no longer angry that I sent your baby pictures to them?”

Megumi froze at that reminder. Oh right. Toji had known the twins and Gojo for a long time in this world. He still didn’t get how an adult befriended kids much younger than himself, but Toji was always a questionable individual. He made a lot of bad decisions, such as sending baby pictures to people he shouldn’t!

“You bastard,” Megumi growled. He knew he shouldn’t be so mad and that he had better control of himself. Unfortunately, his current body was that of a child, and emotional regulation was not that well developed yet.

“Ah?” Toji gave a condescending smirk.

Instead of dealing with his useless father, Megumi turned to Yuuji. “You! You better not have any pictures of me on your phone!”

“What? But I don’t want to delete them!” Yuuji protested. “You’re cute as a baby! I mean- you’re still cute now too!”

“I’m not cute!” the boy shouted. He lunged at his friend as he tried to pull out the phone from his pocket. Sadly, he was too slow and too short, and Yuuji easily got out of his reach.

“No! I refuse!” Yuuji replied as he covered the pocket holding his phone.

“Yuuji! You better give me that thing!” Megumi said threateningly.

“It’s fine, Yuuji,” Ryou cut in. “Even if he were to delete them, I could send you more.”

Megumi shot a deadly look at the older teen, who only smirked back. Toji chuckled as he returned to his usual position on the sofa. The boy swore, “I’ll kill all of you when I’m an adult.”

“Sure, I’ll wait for that day,” Toji said, not taking the threat seriously at all.

Satoru noticed a worrying trend connected to Suguru. It started as something harmless. The teen would often stare off into space, and it took several calls before he would respond. Then, there was that dark eyebags that had started to develop. Satoru tried to offer to take some of the other teen’s missions, but Suguru rejected. The white-haired teen couldn’t understand. His friend was slowly distancing himself from him. It was nothing as severe as the fallout between Yuuji and Ryou, but Satoru noticed it nonetheless. He didn’t like it.

"Oh, and remember to hold your precious people close. It would be a shame should one fall into the darkness."

Tengen’s warning rang in his mind. Satoru didn’t understand why he felt that the ancient sorcerer was talking about Suguru, but he was sure of it. Something deep within him was urging him to reach out and stop his friend from going farther away. Something bad was going to happen. 

Satoru was never someone who liked to hesitate. Having enough of the silent treatment, he cornered Suguru during one afternoon. The two of them didn’t have any mission that day, which was rare. Before the black-haired teen could squirreled away, he blocked the other’s path and said, “Let’s go somewhere.”

Suguru stared blankly at him for a second before asking, “Where?”

Satoru shrugged. “Outside. I’m sick of staying here. Let’s go to the city or something.”

The black-haired teen looked like he wanted to protest, but Satoru already pulled him away. Although being a special grade was annoying since he had to listen to those elders ordering him around, it still had a few perks. For instance, they had a special driver they could order around. Unlike Yuuji, who was monitored closely, Satoru and Suguru could leave Jujutsu High without reporting. As long as they didn’t go missing for too long, the higher-ups wouldn’t make a fuss.

There was no exact destination in Satoru’s mind, so they ended up visiting a shopping district where he liked to buy many sweets. Suguru followed silently behind him and only answered when directly asked. Sighing internally, the white-haired teen decided to make them stop at an empty corner in the park. 

After a stretch of silence, it was Satoru who started the conversation. “I thought I was the one who was supposed to be bad with emotions.”

Suguru made a questioning noise.

“You’ve been shutting me out,” Satoru said. “Why?”

Neither of them spoke for a long time. Suguru kept staring into the sky before he said, “It’s nothing.”

The white-haired teen breathed out deeply as he tried to stop himself from snapping. “It’s clearly not nothing since you’ve been looking like shit. I’ll ask again, what the hell is going on?”

Suguru still refused to look at him. This time he dropped his gaze to the people who were walking around the area. “... Do you think there’s a point in being a sorcerer?”

Satoru frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Every day we exorcise curses and risk our lives. For what?” Suguru asked.

“Ha? Aren’t you the one who keeps talking about protecting the weak?” the white-haired teen replied.

“Protecting the weak, huh?” the other boy muttered. “... What if I no longer feel the same? What if I no longer want to protect non-sorcerers? What if I no longer believe that they deserve it?”

Satoru furrowed his brows even deeper. Amanai’s situation hit Suguru the hardest, but Satoru hadn’t imagined that it was this bad. His friend had always been someone righteous and kind. How could he change his belief this fast?

“Are you going to quit being a sorcerer?” the white-haired teen asked. It would feel horrible, but he would understand. The life of a sorcerer was truly shit, and there weren’t many positive things. Only those who were crazy or had high morals would stick around.

“... No, I don’t think I can leave this life behind,” the black-haired teen replied. 

“What do you want to do then?” Satoru asked, confused. Why did he stay if he felt that being a sorcerer was meaningless?

“I wonder… whether it’s possible to create a world without curses,” Suguru said. 

“Ha?”

The other teen explained, “I met Tsukumo Yuki a few months ago. We talked a bit. She told me that she wanted a way to remove all cursed energy from this world and that there were two ways to go about it. The first is to remove cursed energy, and the second is to have everyone be able to control cursed energy.”

That made sense, though. Satoru still couldn’t see how one could accomplish that. Sorcerers were always rarer than non-sorcerers. How would you even remove cursed energy from the world anyway? It was like asking how to erase an element from reality. It was simply impossible. 

Suguru continued, “The second method could be accomplished in two ways. First, you can turn everyone into sorcerers. Since we don’t create curses unless we turn into one. Then, it would eliminate all natural-born cursed spirits. Another way is to eliminate all non-sorcerers…”

The white-haired teen froze. It couldn’t be possible. “... Suguru, are you implying that you want to kill all mundane humans?”

His friend didn’t reply, but his silence spoke volumes. 

Satoru couldn’t stop himself from standing up. “Are you crazy? What you’re talking about is impossible!”

“Is it though?” Suguru asked, not bothered at all by his friend’s anger.

“Of course it is! What makes you think that you can kill all mundane humans?! Do you truly believe they will just let you kill them all?! And if you decide to hunt all non-sorcerers, then would you kill Yuuji too if he were not a vessel for Sukuna? What about Ryou? Do you want to kill him because he can’t regulate his cursed energy?!”

Suguru didn’t reply. Only the sound of the city and the harsh breaths of the white-haired teen filled the silence. Eventually, the black-haired boy stood up. “It’s only something I’ve been thinking about.”

“Like hell it is!” Satoru exclaimed as his friend walked away. He knew he should stop the other, yet his feet remained rooted to the ground.

“... Goodbye, Satoru.”

The white-haired teen could only watch as his friend got farther away. Curling his hand into a fist, he punched a nearby tree to release some of his anger. “Damn it!”

Since Suguru had disappeared, Satoru could only return to Jujutsu High. He doubted his friend would run away. The teen hadn’t reached that point yet, but Satoru knew that pushing Suguru at this moment would be the right choice. So he returned to school. 

His feet brought him to a familiar corner where several vending machines were placed. Many students liked to hang out here since they could chat and eat snacks, but it was empty at this time. The white-haired teen dropped himself on the bench and laid his head on the window. Removing his sunglasses, he rubbed his eyes but kept them closed. 

He knew it would be better to return to his room to rest, but he had no more energy to move. The previous conversation repeated in a loop in his head. Could he have said something else? Did he say the wrong thing? How the fuck could he fix this? Questions simmered in his head, slowly building up his headache.

In the back of Satoru’s head, his brain told him that someone was approaching him, but since he was familiar with the presence, he opted to ignore them. The other person went to the vending machine and ordered some drinks. The white-haired boy continued to remain unresponsive until he felt a cold can touching his cheek. Shocked by the sudden cold temperature, he opened his eyes to find Ryou looking at him.

“Here,” the older twin said.

Satoru took the can and saw that it was a milk tea brand he enjoyed. Without waiting for a response, Ryou sat on the empty spot beside him. The two teens drank their beverage before the white-haired boy said, “Suguru is being an idiot.”

Ryou hummed.

“He said he wanted to create a world without curses by killing all non-sorcerers apparently,” Satoru growled and chugged another gulp of his sweet drink. “I don’t think he’ll do it yet, but the fact that he’s even considering it is pissing me off.”

“Is that so?” the older twin said. 

After emptying his can of drink, Satoru broke it with his power and threw it into the trash can. “I tried to talk some sense into him, but he was just stone-walling me, that idiot.”

The other only slowly drank his coffee, but his eyes remained pensive.

“Hey, Ryou,” Satoru said as he rested his head on the window again. “Do you think you can talk to him? Maybe beat some sense into his brain?”

The older twin blinked. “Me? What makes you think he’ll listen to me?”

“Why not? You’re very good at talking about this kind of stuff.” Satoru straightened in his seat. Yeah. That sounded right. Ryou had a talent for talking some sense into people. After all, he had often become his target. 

The older twin sent a flat stare at his childhood friend. “This is a stupid idea.”

“It’s not, Suguru is being stupid and you’re good at stopping people from being stupid,” Satoru replied with a grin. “Come on, Ryou! Do this for me!”

The younger teen sighed and stood up. “Fine, but don’t blame me if this ends up making him run away.”

“I believe in you!” Satoru replied, giving him a thumbs-up.

Clicking his tongue, Ryou harshly placed his hand on the other’s hair and began messing it up. Not that it did much to ruin the white-haired teen's appearance. He always looked good no matter what. Satoru knew that the older twin didn’t do this because he was annoyed. It was one of his weird methods of comforting people.

After the confrontation between Suguru and Satoru, their relationship became more strained. While they didn’t fight, the two no longer talked to each other. Shoko was the one who was the most confused with the situation, but it wasn’t as if she could do anything. Suguru kept to himself. He knew that his friend would reject his idea. Despite his aloofness, Satoru had been someone who cared a lot. He would not agree with the plan of killing innocent people.

Suguru had assumed that things would continue like this. However, an unexpected thing happened when Yaga assigned him and Ryou to a mission. Since the twins had become first-year students, they had gone into some missions of their own. Of course, Satoru always ensured that he was close by so he could drop in if they called for help.

“Your task will be to investigate a serial case of missing people in a small village. You two must find the cursed spirit and exorcise it,” Yaga explained.

Sounded simple enough. Suguru doubted it was something he couldn’t handle alone. If he couldn’t do it by himself, then it would make more sense to assign Satoru, too. 

Ryou didn’t look surprised by the assignment and accepted it calmly. Seeing no reason to delay, the two of them went to the train station to reach the prefecture. Neither Ryou nor Suguru talked while they rode the bullet train. The older teen also wasn’t sure how he should act toward Ryou. A dark part of him wanted to move away from the older twin. A distasteful hiss of ‘monkey’ echoed in his hand. On the other hand, another part of him remembered that they were friends. Although their relationship wasn’t as close as Satoru’s, they had gotten to know each other after several years of being in contact.

That two conflicting sides of his forced the black-haired teen to remain silent. Ryou also didn’t say anything until they arrived at their destination. A manager was already waiting for them with a car. The man would drive them to the village, but he would need to leave again soon since they were quite understaffed, and the manager would need to help another sorcerer. The two of them didn’t protest, and they soon reached the village haunted by the cursed spirit.

Since the sun had not yet set, the sorcerers decided to talk with the villagers and gather more information. As they had suspected, the culprit was indeed a cursed spirit. The curse had gotten into a habit of kidnapping people who wandered out in the dark, but it had also taken those who were alone in their houses. The townspeople had been uneasy for a long time and it wasn’t hard to get them to open up.

In the end, the sorcerers only had to wait until nightfall. Suguru intentionally suppressed his cursed technique to draw the curse out while Ryou remained idle. His body already had a very low amount of cursed energy, so he didn’t have to do much. The teens decided to part ways so they would be seen as suitable targets.

Only crickets and wind made a sound in that small village. All the townspeople had huddled inside in fear, allowing the sorcerers to perform their mission peacefully. Several minutes passed with nothing happening, and then-

CRASH!

Suguru immediately turned toward the dark aura coming from another side of the village. It seemed the curse had deemed Ryou as a better target. Enhancing his feet, the teen quickly reached the other sorcerer and found Ryou blocking an attack from the monster. Based on its cursed energy, the creature was a Grade One. Not wanting to waste any more time, he summoned Rainbow Dragon and ordered it to crush the curse. 

Although his cursed spirit was quite powerful, their target seemed to be quite sturdy since it managed to tank the attack. It screeched and began to use its wings to fly. Suguru immediately shot numerous small cursed spirits as projectiles while Ryou pulled out his bow. The arrow landed on the curse’s face, and it exploded.

BANG!

Rainbow Dragon saw its chance and clamped its jaw on the creature to bring it down. Suguru summoned centipede spirits and ordered them to attack their target. Overwhelmed on all sides, it didn’t take long for it to be defeated. Out of habit, the black-haired teen activated his power and condensed the cursed spirit into an orb. He stared at the thing with dead eyes as he prepared himself to swallow the disgusting thing.  

After exhaling a breath, Suguru opened his mouth and consumed the condensed curse while Ryou watched in silence. Horrible. Disgusting. He wanted to puke and hurl, but he had gotten used to holding back the wave of nausea that followed. 

“I think we’re done here,” Suguru muttered. Now, they just had to wait for the manager to return and take them back to the station. They had already rented two rooms at the inn so they could stay there until sunrise. However, an adult man and woman approached them before they could leave.

“You two!” the woman said. “You are the ones that came here to exorcise the dark spirit, right?”

Suguru immediately placed a smile on his face. “Ah, yes. But you don’t have to worry about it now we-”

“You should follow us!” the man cut in. “We have something you need to see!”

Ryou narrowed his eyes. Not seeing anything wrong with the request, the two teens followed the adults into a nearby house. There, they saw two small girls being locked inside a wooden cage. They looked tiny and malnourished, and there were many wounds, both new and old, on their bodies. Suguru froze.

“What is going on here?” Suguru asked, his voice slightly shaking.

“What do you mean?” the man replied. “These two are responsible for the latest incidents!”

“No, they’re not,” the teen said. They had already exorcised the cursed spirit, and these two children seemed to be sorcerers, albeit untrained ones. 

Yet, the man ignored his words and continued speaking, “These two are crazy! They attacked the villagers with their weird powers again!”

“My grandson was nearly killed by these two!” the old woman added. 

“That’s because he-!” one of the children protested.

“Shut up, you monsters!” the woman shouted. “You’re just like your parents! I knew we should’ve killed you at birth!”

Monkeys. All of them. Suguru wanted to kill them all. He wanted to unleash his curses on them and watch as they screamed and died. They deserved it. All of them. Disgusting wretches. His hand twitched-

Tap.

The black-haired boy blinked when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning his head slightly, he met Ryou’s calm gaze. 

“Let me handle it,” the older twin said and then turned to the two adults. “Please follow me outside. We should talk.”

Suguru could only watch blankly as the other teen brought the two angry monkeys out. When the door closed, he returned his gaze back to the scared girls.

“It wasn’t us!” the child with light brown hair said. “That boy was trying to hurt Mimiko so I-”

“It’s okay,” Suguru replied and managed to give a smile as he crouched down. “I trust you. I know you’re not the ones who have been kidnapping people since we’ve already taken care of the cursed spirit. What’s your name?”

“Um… Nanako,” the girl said. 

The other child with darker hair added, “... Mimiko.”

“Nice to meet you, Nanako-chan, Mimiko-chan,” Suguru said. While he spoke with the kids, he also used his cursed energy to enhance his hearing. Luckily, Ryou hadn’t taken the two adults too far away, so he could still hear their conversation.

“What you are doing is a crime,” Ryou said. “Kidnapping and child abuse. I wonder what the police will think if we report this to them?”

“W-what nonsense are you spouting?!” the man asked. “We caught the culprit behind the kidnappings for you!”

“Those two are monsters! Monsters!” the woman exclaimed in anger. 

No. You two were the monsters, monkeys.

“Have you two eaten yet?” Suguru asked.

“Well, you are wrong,” Ryou replied to the adults. “We’ve dealt with the creature that has been kidnapping and killing people. What you’ve taken are two innocent children. I can send you to jail for this.”

The girls shook their heads, but then one of their stomachs began to rumble. 

“You can’t do that!” the man retorted. “You’ve no proof!”

The black-haired teen pulled out the candies in his pockets. He had constantly kept some on hand since he used them to fight back against the disgusting taste of the cursed orb. It didn’t help much, but the habit stayed. The sweets were also useful to bribe Satoru into a short silence. 

“I certainly have them,” Ryou said. “I have been taking photos and recording this conversation. It may not be enough to throw you into jail but it can certainly start an investigation.”

“Here, I have nothing more filling, but you can have this.” Suguru offered the candies to the children.

“Why are you siding with those monsters?!” the woman screamed hysterically.

They stared at him with doubt, but their hunger quickly overwhelmed them, and Nanako took the sweets from his hand. He kept his encouraging smile as the two girls ate the candies.

“I’m merely using my brain,” Ryou replied blandly. “I’m not quite sure what grudge you are holding against those two kids, but I can recognize child abusers when I see one. I’ll give you one last warning. Stay away from those girls. We’ll be taking them with us.”

“Is it okay if I take you two out of this cage?” Suguru asked.

“Y-you!” the woman stuttered.

The girls looked at each other, and then Nanako nodded slowly. The teen easily broke the weak padlock on the cage’s door and let the two out.

“Enough with your screeching,” Ryou said. “You’re hurting my ears. Just scram already. If you stay here any longer, I’ll call the police right now.”

“Do you guys have anywhere to go?” Suguru asked. Based on that woman’s words, it seemed their parents had already passed away.

The girls shook their heads.

Suguru continued, “How about coming with us? We’ll need to stay for the night but we can leave tomorrow. Do you want to see Tokyo?” 

Their eyes widened at that name. Like many children from rural areas, they seemed to be very curious about the big city. After another round of silent exchange between the girls, Nanako replied, “S-sure. I guess. It’s not as if we have anywhere else to go…”

“Okay. Follow me then.” Suguru led the two kids outside and met with Ryou, who was alone. The younger teen was idly playing with his phone using his hand, but he quickly pocketed it. 

“Let’s go back to the inn,” Ryou said.

The four of them returned to their lodging. Since there were two extra people, Suguru decided to upgrade his room, so the kids could sleep on a big bed while he took the single bed. Luckily, there was an empty room that fit their needs. The receptionist sent a dubious look at the two girls but didn’t utter a word of complaint. While Suguru kept watch on the room and the girls cleaned themselves in the bathroom, Ryou left but returned with a bag of clothes and other stuff.

“Where did you get that?” Suguru asked. Since they were in a rural village, there was no store open at this hour.

Ryou shrugged. “Don’t ask if you don’t want to know.”

Suguru, in fact, wasn’t interested in knowing, so he let the younger teen drop the item near the bathroom door. Once the girls had gotten clean and wore new clothes, Suguru gave them the takeout food the older twin had bought. It was still warm, and the children quickly ate their meal. After dinner was finished, sleepiness immediately set in, and the kids began nodding off. Suguru herded them to bed while Ryou stood near the door.

When the two children were fully asleep, the younger teen said, “We should talk.”

Suguru closed his eyes. “Did Satoru put you up to this?”

“Who else?” Ryou admitted.

Knowing that he couldn’t avoid this conversation, the older teen summoned one of his cursed spirits to guard the girls and stepped outside. The two sorcerers headed toward the open fields outside the village. The moon was out that night, and it lit up their path to this secluded area.

“You want to kill them,” Ryou stated after he stopped at the edge of the woods.

“I did… I do,” Suguru replied as he gazed at the village. It would be so easy for him to release his curses and allow them to cause chaos. None of them would be able to fight back. After all, they were monkeys. “Satoru must have told you about it. Are you not afraid that I will kill you too?”

Ryou only smirked. “Do you think you can?”

“Why not?” Suguru said. He might not have as much potential as Satoru, but he was still a special-grade sorcerer.

The older twin replied, “Alright then, let’s fight.”

Suguru blinked. “Huh?”

Ryou pulled out the katana from his weapon bag. “You seem to have a lot of pent-up anger. So let’s fight.”

The black-haired boy narrowed his eyes. “You’re being too arrogant.”

“Am I?” Ryou asked, raising an eyebrow. “Come on, if you can’t even fight a lone monkey like me, what makes you think you can make this new world of yours? Or are you just all bark and no bite?”

“Silence,” Suguru replied and summoned a daruma doll to fall above Ryou’s head. 

BANG!

The younger teen easily dodged the attack and moved closer to strike at Suguru. The teen pulled out one of his curses to block the slash. Yet, Ryou used that opening to land a kick on his stomach, sending him flying into the woods. 

Suguru landed on his feet and tried to locate his opponent. While he wasn’t like Toji with zero cursed energy, Ryou’s presence was still very low. Unlike Satoru with his Six Eyes, he had to use his cursed energy sense to track the younger teen.

Ryou’s voice came from the darkness. “Not that I want to call you stupid but have you really thought this through? Do you truly believe that the monkeys you hate so much won’t fight back when you hunt them?” 

It took several seconds, but Suguru managed to locate Ryou and send several bat spirits to the teen. With several fast sword slashes, he took down the curses. A moment later, an arrow flew toward the black-haired boy.

BOOM!

Suguru was able to dodge the explosive projectile and immediately blocked another slash from Ryou with his cursed spirit. “Sorcerers are stronger. No matter how much they struggle, they will be crushed.”

The black-haired boy then sent several centipedes that tried to wrap around the younger teen, but the other easily cut them apart. Instead of attacking Suguru, the other cut down the trees around them, forcing the older teen to jump back.

“If mundane humans truly see sorcerers as a major threat, they can just drop bombs on us. Have you thought about that?” Ryou asked before he appeared behind Suguru and threw a punch. The older teen was able to block the attack, but Ryou kicked him away again. 

Annoyed, Suguru summoned several holes that he used to shoot out numerous squid curses. Ryou wasn’t fazed at all and kept running to dodge the volley of attacks. Using the trees as cover, the younger teen managed to hide from his opponent's sight until he could launch himself into the air. Suguru adjusted his aim and tried to shoot down the other, but Ryou easily blocked and evaded his projectiles.

BAM!

Although Suguru was able to dodge the strike, the impact that Ryou caused when he landed sent a great shockwave that sent him stumbling back. The younger teen instantly got close and placed his blade on the other’s throat.

Ryou said, “When I think about it, your plan has one big problem. Instead of heralding the age of sorcerers, you will only start a new age for curses. After all, the pain and suffering that a major war causes will spawn a countless number of spirits. Chaos and death will spread. Or perhaps that is your plan? Do you want to cause more suffering, Geto?”

“I just want to make a better world for sorcerers!” Suguru exclaimed and summoned a spirit right underneath the boy. Before the curse could wrap its limbs around the teen, Ryou cut apart the creature within a second. Already expecting that to occur, the older teen sent a massive worm at his opponent. 

CRASH!

The worm flung itself many feet away and took down numerous trees. Yet, Ryou reappeared above the spirit, tapping his blade on his shoulder. “Well, you certainly pick one hell of a way to do that.”

“You can’t possibly understand!” Suguru retorted. This time, he summoned a swarm of fly heads that covered the younger teen. He quickly got close and tried to overwhelm his opponent. No matter how fast Ryou was, he couldn’t fight against a wave of curses and him. He began to engage in another close combat, but he was pushing the younger teen back this time. When he saw Ryou begin to slip up, he immediately summoned a bird monster that flew like a bullet and stole the sword from the other’s grip.

Suguru won. Ryou had to abandon his weapon bag at the start of the fight. Without those cursed tools, he wouldn’t stand a chance-

CRACK!

Suguru’s eyes widened when he saw a whip suddenly appearing in Ryou’s hand. With a flick of his hand, he instantly shredded all the fly heads around them and then wrapped the whip around the older teen, trapping him. Then, with a kick to his stomach, he sent the black-haired boy down.

“How did you?” Suguru frowned as Ryou forced him to stay on the ground.

“It’s one of the handy tools Toji gave me,” the other replied. “It’s not very powerful but it can reduce its own size so it becomes a bracelet. I prefer other weapons so I’ve never used it until now.” 

Suguru frowned. He should’ve known better. Satoru had always complained about Toji giving Ryou too many gifts. The teen no doubt had more weapons in his arsenal thanks to Toji and Satoru’s strange rivalry.

“As for your previous statement,” Ryou continued, “I may not be able to understand how you truly feel but I can assure you that I understand the path you are taking. Listen well, Geto Suguru, if you continue to let your hatred and anger guide you, you will find yourself alone at the end of that road.”

Initially, Suguru wanted to bristle and rebuke his all-knowing attitude, yet the other’s solemn gaze stopped him. 

“You are angry and frustrated with the Jujutsu society. Previously, your desire to protect the weak allowed you to keep fighting despite the horrible life of being a sorcerer. Yet now you are conflicted after what happened to Amanai. Why should you or any other sorcerers suffer and bleed for these ignorant masses who never show any gratitude? Why should any sorcerers sacrifice their lives when more curses will just be born from humans?”

Suguru couldn’t say a word as the questions that had plagued his mind came out of Ryou’s mouth. He wasn’t sure how he should feel to know that someone had easily seen the dilemma that had been bothering him.

Seeing that the older teen wouldn’t fight again, Ryou released him from the whip and sat down beside him. “Not that I blame you. The world is full of pain. Like an ouroboros of suffering and death, everyone keeps hurting each other until they are dead. It’s truly a cruel and unjust world. I can understand your desire to make it better, but Geto… do you truly think the world you will create through this path will be a better one?”

“Why not? There won’t be any more curses,” Suguru replied as he got up to a sitting position. As long as there were cursed spirits, sorcerers’ suffering would never end. 

Ryou said, “True, but what will be the price for that small chance of creating that world? How many deaths and suffering do you think is acceptable? Will you let those two girls follow you? Will you teach them hatred and disgust so all they can know about is how to despise those who they deem weaker? In this righteous war that you will start, how many sorcerers will lose their lives? Where will you draw the lines? 

“What should you do if you find a pair of sorcerers with a mundane child? Will you take their kid away and kill them? What will you say to a young sorcerer whose parents you brutally murdered in the name of your just cause? What will you tell to the friends of those who fall in your war?”

Suguru couldn’t answer that. The thought of forcing the two girls to fight for his cause made him flinch internally. He knew that this path would be bloody, but he had yet to ponder the extent of suffering he might have to bring to create the world he dreamt of. He knew it would be a horrible path, but even so…

As if reading his thoughts, Ryou continued, “But even so you still can’t help but want to seek it.”

Suguru pursed his lips. Had he always been so easy to read? 

“As far as I understand, you don’t truly change that much, Geto,” Ryou said. “Even now you still wish to protect the weak. Instead of protecting the mundane humans, you want to protect sorcerers who you now see as those being exploited.”

Suguru blinked. That- that couldn’t be true. After he started having these dark thoughts, he started to think of himself as a monster. After all, only a monster could imagine killing countless people to fulfill his goal.

“I’ll not deny that eliminating all curses is the ideal outcome, but I doubt that this world can reach that. Perhaps someday in the future, but not now. In the meantime, why not try to achieve something more reasonable?” 

“What do you mean?” Suguru asked.

Ryou replied, “What happened to Amanai and those two girls stemmed from ignorance. The Time Vessel Association wished to kill Star Plasma Vessel because they falsely believed that the vessels would taint their deity. As for those two adults, they hated and feared the kids because they couldn’t understand cursed spirits and energies. These all happened due to a lack of knowledge. Humans have always feared things they can’t understand and that fear birth hatred.”

Suguru frowned. “Are you saying?”

The younger teen nodded. “That’s right. Many of these problems occur because of the Jujutsu society's insistence on hiding themselves. If we can teach the public about sorcerers then it will increase the mundane people’s mindfulness and understanding. Anyway, I would also argue that other issues regarding sorcerers’ lives and work are caused by the higher-ups and old clans who want to keep their power. They intentionally keep becoming a sorcerer hard and often refuse those from mundane backgrounds to join. You and Gojo have been overworked so much because of the lack of manpower. If they could actually bother to find talents beyond those from the clans and create a good education system for new sorcerers this issue could be resolved somewhat.”

“That’s-” Suguru stuttered out.

“Impossible?” Ryou smirked. “Is it any more impossible than your dream of creating a world without curses? At least this one won’t claim as much death.”

Suguru couldn’t understand how the conversation turned into this. What was Ryou even talking about? Did he even understand what he was saying? Was he actually considering it?

Ryou began to stand up and stretched his limbs. “I won’t claim that it’ll be easy. Many traditional sorcerers and the old clans will fight back, and I don’t doubt that some part of the public will still be afraid of sorcerers. But at least if you try to change the Jujutsu society like this, you can make the world aware of all the hidden suffering and pain the sorcerers have been going through for the sake of the greater good. What do you think?”

Suguru could only stare blankly at the younger teen.

What?

Omake:

Ryou: Instead of being a mass murderer, how about you become a revolutionist? The peaceful kind, of course.

Adult Satoru: Join my cause!

Suguru: ???

Chapter Text

After that long and strange conversation, Suguru and Ryou returned to the inn to rest. Not that the black-haired boy could get any restful sleep. After saying those words, the younger teen told him to think about it before giving him his answers, so Suguru went to bed with heads filled with more questions. Though, he couldn’t deny that talking with the other had helped him clear his head a bit. Ryou easily put the issues he had been silently dealing with into words. The frustration he felt and the anger that burned within him. Yet the boy also pointed out the flaws of his plan.

Thinking of all the bloodshed he had to cause to reach that dream world, Suguru gazed at the two sleeping girls. If he were to kill all the people in this village, then he couldn’t send the kids to Jujutsu High, and they would be forced to follow him. It wasn’t as if he could send them to an orphanage. If they were to stay close while he chased after his goal, then they would be dragged into his cause. Would he dare to do that? Would he deem that an acceptable loss? To force kids into a war? Suguru wasn’t sure. Perhaps when the flame of anger was overwhelming him, he would answer yes, but now he wasn’t so sure.

In the end, he could only restlessly lay on his bed until the sun reappeared on the horizon. The assistant manager had messaged them about the time they would pick them up. When the hour arrived, the car came on time to pick them up from the inn. Since they had informed the man about the girls, the man didn’t look surprised when he saw them. Suguru decided to sit in the back with the kids while Ryou took the front seat. They still had to take the bullet train again, but the black-haired boy bought them some bento from a shop at the station that they could eat during the travel time. The girls were quite busy looking around. It was obvious that this was the first time they had left their village.

Fortunately, they didn’t encounter any trouble on their way back, and they safely arrived at Jujutsu High. Since they had to climb up numerous sets of stairs, the teens opted to carry the children. Suguru held Mimiko while Nanako let Ryou pick her up. Near the entrance, someone was already waiting for their arrival. It was Satoru. The white-haired teen watched them get closer with wide eyes as if he didn’t believe what he was seeing.

“What’s with that look?” Suguru asked.

“Ah, no it’s nothing,” Satoru replied as he scratched the back of his head. 

Unbeknownst to the black-haired teen, his friend had been having bad dreams of this day. Instead of meeting with his classmate, he was approached by Yaga, who told him that Suguru had been exiled from the Jujutsu society for massacring a village. Knowing he couldn’t contact his friend, he opted to call Ryou, who grumpily told him that everything was fine. Then, he ended the call. Despite the reassurance, it was still difficult for the teen to go back to sleep. He had half planned on going to the station directly when he heard they were traveling back, but he decided to wait near the entrance.

“So, these are the kids you saved?” Satoru asked as he leaned down to examine them. Mimiko hid her face in Suguru’s chest while Nanako scrunched her nose. 

Suguru sighed. “Satoru, you’re really terrible with kids.”

“What? They love me!” Satoru protested.

“Only when you’re bribing them with snacks,” Ryou retorted.

They didn’t hang around the entrance for long and immediately headed toward Yaga’s office, where they gave their verbal reports. They would still need to write the documents later, but this would suffice for now.

“Good job at dealing with this mission,” Yaga said. “Though, I’ve bad news for you. Regarding those two kids, we cannot find any sorcerers who can take care of them at this moment. I can continue searching but it may take a long time.”

Suguru pursed his lips. He knew that this could be a problem. Sorcerers were very rare, and many of them were too busy taking missions to take care of kids. There was an option to approach one of the big clans to take them in, but he didn’t want to pick that route. Although the girls seemed to have cursed techniques, allowing them to stay in those clans would force them to become sorcerers. He didn’t want to force that fate upon them. If they did decide to become one, he wanted it to happen because of their own decisions. 

“Then, I could-” Suguru started.

“I’ve one person who may be able to take care of them,” Ryou cut in.

Suguru and Yaga immediately turned to the younger teen.

“Who?”

“So yeah, you’ll have two more sisters soon,” Toji said blandly one afternoon when Megumi returned from school.

“What?” Megumi asked. He had been in a daze after having to suffer through another boring day at the kindergarten. Toji’s comment instantly snapped him back to reality like a bucket of cold water.

“I said you’re going to have two more sisters,” the man replied as he continued to lay lazily on the sofa. 

“I heard what you said, what I’m asking is how did that happen?” the boy gritted out. This useless father of his would never accept unnecessary responsibilities. Taking care of two children was already tiring enough, much less four. There was no way this guy had a bleeding heart that would make him accept two girls.

“Oh, that Gojo brat promised me that he’ll send me money monthly if I take care of them properly,” Toji explained as he shoved his pinky into his ear. His eyes were still locked on the TV screen the whole time.

Megumi narrowed his eyes as he dropped his bag on the ground. “Since when are you friends with him?” He had heard the man complain about the Gojo brat almost daily. Honestly, based on his words, it seemed like they were more like enemies than friends.

Toji snorted. “I wouldn’t have accepted it if not for Ryou asking me to do it. Ugh. How annoying. Make sure you get along with those two girls. I don’t want any fights occurring in the house.”

Ryou again. That guy seemed to pop up quite often despite Megumi not seeing him for quite some time. It was as if his presence and influence were everywhere.

“When are they going to arrive?” Megumi asked.

The man replied, “Probably tomorrow. Oh, I think another one of Gojo's friends is going to visit regularly. He wants to make sure that I’m taking care of those girls properly.”

Tsumiki was quite ecstatic when she heard that she was going to have little sisters. While she loved Megumi, her brother was quite solemn and serious. Trying to coax him into playing with her also didn’t work. Although he would try to engage for her sake, it wasn’t hard to see that he wasn’t interested at all. So, the girl stopped bothering her brother so he could focus on the things he liked doing.

The two new children arrived the next day, accompanied by three teenagers. Ryou and Gojo were expected, but the black-haired teen who also showed up surprised Megumi. Geto Suguru. Although he had never personally met the man, his teacher and seniors had told him some tales about this special-grade sorcerer. He had been Gojo’s friend but had become a curse user after several incidents that made him lose faith. The boy knew that this teen would end up attacking Jujutsu High and ended up being killed by Gojo. Okkotsu had told him about how this man would end up hating non-sorcerers and his desire to create a world without curses. Ridiculous and impractical, though, he could understand where that goal stemmed from.

As far as Megumi knew, Geto had defected not long after the Star Plasma Vessel got assassinated. Yet, in this world, Amanai had remained alive despite being trapped in a coma. Was that enough to stop this teen from losing his sanity? The boy remained silent as he observed the two girls that came to their house. Hasaba Mimiko and Nanako. They were the two sisters who were one of the loyal followers of Geto in his previous life. He had also never met them, but he had read the files about these two curse users. Ah, that was right. Geto was supposed to defect after he received a regular mission in a small town. No one was sure of what happened, but something bad had to have occurred that finally made the teen snap.

“Che, why do you also show up?” Toji grumbled as he looked at Gojo like a piece of turd.

“Of course, I’m going to come! I need to make sure you’re not going to do anything stupid you unreliable old man,” Gojo retorted.

“Ha, then why are you sending these two to me then?” Toji replied.

“You can thank Ryou for that,” Gojo said. “Personally, I think nobody should trust you with any kids. Have you seen how Megumi turned out? The boy already looks like an old man. It must be because he has to deal with you every day!”

Ah, it seemed that his teacher hadn’t grown up at all. Megumi could only stare as the two people glared at each other like school rivals. It was Ryou who stopped the burgeoning fight with two sharp strikes on their heads.

“Cut it out,” Ryou chided. “Do you not have any shame? Fighting in front of four kids.”

Megumi blinked. Huh. He knew that his father was friends with Ryou, but he didn’t know that they were this close. Although the man was laid-back, he wasn’t the type of person who would let anyone hit him like that. Gojo was also similar. Now that he thought about it, these two were quite alike. Both wore a mask of pretense that would only drop when the situation was serious enough. 

Geto sighed. “I think you’re fighting a losing battle here, Ryou.” Instead of addressing the two manchildren, the teen turned to the two Fushiguro children. “Nice to meet you. My name is Geto Suguru. These are Hasaba Mimiko and Nanako.”

“A-ah! Nice to meet you too! My name is Tsumiki!” his sister greeted happily.

“Megumi,” the boy added.

The two girls gave a hesitant nod of acknowledgment before looking up at Geto. The older teen smiled as he said, “How about we check out your room, hmm?”

Toji led them to the empty guest room that the man had prepared yesterday. It was quite tidy and spacious, and there was a bunk bed in the corner of the room. “This should be fine for them while they’re young. I may need to upgrade to a new house when they get older and want a separate room. You’ll buy me one right, Gojo?”

Gojo scrunched his nose in disgust. “Don’t you have money too, cheapskate?”

“I do, but why should I spend mine when I have you here,” Toji replied.

The white-haired teen clicked his tongue and turned his head toward Ryou. “Are you sure you want to leave the kids to this guy? He’s so unreliable!”

The younger teen shrugged. “It’s not as if we have much choice. Anyway, it’s up to Geto and the girls.”

“What do you guys think?” Geto asked the two Hasaba children. The girls examined their new room with wide eyes.

“... It looks nice?” Mimiko replied.

“It’s fine,” Nanako added. 

The teen patted their heads comfortingly. “If you two agree to stay here, I’ll visit at least once a month, okay?” 

Geto actually wanted to visit more often, but his schedule wouldn’t allow that. At first, he was quite resistant against Ryou’s suggestion to send the two girls here. The word ‘monkey’ automatically popped up in his head when he thought of Toji, yet a part of him immediately replied that it wasn’t quite true. Tsukumo mentioned that the man didn’t have any cursed energy at all and thus couldn’t produce any curse. While he wasn’t a sorcerer, the man also didn’t contribute to the eternal problems that plagued sorcerers. Based on his previous limited interactions and knowledge of the man, the other seemed to be rather dependable. After all, he dared to challenge Satoru, who was considered one of the strongest sorcerers, after his kids got kidnapped. That also proved his might, which should guaranteed the girls’ safety.

“See, Gojo? They are okay with staying with me,” Toji said. “Maybe you should shut your mouth sometimes.”

“Che, you’re just the only option available that’s all,” Gojo grumbled. 

Megumi and Ryou sighed at the two antics. Noticing that they were acting the same, the two glanced at each other before looking away. Tsumiki took the lead in showing the girls around the house while Geto accompanied them. Since the sorcerers couldn’t stay for long, they soon said goodbye to each other. The girls looked rather reluctant to part ways with their benefactor, but Geto kept reassuring them that this wouldn’t be the last time they saw each other. Once their house returned to calm, Megumi went to his room to grab his phone. He had asked his father to buy him one a week ago when he was tired of having to wait for his friend to visit to contact him. He had assumed Toji would reject it since granting such a device to a child was not wise. However, since his father was not a model parent, he didn’t care at all and just bought him one. 

[Me: Your brother came here with Geto and Gojo.]

It took five minutes before Yuuji replied to his message.

[Itadori Yuuji: I’ve heard about it! They rescued two girls and needed a place for them to stay.]

[Me: Somehow, they picked my good-for-nothing father. It was your brother’s idea.]

[Itadori Yuuji: They’re friends? Do you not like the girls? You’ll be the only boy there, right?]

[Me: I’m not an actual child who would care about such a thing. They’re fine, but I’m quite curious about Geto’s situation. Based on my knowledge, he was supposed to defect after the mission where he rescued the Hasaba siblings.]

Yuuji wouldn’t likely know about it. The boy was new to being a sorcerer before he was shoved into the biggest crisis in the modern era. He wondered how the teen had reacted to Geto when he got his memories in this world. After all, Kenjaku had used the teen’s body.

A minute passed before his friend replied.

[Itadori Yuuji: I’m not too sure about that, but Ryou accompanied Suguru on that mission. Satoru had been very anxious the whole time, though.]

Megumi pursed his lips. Ryou again. It seemed that this reincarnation of Sukuna was very busy. He wasn’t sure how he should feel toward this individual. The boy had many similarities with the King of Curses, from his voice to his mannerisms. Yet, the other had not done anything that would truly mark him as his reincarnation. He had yet shown that cruelty and bloodthirstyness. But for how long, Megumi wondered. Yuuji and Gojo, hell, even his father, had already considered Ryou as a close companion. One they would support and protect. He could understand that Gojo and Toji do not see the teen as a threat, but Yuuji should’ve known better. Had the King of Curses not hurt him enough? Despite his friend’s request to try to see Ryou as himself, it was hard for Megumi to forget the shadow of Sukuna. The boy just hoped that this would not harm them later. 

Although Suguru knew it was necessary, leaving the girls with the Fushiguro still left a bitter taste in his tongue. He wasn’t sure why he was so attached to those two kids, but they somehow felt very familiar to him despite only meeting them a few days ago. It was as if there had been untold years of history between them. Yet, there was nothing he could do. Ryou’s suggestion was reasonable, but it wasn’t as if he could take care of them. He hadn’t been surprised at all when Satoru decided to meddle. His friend could never stop himself from sticking his nose into other people’s business. 

Although they were no longer as hostile to each other, Suguru hadn’t yet spoken privately with the white-haired teen. The other boy also kept his distance, giving his friend a chance to gather himself. Now that the girls had a safe home, Suguru no longer had an excuse not to confront his dark thoughts. As he lay on his bed, he began to ponder over his dreams and feelings. He would not deny that the main force behind his desire to exterminate all non-sorcerers was quite justified but also sudden. That sudden wave of hatred flooded into him as he remembered that woman’s laugh and the strange scene of the clapping members of the Time Vessel Association. He would not deny his hate toward them. He hated how they tried to kill Amanai for a false belief that was founded on blind faith.

His anger was stoked even further when he saw how those two mundane humans treated the two girls. Calling them monsters and murderers simply because they couldn’t understand something they couldn’t see or feel. That hatred fueled his doubt over his duty as a sorcerer. He wondered why they had to suffer and sacrifice themselves for a group of people who would be prejudiced against them and would never know of their struggles.

Did those feelings justify his desire to kill all non-sorcerers? A part of him still said yes. Yet a bigger part of him had been rather convinced by Ryou’s argument. Honestly, the teen was two years younger than him, but he could spout out those words. Then again, he was someone who managed to grab Satoru’s attention when he was a kid. If the teen was already annoying enough after years of maturing, he had to be even more insufferable as a child. Ryou’s wisdom might have come from having to deal with Satoru for many years.

So… what did Suguru want to do now?

That question followed the teen as he finally succumbed to sleep. Since tomorrow was Sunday, the boy had some free time on his head. Thus, instead of avoiding the elephant in the room, he finally decided to confront his friend.

“Do you have time?” Suguru asked Satoru, who had just left the kitchen after being kicked out by Ryou. The pout on the teen’s face was wiped out, and a serious look appeared.

“Sure,” the white-haired boy replied.

The two ended up sitting on a bench overlooking the garden at Jujutsu High. A monk was sweeping the leaves far away, but it was unlikely for him to listen to their conversation. It took some time for Suguru to finally open his mouth, “... Satoru.”

“You don’t need to say sorry,” the other interrupted. “You were a jerk. It’s okay. I already forgive you.”

Suguru was speechless for a second before he sighed. “That’s not what I wanted to say.”

“Well you should,” Satoru said, crossing his arms. “I mean who’s the idiot who thought that killing millions of people was okay? You should feel lucky that Ryou managed to pummel some sense into your head. He was good at that, by the way.”

“I noticed,” the black-haired teen muttered as he rubbed his eyes. “That eloquence must have come from dealing with you for many years. Poor boy.”

“Excuse you! I’m a delight to be around!” the other protested.

“A delight to be punted, more like.”

“Ha?! Are you picking a fight with me?”

“What if I am?”

The two stared at each other heatedly for several seconds. Then, Satoru began to scrunch his nose to show further displeasure, and Suguru mimicked his actions. The other amped up the act by showing his teeth, and his friend returned the effort. They kept going at it until their faces looked so distorted that they couldn’t help but turn away to let out a laugh.

“You look ridiculous,” Suguru said between chuckles.

“As if you aren’t,” Satoru shot back.

When he finally could stop laughing, the black-haired teen leaned his back on the bench while his head turned up to stare at the sky. The sun was out, and some clouds were lazily floating above. “I… I guess I should feel sorry for springing that up at you.”

The other scoffed. “But you aren’t? Tell me, have you changed your mind at all? Do you still want to kill non-sorcerers?”

Suguru remained silent for a moment. Even now, his feelings were still a tangled mess that was hard for him to grasp. Yet, one thing was for sure. “I think… there’ll always be a part of me who will feel resentful toward them. I just can’t accept this cruel and endless marathon that will only end when we’re dead. I can’t accept that so many sorcerers die in the shadows to protect those ungrateful people.”

Satoru remained silent as he let his friend talk.

The other teen took a deep breath. “But I admit that my plan is somewhat unreasonable.”

“Somewhat?” Satoru couldn’t help but cut in. “More like stupidly idiotic.”

Suguru only rolled his eyes but didn’t retort about that argument. “Ryou talking to me was due to your request, right?”

“Obviously. He’s good at this sort of thing, and he did manage to knock some sense into you,” the white-haired teen said. “Tell me, did he beat you up? I tried to ask for more details but Ryou refused to give me more.”

The other sent an unimpressed stare at the boy. It was obvious the teen was hoping Suguru would share that embarrassing moment. “We fought but he certainly did not beat me up.”

“Sure, he didn’t,” Satoru said with an air of doubt.

Knowing that the other was just trying to rile him up, Suguru continued, “Say, are you also the one who told him to give me that spiel?”

“What spiel?”

“The one about revolutionizing the Jujutsu society. He said that since I’m so frustrated with how the higher-ups are handling the sorcerers, I should try to reform them. He even told me to go as far as revealing our world to the public.”

Satoru blinked.

Seeing the other’s surprise, Suguru said, “So you didn’t. How did he come up with that anyway?”

The white-haired teen hummed before shrugging his shoulders. “Eh? Ryou always loves to think about a lot of stuff. I’m not surprised that he came up with this argument. I mean, I wouldn’t be shocked if he were actually planning on taking over the world or something. Not that he would, since he often said that he has too much work already. I can imagine him saying, ‘Taking over the world? Who has so much free time and energy to manage the world? Can’t they take care of themselves? Imbeciles!’”

“Are you even taking this seriously?” the other tiredly asked. 

“I am! It’s just that. Ryou is not wrong. I personally haven’t thought of revealing the Jujutsu world to the public, but I’m definitely behind knocking those geezers off their thrones!” Satoru grinned.

Suguru sent a flat stare when seeing the teen’s carefree attitude.

“I’m serious!” Satoru exclaimed. “Pretty sure many people think that being sorcerers is shit especially under those guys’ orders. Maybe it’s time for a new person to take charge!” He ended this by raising his fist resolutely.

“I don’t think they have you in mind, Satoru,” Suguru replied. He could imagine the horrified expression that would appear on many people’s faces if they were to hear that this white-haired moron would lead the Jujutsu world. Nanami would probably quit and become a salaryman.

“I’ll be a great leader!” Satoru defended himself.

“Sure,” the black-haired boy said with deep doubt. His friend might be a peerless genius, but a leader he was not. Anybody who had to work under him had Suguru’s full sympathy. 

The other clicked his tongue and crossed. “Anyway, it doesn't have to be me, but we definitely need to change things.”

Suguru blinked. “... We?”

Satoru grinned at his friend’s surprised expression. “What? You want to change things right? As long as you don’t go on a killing spree, I’ll help you out! It’s not as if those fools can do anything to us. We’re the strongest, remember?”

The black-haired teen’s eyes widened. Ah. That’s right. He wasn’t alone. He didn’t know when it started, but he had started to believe that he was in this unwinnable fight against the world by himself. When did it begin? When did he start to think that he had to change the world alone?

Before the two could continue their conversation, a person approached them with a hesitant pace. The two third-year students turned to see Ijichi walking toward them slowly, but the younger teen stopped when he realized his seniors were watching him. “Ah! Uhm, Gojo-senpai! Geto-senpai! I’m sorry for bothering but there’s something I need to give to Geto-senpai!”

“What is it?” Suguru asked. He wasn’t that familiar with this first-year student, unlike his other juniors. Ijichi had always been very skittish, and Suguru didn’t want to stress his nerves further.

“It’s… uh… complicated? Can you please capture a curse with your technique first?” Ijichi replied while looking at the ground.

Both Suguru and Satoru tilted their heads. Well, it wasn’t a difficult request. While the area within Jujutsu High was clean, some fly heads flew outside the land. It didn’t take long for the black-haired to obtain one. Since fly heads had the lowest ranking, the sorcerer didn’t even have to subjugate it and could force it to condense into an orb.

“That’s it!” Ijichi said as he anxiously tried to pull out a piece of paper from his pocket. 

Suguru blinked at the seal that was offered to him. Also curious, Satoru leaned to look at the complex seal that was written on this piece of paper.

“This is?” Suguru asked as he took the item.

“It’s something that Ryou and I have been working on,” Ijichi replied. “Ryou was the one who designed the seal but since he can’t use cursed energy, he ordered me to make one. It’s still not quite done but it should do the trick for now.”

“What does it do?” Satoru asked. “I know it’s to suppress something, but it’s not related to curses.”

“It’s not for fighting! But, the seal is made to suppress taste,” Ijichi explained. “Ryou said that the condensed orbs Geto-senpai made with his technique tasted foul and he wanted to find a way to solve this issue.”

Suguru blinked as he grasped the paper in his hand tighter while Satoru whistled. 

With a grin, the white-haired teen said, “Wow, he sure works hard. Come on, Suguru, try it!”

“I think you can put it anywhere, but I suggest placing it on your throat,” Ijichi added when Suguru gave him a confused look.

Although Suguru wasn’t a master of seals, he was quite familiar with activating one. After placing the piece of paper on his body, he channeled his cursed energy into the seal to activate it. Then, he slowly raised the condensed orb toward his mouth and swallowed it. His body tensed as he expected the familiar disgusting taste to assault his senses, yet… nothing happened. He blinked. There was nothing. No stench of vomit. No lingering taste of waste and dirt. It was like swallowing a big, tasteless object.

Realizing the two other teens were watching him expectantly, Suguru said, “I think it worked.”

Ijichi let out a big breath. “That’s good! I’ve been testing it on myself until now. So I’m not sure whether it will interrupt your cursed technique or not. Unfortunately, the current seal will suppress your taste buds for around half an hour. We’ve been trying to shorten the duration. It’s also one-time use for now so you’ll need to ask me for more. Don’t worry though, Ryou is planning on making one that’s longer lasting. Um, maybe you can ask him how to make one yourself if you don’t want to bother talking… to… me?” The younger teen trailed off when he saw his seniors staring at him. “I’m sorry…”

Satoru laughed and slapped the boy on the back. “Good job, Ijichi! I’ll treat you to a meal if you want! How about we go to this five-star restaurant that I’ve been thinking of going? We can also invite the others!”

Ijichi immediately took several steps away from the white-haired teen. “N-no need, Gojo-senpai! It was a fun project. You don’t need to pay me back! Just thank Ryou. It’s his design, after all!”

“Eh? But I’m insisting!” Satoru pouted.

“Please don’t!” Ijichi exclaimed. It was obvious that the younger teen didn’t want to get involved with Satoru more than necessary. Perhaps he could see the dark future if he ever became one of the white-haired teen’s ‘favorite’ people.

Suguru elbowed his friend to make him stop and said, “Thank you. This… It really means a lot to me.”

Ijichi fixed his skewed glasses and replied, “It’s nothing, Geto-senpai. I’m not good at fighting at all, and I’ll likely quit being a sorcerer before I even graduate. But… I want to do this for you. You’ve been working very hard fighting curses. Even though you’re just a student, the elders are already giving you so many responsibilities because of your rank. Although it’s only a small thing, I want to help you even if it’s only this much.” Taking a deep breath, the younger teen stood up straighter to look up at his senior. “Thank you for fighting all this time. You’ve worked hard.”

Suguru stilled as he felt something prickled in his chest. Strange. He had never expected thanks or gratitude from others. For him, fighting curses was his duty and calling. And yet… perhaps it was that feeling of solidarity and understanding. To know that you weren’t alone. To know that someone else was fighting alongside you. To feel that someone sees you. It was… touching.

“Hey! What about me?” Satoru decided to be an annoyance and pushed his face between the teens. “I also work very hard! Where’s my thank you?!”

“U-ugh? T-thank you too, G-gojo-senpai?” Ijichi stuttered out.

“Ha?! Why does it sound so insincere? Are you playing favorites, Ijichi?!” Satoru pouted.

“I-I'm not. I promise I'm not!”

“Liar! Where’s my speech!”

“I’m sorry!!!”

Watching the two's antics, a soft smile bloomed on Suguru’s face as he grasped the seal.

Omake:

Kiyotaka: Someone save me!!

Satoru: How dare you, Ijichi!!!

Ryou: *In the kitchen* My Gojo sense is tingling. That idiot must be being a menace right now.

Chapter Text

The relationship between Geto and Gojo had returned to normal in the following days. Ryou didn’t try to pry more into it since his childhood friend was more than happy to yammer about it. Although he didn’t particularly enjoy having the white-haired menace talk his ear off, he was quite satisfied with the turn of events. Preventing Geto from going down the path like in the canon was a good thing. As long as the teen didn’t defect, that should lower his chance of getting killed. That would also prevent Kenjaku from gaining access to his cursed technique. Of course, that crafty old sorcerer could scheme his way out of this problem, and that was what concerned Ryou the most.

Nothing much happened in the next few weeks. Besides attending classes, Ryou and Yuuji sometimes visited the Fushiguro family and then went to the hospital to see Amanai. The girl’s condition had not changed at all. It was both a blessing and a curse. Due to Tengen’s request, the higher-ups had agreed to keep supporting the comatose girl even though there was no hope of her waking up. He knew that Gojo had tried to search for texts or specialists who might be able to solve this problem, but he had found none. Albeit filled with slight unease, it was a return to a peaceful life. Yet that peace would be short-lived.

It was just a regular day like any other, and Yaga had given them another mission that they needed to complete. The three first-year students were ordered to investigate cases of missing persons. Sounds simple enough. It wasn’t rare for curses to kidnap and eat oblivious mundane humans who couldn’t see these wretched creatures. Their mission took them to an urban area where they would need to investigate an abandoned mansion in the woods. Apparently, it was a famous local haunted spot. Some kids loved to go there for a test of courage. While many returned to their homes, some unfortunate souls never came back. It had become even more concerning when even more people disappeared recently.

Once the sun had set, they finally headed toward the location. It was quite a trek, but the three teens could handle it. Well, Ijichi was sweating a bit when they arrived, but that was within expectations.

“Woah, it’s big!” Yuuji exclaimed when he saw the structure. The property had been owned by a foreign wealthy individual who had great distaste for other people. So they built this massive building out here. The man who died was rumored to be murdered by his wife and that was why people believed the place was haunted.

According to their mission brief, the curse should be a Grade Two at the highest. Since the area was quite large, they decided to split up. Ijichi would stick with Yuuji because the teen had the weakest combat capabilities. Ryou was confident in his skills, so he wanted to finish this mission quickly. While the two teens opted to investigate the main building, the older twin went to the secondary structure. The person who had owned this place had been so disgustingly rich that they made several large structures. Based on their investigation, it wasn’t as if he had a big family. He just liked the needlessly large space to fit his needlessly big ego.

On the other side, Yuuji and Ijichi were staring wide-eyedly at the massive property. Although it had been abandoned for many years, the place was still relatively pristine. While layers of dust had piled up, it didn’t stop the opulence of this building from seeping through.

“Man, how much do you think this cost?” Yuuji muttered as he examined the area.

“Too expensive to imagine,” Ijichi replied. “I believe the only one who could afford to build or purchase this type of property is Gojo-senpai.”

Yuuji laughed. His friend was the heir of an old clan, so it was no wonder that he had a lot of funds. He could still remember how the white-haired boy had forcefully given them a house after they had to move. Satoru was definitely someone who would not look at a price tag, but even so, the teen doubted that his friend would purchase something this unnecessary. He might be carefree but he had a semblance of control. Perhaps not when it came to sweets, though.

As the sorcerers began to explore the area, they noticed that there were traces of human activities. It wasn’t a lot, but it showed that there were people who had been daring and stupid enough to wander into this forbidden area. The mansion had several floors filled with various rooms and furniture. Since it was quite dark, Ijichi was holding a flashlight to help them see better. The sound of their footsteps echoed as they walked through the abandoned hallway. 

Regular students would’ve been huddling close to each other as they tried to hide their fear and anxiety. The building was known to be haunted after all. They would expect a ghost to pop out any second. Yuuji didn’t feel anything except curiosity. Unlike mundane people, he knew what he was facing and he could feel any curses that would be nearby. Unless they had a strange cursed technique, he would know if they were near an enemy. So far, the area was safe. Of course, they would still fully explore the building just in case there were still people who were trapped in this mansion. Although Yuuji tried to enhance his hearing, it was quite hard to hear anything much due to the rain. As if wanting them to stay, the weather had turned bad when they entered the abandoned building.

“This is like the start of a horror movie,” Ijichi muttered as he glanced at the raindrops that battered the window.

“Well, unlike those characters, we can handle ourselves,” Yuuji said reassuringly. 

When they finished investigating the first floor, the two sorcerers climbed to the second floor. The moment they stepped foot this this area, the aura around them shifted. While nothing in their surrounding changed, it was as if the air was heavier. 

Yuuji’s face became serious. “It’s here.”

Ijici tensed in response. 

As they slowly walked through the empty hallway, Yuuji tried to pinpoint the curse’s location, yet he couldn’t find anything. It was as if the cursed spirit was all around them. Was it more powerful than they expected? No. If it were then it would’ve attacked them already. It was an evasion tactic. Perhaps it knew that it wasn’t strong enough so it wanted to hide. Yet how could it avoid being noticed by Yuuji? Could it be?

“Yuuji, I think this is-” Ijichi started.

“A barrier technique, right?” Yuuji said as he kept his gaze forward. While he wasn’t as smart as his brother or Satoru, he had learned quite a bit after being able to study peacefully in Jujutsu High. Back in his first life, he could only hone his combat abilities since many special grades showed up and targeted him. However, under Yaga’s instruction, the man made sure that he had a good grasp of the theories. As much as he loved Gojo-sensei, he couldn’t deny the man liked to skip the ‘boring’ stuff too much. He was a great combat instructor, but he was not that good at theories. As a peerless genius, Gojo Satoru wasn’t someone who understood why people couldn’t grasp everything after lightly skimming a Jujutsu text.

“Stay close, Ijichi,” Yuuji said. He was confident in beating this curse, but his friend could accidentally get separated, which wouldn’t be ideal. When they turned a corner, they saw a flash of a kid running away from them.

“Wait!” Yuuji immediately ran to catch up with the regular human. Yet, when he reached the next room where the kid should be, he could find nobody within the area. “What the?” 

When Yuuji turned around, instead of seeing his classmate, he was greeted by the sight of an empty hallway. Oh. Crap.

Kiyotaka, who had been unexpectedly abandoned by his friend, was slightly shaking as he walked through the hallway. He had tried to stop the other teen, but Yuuji was too fast. It wasn’t good for them to get far away since the technique seemed to be related to spatial manipulation. Nothing as overpowered as Gojo’s, but it could get confusing since the curse could put them wherever it wanted. Obviously, it would try to separate the two sorcerers since it was obvious that the younger twin was stronger. Kiyotaka would be the perfect meal for it.

“Uhuhuhuhu,” Kiyotaka sniffled as he quickly rummaged through his pockets to pull out several seals. They weren’t anything powerful but they should be enough to scare away the curse for a second.

Knowing that he couldn’t stay in one spot, the sorcerer carefully made its way through the abandoned mansion. He tried to keep some distance from any entrances. Afraid that the curse would pop up from one even though it could technically appear anywhere based on its aura. Kiyotaka’s black eyes roamed the darkened hallway anxiously as he tried to figure out a way to break this barrier. Since it was a cursed technique then it would be impossible to find a foundation seal. That didn’t mean that it was impossible to break. He just had to figure out how the technique worked. No matter how powerful, it had to have limitations. The problem was that such a thing would have been possible if Yuuji had been with him. Kiyotaka was next to useless when he was alone. 

First, they only encountered the cursed technique when they reached the second floor. That meant its range was quite limited. Second, they did not get swapped when they were walking in the hallway. Yuuji only got teleported when he became distracted and tried to follow the girl into another room. That meant this barrier technique involved doors or entrances. That was why it could only move Yuuji away when he entered another room without Kiyotaka.

With this new understanding, the teen was slightly more assured about the situation. Of course, finding Yuuji would still be troublesome since the curse wouldn’t let them find each other. However, if entrances were the key to this technique then if Kiyotaka could move between entrances quick enough then he could break the barrier. However, before he could form a plan, somebody suddenly barged in through the door before him.

“Eeek!” Kiyotaka screeched.

“Aaaaah!” Another scream replied.

The two people looked at each other in surprise. The sorcerer blinked several times before he finally grasped that he had encountered the child that Yuuji had been chasing. The girl seemed to be quite young, but she was already wearing a middle school uniform. She was likely a first-year student.

“Y-you! Who are you!” the girl shouted as she brandished a candelabra.

The black-haired teen quickly raised his hands to show that he wasn’t a threat. “A-ah! I’m Ijichi Kiyotaka. I came here with my friends to investigate this building.”

The girl narrowed her eyes, but it only took her another second to deem that he was too pathetic to be in any danger. “Ugh. Another one? Why are there many people who are stupid enough to go to this place?”

“Isn’t that a bit…” Kiyotaka felt like the girl didn’t have a right to say this since she was also in this abandoned mansion.

The girl rolled her eyes. “I’m not here for some stupid test of courage. I’m… looking for a friend. She went missing a week ago and nobody has found anything.” 

“I see…” Kiyotaka murmured. If it was that long, then the missing person was already dead. Yet, the teen didn’t dare to say that to the girl.

“Anyway, my name is Kano Sakura,” the girl replied. “Not that I want to sound insane, but is it just me or is this place looping? Like I was sure I paid attention to where I was going but I somehow got lost.”

“Ah! Yes about that…” Kiyotaka wasn’t sure how to respond. The girl was a mundane human, so he couldn’t tell her the truth. But it might be possible if he reasoned around this topic. “Listen I know how-”

SKREEEEE!

Suddenly, a curse popped out of another entrance near them. Kiyotaka’s eyes widened as he immediately pulled the girl behind him. Although regular humans couldn’t see curses normally, under life or death situations, they could gain temporary sight that let them see the monsters. Kano screamed when she turned around to see the large jaw that opened to swallow them. Kiyotaka immediately threw his seal, and they immediately exploded upon impact. As expected, it didn’t damage the creature, but it shrank back in surprise. 

Grasping the other’s hand, Kiyotaka pulled the girl as they ran. “We’ve to escape!”

“W-what the hell is that?!” Kano shouted as they desperately ordered their legs to run faster. 

The curse had immediately chased them when it saw its targets running away. Kiyotaka tried to keep them in the hallway, yet it wasn’t long before they were forced to pass through a door. 

CLACK.

Instead of entering the right room, the two teens were brought back near the cursed spirit. Kano shrieked in fear while Kiyotaka threw another round of paper seals at the monster. Unfortunately, it had learned that the damage this explosion caused was negligible, and it opted to lunge toward them. The sorcerer desperately pushed the girl away from harm as he closed his eyes, fully expecting himself to get eaten. Shit. Was this how he would die?

BAM!

At that moment, Yuuji suddenly barged through from another nearby door and slammed his fist at the curse. The spirit screeched in pain and anger and tried to bite the teen, yet the boy easily dodged its moves and placed his palm on its flesh. A moment later, numerous lines showed up on its skin, and then it got cut into pieces. 

“Phew!” Yuuji landed lightly on the ground and turned to the two scared teens. “Sorry, I’m late! Are you guys okay?”

“Y-yuuji!” Kiyotaka shouted with tears in his eyes. 

Kano was staring at the new person with wide eyes and mouth. The girl was fully expecting to be dead, yet somehow, this guy showed up and killed the monster so quickly. “Who are you guys?!”

“Um? We’re sorcerers!” Yuuji replied with a grin. “We’re here to exorcise the curse in this mansion. Have you seen other monsters besides that one?”

Kiyotaka wanted to cover his eyes over his friend's honest response. To be fair, it wasn’t like they could hide this any longer, but revealing their secret so easily was really surprising.

The girl opened and closed her mouth several times before she said, “I-I don’t think so. I’ve been trapped on the second floor for a while now so I haven’t seen other areas.”

“Well that’s fine, you should leave this mansion, though, it’s not safe,” Yuuji said. 

“H-Hold on! I can’t leave yet!” the girl said as she got up to stand straight. “I’m looking for my friend! She’s been missing for a week now after she went to this place!”

Yuuji’s face became pensive. “I see, but you still need to leave. I’ll continue investigating while Ijichi can lead you back to the village.”

Kano looked like she wanted to argue, but seeing the severe expression the other was wearing, the girl held it back. “Fine, but promise me you’ll try to find my friend.”

Yuuji nodded. “Of course, can you tell me more about her and how she went missing?”

Kano began to explain, “Her name is Tanaka Rin. She has short black hair and brown eyes. A bit of an idiot but has a lot of courage. She joined the occult club and they often go to many weird places. The last thing I heard about her was that she wanted to go to this mansion to investigate it. Apparently, it’s haunted. That’s nothing novel, but there are new rumors that a person was seen walking around this area. He has a strange appearance. Long white hair and different colored eyes, but the most striking one is the patchwork face.”

Yuuji froze.

Ryou’s investigation did not yield any results. He had not encountered any curses, and the second building was disappointingly empty. Since he could not sense any cursed energy, he had to stretch his senses to notice anything strange in the area. Just when he was about to turn back around to find the others, his instincts suddenly screamed in alarm.

BAM!

Ryou dodged the oncoming attack just in time to avoid his head being caved in. As the dust settled, he could see the identity of his attacker. It was a familiar-looking special grade. Mahito. “Well, what do we have here?”

The curse smiled back pleasantly. “Nice to meet you too. Tell me are you Yuuji or Ryou?” Squinting his eyes, the other continued, “Hold on, you have to be the older one, right?”

“Oh? Are you looking for one of us?” Ryou asked as he pulled out a spear from his weapon bag. 

“What if I am? Will you tell me where your brother is?” Mahito asked.

“No.”

The two immediately clashed. Despite not having cursed energy or technique, Ryou could still keep up with the special grade. It was definitely the hardest fight he had experienced in this second life. Mahito was already powerful enough as a special grade, but his ultimate power was his ability to kill anyone who could not protect their soul with one touch. Since Ryou had no access to his power, he had no chance of guarding himself against Mahito’s soul manipulation. That was why he had chosen a spear instead of a sword. The extra range would allow him to keep the other away more easily.

Unfortunately, Mahito wasn’t a pushover either. The curse manipulated his hand and sent it out like a projectile that forced Ryou to move back. His hits destroyed a part of the hallway and it allowed the sorcerer to jump out. Although he never liked to run away from a fight, he knew that he was no match against the special grade. Since Ryou could not hit the curse’s soul, all of his attacks would just bounce off. If he had the Split Soul Katana, that would be different, but Toji kept that weapon. 

How did Mahito show up this soon anyway? While the manga had never specified his birth date, the curse should not have been born until many years later. Yet, he was now here and hunting Yuuji. 

Ryou dodged another round of attack from the curse as he headed toward the main building. While he didn’t want to involve his brother, only Yuuji could actually defeat this curse. As the two passed through the untended garden, the sorcerer cut down several trees and kicked them toward his enemy. He only wanted to slow the curse a bit, but Mahito easily destroyed or dodged the obstacles.

“Come on! Aren’t you tired of this cat-and-mouse game?” Mahito laughed as he spat out several small humans and threw them at Ryou. The teen was barely able to dodge the expanding transfigured humans that tried to grab him. However, that sudden movement made him lose his momentum, but Mahito was able to get close.

CRACK!

Yet before that hand could touch him, the ground under them was broken by invisible blades. Seeing Mahito losing his footing, Ryou used the opening to leap back and joined Yuuji who was staring murderously at the curse.

“Good timing,” Ryou said. “Where’s Ijichi?”

“I sent him away,” Yuuji replied, not taking his eyes off his enemy.

“I see, you take care of the curse and I deal with the other monsters?” the older twin asked.

His brother nodded.

With a new plan, the two twins lungen toward their targets. Despite facing two sorcerers at once, Mahito only laughed gleefully. “There you are, Itadori Yuuji!”

“Mahito!” Yuuji shouted as he tried to land hits on the curse. Unlike when fighting Ryou, the curse was forced on the defensive as the teen pushed forward. After fighting the curse several times, Yuuji was quite familiar with Mahito’s fighting style. While his output was limited, he could still use his technique to even out the battlefield. 

The special grade shifted his right arm into a large Morning Star weapon and flung it around him. Yuuji was able to dodge upward, but the curse tried to attack him with his other hand. Using the branch as footing, the teen barely evaded the hit and threw himself at the curse. 

PUNCH!

Yuuji’s fist landed solidly on the curse’s face, but instead of retaliating, the curse manipulated his hands and tried to grab the teen. Realizing the danger, he threw a Soul Dismantle at the curse which left a massive gash on his body.

“As expected of my natural enemy!” Mahito laughed as he spat out a mouthful of blood. “But do you think it’s wise to be so full of yourself?”

Yuuji tensed and turned his head toward his brother.

In the distance, Ryou was handling the transfigured humans that attempted to take him down. Unlike Mahito, they were much easier to handle since he didn’t have to worry about being touched. Just as he took down several monsters, he sensed a presence approaching him at full speed.

It was another Mahito.

“Ryou!” Yuuji screamed. However, before he could help his brother, the first Mahito managed to get close. It was only a second, but the other managed to touch Yuuji’s abdomen. 

SPLASH!

The teen retaliated despite the pain and threw the curse away. Since he could see the shape of his soul, he could reinforce and protect himself. Although it protected him from Idle Transfiguration, it still damaged his flesh.

Shit.

In the meantime, Ryou was able to fend off the clone that Mahito had created. Yet, dealing with this copy was still annoying since it could shapeshift and force the boy back. The twins got close to each other as they examined the two Mahito. Since the original had a bleeding wound, it was quite easy to see which one was the real curse. Yet, this would not be an easy fight.

‘What is he planning? What’s his goal?’ Ryou pondered while his brother became even more tense. 

Unfortunately, Mahito didn’t let them think too much and began his second round of attack. Instead of aiming for Yuuji, the original headed toward Ryou and tried to attack him while his clone forced the younger twin away.

Ryou was immediately put on the defensive as he tried to keep himself away from the curse’s touch. As if things weren’t hectic enough, the special grade spat out another transfigured human that targeted the older twin.

“Ryou!” Yuuji screamed.

The younger twin wanted to help his brother, but the wound on his abdomen was holding him back. While he could use the Reverse Cursed Technique, he couldn’t heal his soul, which limited his output even further. Even so, he tried his damnedest to take down the copy that was keeping him away.

Ryou didn’t show any panic as he was surrounded by several enemies. Instead of using his spear, he pulled out his whip and took down the transfigured humans. Yet Mahito quickly caught the cursed tool and forcefully pulled the teen close. The sorcerer reacted by dropping himself to the ground and kicking the curse on his feet. Mahito laughed and extended his limbs like projectiles, but the teen leaped back and used that chance to grab his spear and attack the copy from behind.

Yuuji saw his chance and attacked the clone. Unlike the original, it was much more fragile and was broken with a solid punch from the teen. Yet, as it got thrown back several feet, the original grabbed his clone and consumed it again. 

Mahito immediately slammed down his hand and destroyed the ground under them, sending numerous rubbles flying into the air. At that moment, two Mahito suddenly appeared again. This time, both were wearing the same wound on their chest. Each began to head toward the two brothers who had gotten separated after dodging the ground smash.

Which one was the original? Yuuji tried to use his senses, but both seemed to have an equal amount of cursed energy. Did the original intentionally keep his cursed energy output low to trick them? Yuuji couldn’t know for sure. No. The younger teen could protect his soul, so the easier target would be his brother, just like what happened to Kugisaki. 

His eyes automatically turned to Ryou who was guarding against his own enemy. As he leaped toward his brother, the other turned toward him. His golden eyes widened. With a strong kick, he also leaped toward Yuuji and used that momentum to shove him away. It was like everything became a slow motion. The younger teen turned around to see another Mahito reaching out. His hand was aiming toward Yuuji, but his brother shoved himself between them. And then-

Clap.

Yuuji’s eyes widened in horror.

Mahito laughed as he jumped back while Ryou stood with his back facing Yuuji.

No.

Nanami’s smiling face.

No.

‘You got it from here.’

No.

Kugisaki’s last grin.

No.

‘I've had a pretty good life.’

No.

Blood gushed out as Ryou’s chest exploded outward, expelling the organs in his ribs into the air.

No.

Yuuji reached out to his brother.

No.

He was able to grab the other as his brother fell down to his knees.

No.

Yuuji pulled Ryou back and held him in his arms.

No.

Blank golden eyes stared back at him.

No.

Blood. So much blood.

No.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Mahito laughed wildly.

No.

There was a massive hole in his brother’s chest.

No.

Yuuji couldn’t breathe.

Omake:

Mahito: *Killed Nanami and Kugisaki in front of Yuuji* Wanna see me do it again?

Chapter Text

“How embarrassing. Being defeated like that.”

Yuuji blinked when he suddenly found himself sitting underneath a large ginkgo tree surrounded by an endless plain of green grass. Feeling a movement beside him, he turned his head to see Ryou standing up while gazing at the blue sky. The younger teen quickly got up to his feet and grabbed his brother’s hand. He knew this place. He had visited it before. No. It couldn’t be. 

“Ryou, you idiot!” Yuuji shouted. “Why did you use yourself as a shield?!” 

“Don’t be an stupid,” Ryou replied, still not looking at him. “Even if you were to survive the attack, you would be heavily wounded. At that point, the fight would have already been decided. We wouldn’t be able to win against that curse.”

“And you using your body to protect me is a better alternative?!” Yuuji couldn’t accept this. He couldn’t lose his brother. Not like this!

“Yuuji, did you know that twins are considered bad omens in the Jujutsu world?” Ryou asked.

Yuuji froze. He knew. He had heard about Maki’s situation and how things had turned out when she had stormed the Zen’in clan in that other world. 

Ryou didn’t wait for his brother to reply before he explained, “Twins are connected, you see. If one were to be stagnant, then they would hold back the other. However, even if the two halves were to strive to do their best, they would never be able to reach their full potential.”

Yuuji didn’t want to hear this. He refused. “Shut up! Stop saying that nonsense!”

Ryou sighed and finally turned around. There was a soft smile on his lips. “Yuuji, it’s okay.”

“It’s not! There’s nothing okay about this!” Yuuji screamed as he grasped his brother on the shoulder and lowered his head. He hated this. Why did he keep losing everyone? Why was he always the one being protected? Nanami. Kugisaki. Gojo-sensei. Choso. Everyone.

Ryou raised his right hand to touch Yuuji’s left. “I’ve always figured it’ll end like this. No matter what happens. It seems I’ll always be a curse for you.”

The younger twin shook his head. “You’re not.”

Ryou pried away his brother’s left hand and held it. “We don’t have much time. Here take this.”

Yuuji took the item given by his brother and saw a bright yellow ginkgo leaf. “This is…”

His twin released his hold and took a step back. “It’s always meant to be yours. I’m giving everything back to you.”

“Ryou!” Yuuji looked up and found his brother nowhere. 

Like a whisper in the wind, Ryou said his parting words, “Live, Yuuji. Live and be happy.”

When Yuuji blinked, he returned to that horrifying scene. Ryou’s blank golden eyes stared back at him as he was cradled in his brother’s arms. Dead. He was dead. 

Dead.

“Aaaaah…” Yuuji croaked out.

Dead.

Tears began to pool in his eyes.

Dead.

One drop of tears fell on his brother's cheek.

Dead.

And then another.

Dead.

And another.

Dead.

Tears kept pouring out.

Dead.

More and more flowed out as grief wrecked the young teen’s body.

Dead.

Yet no matter how much he spilled his tears, the one he cried out for would never wake up.

Dead.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Mahito’s mocking laugh cut through Yuuji’s misery. “You should look at your face! Itadori Yuuji! How pitiful! How pathetic! Even now, you’ll always fail to protect anyone! You’re a fai-”

Within a split second, Yuuji suddenly appeared in front of Mahito. His golden eyes burned bright as another ring appeared in his irises. The curse froze.

BAM!!!

With a swing of his fist, Yuuji sent the curse flying backward. Mahito crashed into the building behind him and took down several layers of wall. As rubbles began to fall down around him, the special grade wiped away the blood that gushed out of his nostrils. Fuck. That hurt. That was only an enhanced hit, yet it managed to strike his soul directly. It was nothing at all like the attack that Yuuji had performed before.

Before the curse could get up, the sorcerer appeared once again before him. His golden eyes were dark as he stared at his enemy. Different. Itadori Yuuji was completely different. It was as if the chains that were holding him down were completely broken with the death of his twin. It was like a beast had been unleashed. His cursed energy output and physical prowess increased significantly. The teen before Mahito was a monster.

The special grade tried to strike his enemy with his hand. Yet the teen easily caught it and sent Soul Dismantle, which cut apart his arm. The curse tried to make some distance, but Yuuji got much closer and began to land a barrage of blows on Mahito.

BAM!

Yuuji slammed his fist into the curse’s chest.

CRACK!

Next, he sent an uppercut to the other’s jaw.

BAM!

Right cheek.

BAM!

Jaw.

BAM!

Chest.

Yuuji grabbed Mahito’s hair and clothes and threw him into the wall. The curse bounced back from the impact, but the teen kicked him away. This time, the special grade got thrown into the main mansion, where he took down several more walls with his body. Mahito spat out a mouthful of blood as he tried to get up.

Yuuji slowly approached him. “You probably don’t remember it, but I’ve defeated you once, and now I’ll kill you again, but this time, I won’t let you escape. I’ll kill you. Mahito.”

“Don’t you mean exorcise?” Mahito laughed and then split his body into pieces. 

The sorcerer didn’t look shocked at all and sent several Dismantles. Although it couldn’t hurt the curse’s soul, it was able to slow the small copies of the curse. Yet before he could crush them all, the big double that had attacked Ryou rejoined the fight. The copy tried to swing his hands and crush the teen’s skull, but Yuuji easily dodged it and destroyed the double with several well-placed hits.

However, that distraction was enough for Mahito to run away. Yuuji pursued his target. As the two ran beside the abandoned mansion, the teen placed his hand on the building and used Cleave to cut apart the structure. Pieces of the mansion began to fall down on Mahito, but the curse split himself apart again in an attempt to dodge the falling rubbles. Using the destroyed structures as footing, the sorcerer leaped toward each of the pieces and crushed them using his fist. Yet when he turned his attention to the last one, something suddenly appeared before him. 

FWIP!

Yuuji gasped when he suddenly found himself falling from the air. He quickly reoriented his body and looked up to see a strange portal. What? A cursed technique. The teen searched for the fleeing curse and found a small Mahito standing beside an unknown man. He had never seen the person before, but that man had a striking feature. There was a line of stitches on his face.

“KENJAKU!” Yuuji shouted as he lunged toward the two figures that were standing on the roof. Before he could reach them, another portal showed up and threw him to another location. Fuck. This was annoying. The ancient sorcerer did not have this ability in the other world, so it had to come from another poor soul whose body had been stolen. No matter. Yuuji would kill the two of them today!

“Not that I’m not glad to see you,” Kenjaku said as Yuuji ran toward them. “But are you sure you want to fight us? After all, who knows what may find your poor twin’s body as its next meal?”

At that moment, a huge roar was heard as a new curse suddenly showed up in the area. It wasn’t a special grade, but it was quite strong. Yuuji turned toward the location of the new enemy and saw a massive curse heading toward his brother’s body.

No.

Yuuji knew he had to chase after Kenjaku and Mahito, but he couldn’t let a curse eat his brother. The teen dashed toward his new opponent, and Kenjaku shot a last glance at the sorcerer’s back as he and Mahito passed through another portal.

“Man, that was close,” Mahito complained. After losing so many pieces of himself, the curse had to take the form of a child. 

“Well I did warn you it wouldn’t be easy,” Kenjaku said as they stepped into their base. “Also, didn’t I tell you to kill the vessel? Why is the brother who is dead instead?”

The curse shrugged. “It’s not my fault! That kid got in my way and got killed!”

Kenjaku sighed. “Oh well, this is not my original plan but it’s fine.”

“Huh? Won’t it mess with your grand scheme or something?”

“Oh, it’ll be more messy but…” A smirk appeared on the man’s face. “It’ll be much more entertaining this way.”

“Huh?” Satoru blurted out.

Yaga closed his eyes as he repeated, “Ryou is dead. There was a special grade curse that had taken residence beside the much weaker curse-”

“I heard you the first time,” the teen cut in.

His teacher sighed. “We’re still investigating the curse, but it’s definitely an unregistered one.”

“Like hell it is! This has to be the work of those geezers!” Satoru shouted angrily.

“Satoru!” Yaga reprimanded. “Do not throw baseless accusations!”

“Is it?! They have always disliked Yuuji being the vessel. Ryou just got killed because he got in the way of their plan!” the teen screamed. 

The man rubbed his eyes. “I’ll not blame you for getting angry. This shouldn’t have happened.”

Of course, it fucking shouldn’t. The first-year students were supposed to handle a Grade Two curse. How the hell did a special grade suddenly appear?! It couldn’t be true! How could Ryou die?!

Instead of continuing the conversation with Yaga, the teen turned around and headed toward the morgue. He was not the first to show up. Nanami and Haibara were sitting outside while Suguru was standing near them. His friend turned when he heard Satoru stomp his way closer. He sent an anguished look and opened the door to the morgue for him. Inside the room were Shoko, Yuuji, and Ijichi. On the table was a body. 

Satoru stumbled to a stop as his eyes took in the scene. It was Ryou. But it couldn’t be him. He looked too pale. Too dead. Too cold. The older twin had never been that outgoing, but he always had this fire within him. Yet that flame was extinguished, leaving nothing but an empty husk. Although the body was covered with a white sheet, he could see the shape of the wound that had killed the teen. With a trembling hand, Satoru lifted the sheet to show a massive hole in his friend’s chest.

No.

An image flashed in his mind. Another chest with another hole. The missing heart that was cruelly torn out. It happened again. He failed again. No.

“I’m sorry,” Yuuji's hollow voice spoke out. “It was my fault. I was too weak. Ryou died because of me.”

Satoru turned toward his childhood friend. The younger teen had been sitting on the chair with his arms resting on his legs. His head was hung low and nobody could see his expression. 

“Yuuji,” Satoru said as he approached the teen. 

“It’s my fault! I should’ve told him to run away when I saw that special grade! It’s my fault!” Yuuji gritted out. While his face was hidden, everyone could hear the choked sobs from the teen.

Satoru dropped to his knees and pulled his friend into his embrace. Yuuji resisted momentarily, but when the other insisted, he let himself be pulled into a hug. As the younger teen placed his face into his neck, the white-haired boy could feel his collar becoming wet.

“It’s not your fault,” Satoru said.

It was his.

Neither Shoko, Ijichi, nor Suguru spoke a word.

Shoko breathed out a lungful of smoke as she stood outside the morgue. It wasn’t the first time for her to see the corpses of her allies. Although she was still a student, her ability to use the Reverse Cursed Technique on others had made her indispensable to the headquarters. While she wasn’t a combat genius like her friends, she had become important to another aspect of the Jujutsu world. Death and sorcerers were old friends. It wasn’t rare to hear somebody got killed during missions. 

She thought she had gotten used to it by now. Hardening her heart and forcing herself to think logically as she dissected various bodies. Cruel though it might be, attempting to understand the curse that had killed a sorcerer was important. Traces of cursed energy could help them grasp the monster’s power. Knowing what kind of power this new special grade had was highly vital. Yet, as she stood over Ryou’s body, she hesitated.

Shoko wasn’t as close to him compared to Satoru or Suguru, but they had become friends. The twins were likable in their own ways. Yuuji for his warmth, and Ryou for his support and stability. She could almost imagine the teen standing in the kitchen while he prepared food with his brother. They were nice like that. Feeding homemade meals for starving teens. Although they weren’t lacking in funds or food, it had been nice to know that they could gather and eat together. It was almost like a family dinner. Satoru and Suguru would be their annoying selves while Yuuji would try to keep the peace. Ryou would ignore them as best as he could with Nanami, while Haibara would sometimes egg the two idiots on. Ijichi would keep to himself until Satoru tried to annoy him, but Ryou intercepted him with a well-placed hit on the head.

It had been nice, and now it would never happen again.

Suguru could only watch silently as Satoru coaxed Yuuji back to his room. Ryou’s death hit everyone hard, but Yuuji was the one who suffered the most. They were twins, after all. They had grown up together, but now the person the kid had thought would be with him until his death was mercilessly taken away. 

The black-haired teen couldn’t believe it at all when he heard the news. He still couldn’t believe it when he saw the body with his own eyes. Ryou might be young, but he was strong. He could have been a great sorcerer. Yet that future was gone. Familiar doubts began to rise in his mind. This was the truth of being a sorcerer. To die in the shadow. To fight an endless war. Indignace and hatred began to flare up in life, yet Suguru stamped them down. No. Stop. 

This wasn’t about him. He doubted Ryou would think that Suguru returning to that old plan was an acceptable response to his death. That boy was coldly logical. No doubt he had seen the most likely outcome when he encountered that special grade. He had died protecting Yuuji, after all. He had weighed his life against his brother and found the weight of his own life wanting.

Suguru breathed out slowly as he tried to control the sadness and anger that welled up within him. It was truly unfair. As he stood in that empty hallway, he recalled a conversation between them. It had taken place the day after he had received that talisman from his juniors.

“You said that life is like an ouroboros of suffering and death,” Suguru said. “If you think that life is that bad why do you fight for others?”

Ryou hummed before answering, “That’s not true. I do not think that life is all terrible. I only wish to acknowledge the dark side of it. Sadness, disappointments, and anger. Those dark emotions would always be a part of life even if we were able to erase all curses. To live is to suffer. Yet to live is to also experience joy and love. To live is to fight against that pain in search of the things that you find precious. To live is to endure. For what you believe and for those you cherish.”

It had sounded like such lofty words that Suguru couldn’t help but laugh back then. Yet now, the teen couldn’t help but reflect back on it. 

“To endure huh?” the teen muttered.

The death of Ryou had wiped the smile off everyone’s faces. Kento would not claim he was close to the younger teen, yet even he felt an ache when he heard his death. Haibara had received the news much harder. After all, he had considered the twins as his beloved juniors and thus strove to be a proper role model, including protecting them. However, one life was taken away without grace or warning. It wasn’t the first time that Kento was reminded of the bleak life of a sorcerer. A part of him had always expected that he would die in his next missions, yet he could never fail to stop himself from being surprised to hear when an ally fell in battle. 

No matter how much he chided himself, it would not stop the pain from returning. Kento wondered whether things would be different if he were to be there. Of course, the answer would be no. It was a special grade, and he was not strong enough to fight against that level of enemy. Yet, as he gazed at the pale visage of Itadori Ryou, he couldn’t help but feel regret. For what he wasn’t sure. Perhaps it was regret for his weakness, or perhaps it was regret that such a young life was ended so soon.

Kento knew that Ryou’s death would be one of the things that haunted him.

Unlike regular people, sorcerers didn’t have the luxury of mourning their dead for a long period of time. Considering how many lives could be taken away at any given month, most people had become rather desensitized to it. Ryou’s body was quickly cremated once the examination was completed. As the only living member of his family, Yuuji was allowed to pick up his ashes and bones. While the other young sorcerers kept their distance, the teen had offered the long chopsticks to them after he had placed the first bone in. 

Everyone looked unsure. After all, no matter how close they were, they weren’t a family. Yet, Satoru took a step and accepted the tool. He placed another piece of bone into the urn and offered the tool Suguru. The black-haired teen carefully accepted it and picked up another remains before offering it to Shoko. And so the young sorcerers slowly put the bones of Itadori Ryou into the urn. The Kotsuage took some time, considering they only had one chopstick, yet nobody uttered a word. When everything was fully contained within the urn, Yuuji took it in his hand. 

The boy’s bright eyes had become dull after his brother’s death. An adult monk led them toward the plot of land where sorcerers without family were buried. Satoru had offered to bury Ryou in Kyoto beside Wasuke, but the elders had refused to let the special-grade sorcerers leave. The news of a special grade curse put many people into vigilance. Allowing their strongest fighter out of range wasn’t acceptable to the higher-ups. Satoru was ready to fight them, but Yuuji accepted the decision.

“He won’t mind,” Yuuji said.

Of course, Ryou wouldn’t. He had always been someone who put practicality and reasons first. The elders’ decision still grated on Satoru’s nerves, but he held himself back because he didn’t want to sully his friend’s funeral. Once all procession was completed and the urn was placed in its final resting place, the young sorcerers stayed to watch the gravestone for a while. Yuuji tightened his fists as he looked at the engraved name on the stone. Ryou had not been the first person he had lost. Hell, he wasn’t the first brother to sacrifice himself for him. But the pain would never stop. It would never be gone. How could he stop his heart from breaking apart when the people he loved left him?

As tears began to flow out again, Yuuji felt Satoru grasped his hand. The teen continued to stay there for a long time before his friend tugged him. Although the teen was reluctant, he let the white-haired boy lead him away. As a group, the young sorcerers left the cemetery in silence.

Everything became silent for several minutes before another sound of footstep appeared. 

This time it belonged to Toji. The man had heard about Ryou’s death on the phone. He hadn’t believed it at first. Ryou were tough. Tougher than any person without a cursed energy should. He could probably force Toji to stalemate if he was motivated enough. How could a brat like that die? He only started to believe it when he heard it from Gojo. That kid wouldn’t lie about this.

As Toji stood before the new grave, he sighed. “So, it happened huh?” Perhaps he should’ve expected this. The two talked about this topic before.

“You know that twins are considered bad omens, right?” Toji said that when he heard the twins had enrolled in Jujutsu High. “It’s nothing bad if you are regular humans, but Jujutsu and twins don’t work well together.”

“I know,” Ryou replied. 

“You seem to be pretty good at fighting,” the man continued. “I would argue you can probably get Grade One, but you won’t be able to reach your full potential.”

Ryou was strong, but he wasn’t as strong as Toji. The kid couldn’t even see curses without those glasses. As long as his twin was alive, the boy would never be able to break that limit. 

“Didn’t I say already that I knew?” Ryou said. “I’ve thought about it. When that time arrives, I’ll be the one who dies.”

“When, huh? Why are you so sure that it’s a fixed thing?”

“Because of fate. And because that's what an older brother should do.”

Toji chuckled. “Didn’t know you are a superstitious person.”

Ryou replied, “Believe what you want. Just make sure you have another stream of income when I’m gone. Stop depending on gambling to get cash.”

“Hey, what makes you think that I’m only contacting you because of betting? I’ll miss you if you were gone, you know.”

“No, you’ll miss the easy money I can provide you.”

Toji didn’t say a word as he looked at the name on the tombstone. After another minute passed, he said, “Believe it or not, I’ll miss you, brat.”

No snarky response came.

As Yuuji lay down on his bed, he couldn’t help but feel another wave of tears threatening to pour out. It had only been days since Ryou’s death, after all. Even now, half of him still expected his brother to come to his room to nag him about doing his homework. Sometimes, his voice would echo inside the younger teen’s head as he did his daily activities. 

It was hard. He knew he should move. Kenjaku and Mahito were still free. He could’ve spent his time investigating and hunting them down. Yet his body refused to move. He had reasoned that he could at least have some time to bury his brother, but now that it was done. He still couldn’t do anything. Yuuji was tired. 

Ring!

The boy blinked when he heard his phone begin to vibrate. He had a call. Although he had considered ignoring it, he caught a glimpse of the name that appeared on the screen. He reached out and pressed answer.

“... Yuuji,” Megumi said.

“Megumi,” Yuuji replied.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner,” the boy said. “I wasn’t sure whether or not I should. I heard what happened to your brother.”

“I see.”

“... Are you okay?” Megumi asked. “Stupid question, of course, you’re not.”

Yuuji let out a weak chuckle. Megumi had always been bad with feelings, but it still warmed him to see his friend trying to comfort him. “It’s okay. I… It’s hard. I still can’t believe that he’s gone. Everything was going fine and then Mahito showed up.”

Megumi gasped at that name but didn’t press any questions. The boy knew that this wasn’t the moment to talk about curses. 

The words that Yuuji had kept to himself began to pour out. “I failed him, Megumi. I failed him. It was like Nanamin and Kugisaki again. Have I told you that they died in front of me back in Shibuya? Mahito killed them, and now he killed Ryou too. Why am I so fucking useless?!”

“Yuuji… It’s not your fault.”

“How could it not?! If I were stronger, then I could’ve handled Mahito! But I was weak! Too weak! Ryou died because he used himself as a shield for me!” Yuuji only stopped because he had to prevent himself from sobbing.

Megumi remained silent.

“Did you know that I sometimes entered this weird alternate realm? It happened with Choso and it occurred when Ryou died too. He told me it was okay! That he wanted me to live and be happy! But how could I… how could I when he’s dead?” Yuuji gripped the phone in his hand tighter. He knew that Megumi could understand this pain. He had lost Tsumiki in that other world. In fact, he had it worse since he was forced to kill her with his own hands. “He gave me a ginkgo leaf before he disappeared. Ryou always liked flowers. Sometimes he would even make Ikebana, but his favorite plant wasn’t a flower. It was ginkgo trees.”

“Why do you like it so much?” Yuuji asked back when he had been a child. 

“Did you know what ginkgo leaf represents?” Ryou replied as he played around with a yellow ginkgo leaf. “It means resilience, peace, and hope. A bit like you I think. You’ve always been so stubborn. Also, don’t you think this yellow color is similar to your eyes?”

“Stupid, Ryou, you also have the same eyes!”

“Hmm, I suppose I do.”

Tears began to flow out even harder now. Megumi silently listened as his friend broke down. There were no words he could say that could ease the pain of losing someone close. He did not trust Ryou, but he didn’t wish for the teen to die. Even now, he sometimes still had nightmares about Tsumiki dying. Although he had suffered in that other world, Yuuji had suffered even more. The pain of loss and regret. It was something the two knew well. And so, knowing there was nothing else he could do, Megumi accompanied his friend as he cried his sorrow out.

Chapter Text

Ryou’s death brought a dark cloud over everyone in the Jujutsu High. While the young sorcerers knew that death was always close by due to their job, seeing someone they knew passed away so soon still hit everyone hard. The laughter and jokes that were usually thrown around in the dorm were gone. Even smiles were hard to come by. Yuuji no longer showed his bright grin, and Satoru didn’t try to be a menace like usual. Suguru and Shoko tried to be there for them, but nothing could truly comfort the two teens. After all, what could ease the pain of the death of someone you cherish? Any words of comfort would seem shallow and fake. 

Everyone mourned in their own ways, but Satoru’s method concerned Suguru. His friend had never claimed to be good with emotions, and this fact became very obvious during this time. Satoru had accepted countless missions and spent many days outside as he tried to track down the special grade that had killed Ryou. If their work had been large before, Satoru’s current work would have been unsustainable. It didn’t take long for the white-haired teen to sport a pair of dark eyebags that marred his striking visage. 

“Satoru, you need to slow down,”  Suguru said when he managed to stop his friend from heading out to another mission right after he had finished his previous one. Yaga had attempted to stop his student from overworking, but the teen refused to listen. The higher-ups also didn’t have any motivation to complain. The threat of a special grade was scaring those old men, and since Satoru wanted to hunt it down, then there was no reason for them to stop the teen, even if that decision would ruin the young prodigy.

The white-haired teen only shot a tired glare at his friend. “I don’t have time, Suguru, step aside.”

“No, have you seen how terrible you look?” the other asked. “How long since you get a full night's sleep?”

Satoru didn’t answer. In truth, he had not been getting any good sleep ever since Ryou’s death. His brain kept looping back to that horrifying image of the wound in his friend’s chest. He should’ve been there. He should’ve been the one fighting that curse. He wondered what Ryou thought during his last moment.  Did he feel fear? Or did he easily accept his death? Satoru felt like it was the latter. Ryou had decided that protecting Yuuji in exchange for his life was a fair trade. He would not regret that choice. Yet, Satoru did. 

"You are too weak, Gojo Satoru."

Tengen’s words echoed in his head. Weak. Yeah. He was weak. He couldn’t even fully master his technique yet. Why was he so fucking useless? He had failed Ryou by not being there when they encountered that curse, but he would not fail him again by allowing that wretched creature to roam free.

“I said step aside,” Satoru repeated.

Suguru pursed his lips. 

Before his friend could argue again, Satoru forced the other to move aside so he could walk out of the building. He couldn’t rest. He didn’t deserve to rest. Not until he wiped away that trash of a special grade from existence.

Suguru watched his friend’s back silently as he clenched his fists.

Yaga Masamichi rubbed his eyes as he reread the report that Yuuji had written. A special grade wasn’t something that he had ever encountered during his time as a sorcerer. This monster was supposed to be rare, yet somehow, one stumbled on the path of three first-year students. Satoru’s accusation rang in his ears. The boy had never hidden his dislike toward the higher-ups, and Masamichi would usually ignore it. Someone with as much pride and talent as Gojo Satoru would not like being ordered around. Yet now, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of doubt.

Masamichi knew that the elders were not people without faults. In fact, many of them got those positions because they were the most crafty and sly. Besides being born in the right clan, they could only climb up the treacherous social ladder of the Jujutsu world because they had stabbed some other ambitious but poor sods in the back. Masamichi didn’t like them, but he was smart enough to hide it. No matter the place, no matter the time, power would always draw those who were wicked.

When he had accepted the Itadori twins as his students, he had warned himself not to get too attached. Being a sorcerer was already dangerous enough, and the fate of the two brothers was even more dire. One was the vessel of the dreaded King of Curses, and the other was someone without a cursed technique. Since the powerful clans were very traditionalist, they would not accept someone like Ryou at all. Even if he were to become powerful, they would deem him worthless for not having a technique. Just look at Zen’in Toji. While Masamichi had never met the man personally, he had heard of his combat prowess. The man could even fight the peerless Gojo Satoru into a deadlock. The person who had been called the trash of the Zen’in family could accomplish such a feat, yet Masamichi knew the clan still refused to acknowledge the man. 

Yuuji had a different problem than Ryou. While the boy had been a regular human, the kid adjusted to being a sorcerer quickly. The fact that he manifested a cursed technique was another topic that made the higher-ups uneasy. That slicing and cutting power could only belong to Sukuna. How could a boy so young unlock that ability so soon? If Yuuji hadn’t been a vessel, they would’ve welcomed him with open arms. But Masamichi had heard the whispers in the dark. The boy was actually the King of Curses himself. He had merely pretended to be a human boy. He was only bidding his time. Foolish. If they had gotten to know the kid, they would have seen that Yuuji could never have been the King of Curses. 

And so, despite Masamichi’s warnings to himself, he had gotten attached. How stupid. Ryou was not the first student who had passed away during his time as a teacher at Jujutsu High. No. There had been several more young sorcerers who passed away tragically early. Yet the death of Ryou left a bitter taste in his mouth. No matter how much he tried to deny it. The appearance of that special grade was too suspicious. The fact that an elder requested the first-year students to complete this mission made it even more strange. At the same time, the fear that he had felt from them had not been a lie either. Could it be? Was there something bigger afoot? A conspiracy? 

Masamichi sighed. A small part of him told him that this was too big of a problem for him, yet a bigger part of him refused to leave it alone. Whatever was going on. It would likely involve his troublesome students. As their teacher, it was his duty to ensure they were safe. He had so much work to do.

Haibara Yu breathed heavily as he finished another set of training. Since his teacher was quite busy that day, he had told them to do some personal training. While the teen was never someone who slacked off, he had increased the intensity of his exercise even further. He heard footsteps behind him and turned around to see Nanami’s frowning face. 

“You should take a break,” the blond said.

Yu shook his head. “No, I can keep going.”

“You do know that doing anything excessively will only backfire, correct?” Nanami replied.

“I know, it’s just…” Yu turned his face away. “I need to keep moving.”

It had been almost two weeks since Ryou’s death, yet his departure still left deep marks that refused to alleviate even slightly. Even Yu had no desire to crack up a joke, and Gojo and Yuuji had completely lost their cheer. While Yu liked to look at the bright side of things, it was hard to find one in this situation. How could you put a positive spin on the death of a friend? Ryou had willingly sacrificed his life to protect his brother, but it shouldn’t have happened in the first place. How could a special grade suddenly show up? 

When Yu was reminded about the powerful curses that many sorcerers couldn’t fight, a feeling of urgency rose within him. He had to get stronger. The boy knew that he might never reach his seniors’ level of power. Perhaps he would never be able to defeat a special grade, but… at least he wanted to be able to help if something like this ever happened. With his current level, the teen knew that he would not be much help even if he were to also be there during that incident.

Nanami sighed. “Fine, but I’ll monitor you. If I told you to stop, then you better stop.”

Yu gave a small grin at his friend.

Ijichi Kiyotaka looked down blankly at the open book on his table. He had been trying to read the same paragraph for a minute, yet his mind continued to remain blank. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to force himself to read, the boy pressed his face defeatedly onto his book.

Kiyotaka was tired.

Things had fallen apart after that terrible mission. Everything had been going fine. Yuuji had exorcised the curse easily, and Kiyotaka had to escort a civilian to safety. Yet, when he returned back to the mansion, the place was in shambles. It was as if a massive and violent fight had occurred while he had been absent. It didn’t take long for the teen to find his friends. Even now, Kiyotaka could still clearly remember how Yuuji looked that night. The boy was cradling the body of his brother as a large curse was slowly disappearing behind him. Kiyotaka didn’t understand for a moment before his eyes caught the sight of the gruesome wound. 

Ah. 

Ryou was dead.

That sentence repeated in his head as his feet automatically brought him closer to Yuuji. He had crouched down beside the weeping teen. No words could escape from his lips. What could he say? The two stayed there until the assistant manager arrived to check on them. They might have stayed there even longer if it hadn’t been for her. The ride back to Jujutsu High was oppressively silent. Yuuji had refused to let go of his brother’s body and kept Ryou close to him. The smell of blood had filled the car, but nobody said a word of protest. Kiyotaka only half noticed when they finally arrived at their destination. The shock of seeing his classmate’s dead body didn’t leave him for the rest of that day. Even now when many days had passed, a part of the teen was still shocked.

Ryou had been strong. Kiyotaka could never hope to beat him in a fight, but the teen had been killed by a curse. A special grade. What kind of bad luck was required for them to stumble on that walking bomb? A part of him argued that losing one life was considered lucky when dealing with a special grade, yet the rest of him couldn’t accept the fact that his friend was dead. He wondered how terrible Yuuji had to be feeling. Kiyotaka was not good with words, and his tongue refused to move whenever he met the teen. 

Useless. 

Kiyotaka was useless. There was no need to imagine a what-if scenario where he had been there alongside the twins. He would only end up being a burden. Another life snuffed out. Perhaps he had been lucky not to encounter that curse, he he didn’t feel like it at all. He mostly felt horrible.

After sighing deeply, Kiyotaka slapped his cheeks and forced himself to focus. No good. He knew that he was returning to his bad habit. Thinking so negatively was not a good thing. Ryou had warned him about that. 

“Stop with your pity party. It is useless and won’t change a thing. Focus on the present and do the best thing you can.”

As Kiyotaka held on to that reminder, he opened his book again. Ryou might be gone, but he refused to get stuck. His friend wouldn’t want him to wallow in that sadness. And with a heavy heart, the teen forced himself to continue his study. After all, that was all he could do.

Yoshino Junpei was a normal kid at first glance, but the boy knew he was different. While the other children focused on toys and games, the black-haired boy would often stare off into space. Some adults had gotten quite worried, especially his mother. Yet when the kid told them about the creatures he saw, they would call them his imaginary friends. He didn’t feel like they were friends, and they certainly weren’t imaginary. They were real. But no matter how much he tried to convince them, they didn’t believe him. After all, he was just a kid. So, Junpei learned to keep his mouth shut about those creatures. He pretended that he didn’t see them. It wasn’t as if anyone else could.

Junpei lived a normal life. He went to kindergarten and played around. However, his favorite thing was to watch movies. The best thing that could happen to him was when his mother would let him borrow some DVDs from a shop. Due to his withdrawn personality, he didn’t have many friends. The other kids thought he was weird. Even after he stopped telling others about the invisible monsters, the rumors stuck a bit. Junpei the weirdo. That was his nickname. His mother said not to let those bad words bother him. So he didn’t. He didn’t need them anyway. He was fine by himself.

Except for the invisible monsters, Junpei’s life was normal. That was the truth until one day, he was approached by an unknown man. The boy usually didn’t like to pay attention to others, especially adults, but the man was strange. He had long gray hair, and his eyes had different colors. Not only that but there were lines of stitches across his body. How weird. Junpei knew it was weird to stare, but he couldn’t help but look at the man. The other noticed him and gave a wave as he approached him.

“Hello there, Junpei-kun,” the man said as he crouched down.

“Do I know you?” Junpei asked. He was sure he had never met this man yet something about him seemed familiar.

The man tapped his chin. “Hmm… Maybe yes maybe not.”

Junpei puckered his lips at that weird answer. Shouldn’t it be yes or no?

“Who are you?” Junpei asked.

“Me? My name is Mahito!” the other replied happily. “Say, your school seems boring. How about you follow me and I’ll show you something cool!”

Junpei frowned. His mother said that following strangers wasn’t good. Shaking his head, the boy said, “No.”

Mahito kept smiling as he stood up. Without saying a thing, he then grabbed the kid’s hand. “Sorry, Junpei, but I really need your help. Play with me for a bit okay? I’ll give you something in exchange. Promise!”

Junpei tried to pull his hand away. He didn’t like this. He wanted to go away. Yet the grip on his arm was too strong. Before the kid could scream for help, Mahito covered his lips and took him away.

Yuuji stared at the plate of food on the table as he nudged the piece of egg around using his chopstick. He knew that his grandfather had disliked anyone who played around with food, but he really didn’t have the appetite to eat. Not that he had much energy for anything these days. He had tried to keep going, but… it was hard.

“Eat your food properly, Yuuji,” Ryou’s voice chided.

“I know, Ryou,” Yuuji grumbled as he forced another mouthful down. He had to eat if he wanted to have energy. After all, he couldn’t fight curses if he couldn’t even throw a punch. The teen’s struggle to eat was disrupted when his phone rang. Now, Wasuke definitely taught him not to play with his phone during meal times, but his grandfather wasn’t here, and it wasn’t like he was eating with anybody. Everyone was busy, and Satoru was out on a mission. Yuuji was alone now.

After he turned on his phone, the teen frowned when he saw the name of the person who sent him a message. Toji? Why would the man message him? What was strange was the number the message came from. It was the old phone number that got lost a while ago. When he opened the messaging app, his eyes widened.

[Fushiguro Toji: Hey, Itadori~ Let’s play!]

Attached to the message was a photo of a boy. It took Yuuji a second to realize it but he knew the kid. It was Junpei.

No.

Junpei’s crying face.

No.

A large, deformed hand grasped his clothes desperately.

No.

‘Yuuji…’

No.

Yuuji grasped his phone tighter as his breaths came out faster. The chair dropped to the ground when the teen jolted into a standing position. With his meal forgotten, the teen dashed outside as he desperately ran toward Kawasaki city, where Junpei should’ve been living.

Omake:

Mahito: *Killed Junpei in front of Yuuji* Wanna see me do it again?

Chapter Text

Junpei didn’t believe himself to be a coward. He was a brave boy. His mother said so. However, he couldn’t deny that he was afraid as Mahito took him to an unfamiliar place. The sky had turned dark even though it was day. He didn’t realize it at first but this man was one of the invisible monsters. How did he look so human though? All the monsters he had seen always looked weird.

Junpei was confused and scared. He wanted to go home. He wanted his mother. Yet Mahito ignored him no matter how hard he cried. The boy had considered running away once the man released him from his hold but that was useless. The other easily caught him the first time the boy tried to run. He actually made it into a game of sorts.

“Why not? It’ll take some time before Itadori arrives,” Mahito said.

“Who’s Itadori?” Junpei asked as he folded his feet and wrapped his arms around them.

“Your friend,” the man said. “He’s going to come and save you. Like a knight in shining armor. Heh.”

Junpei wasn’t sure if those words were meant to be a compliment. The way Mahito talked was mean. It was as if he hated everything. The boy couldn’t understand. He didn’t know this Itadori person.

“Why did you take me?” Junpei asked sullenly.

“Because you are important to him,” Mahito replied.

“But I don’t know him,” the boy protested.

“Not yet.”

Adults were hard to understand but Mahito was even more confusing than most adults. He spoke big words and talked about topics the boy couldn’t understand. 

“Say, do you hate humans, Junpei?” Mahito asked after the kid stopped replying.

“What?”

“Humans. There are so many of them. All of them pretend to be this lofty creature that is above others yet they are all beasts inside. They hate and curse each other. And I hate them too.”

“Mom said it’s not good to hate,” Junpei muttered.

Mahito sighed as he leaned back on the chair he had brought. “How boring. You’re still young according to human age, right? So you’re stupid right now.”

“I’m not stupid!” the boy protested. His mother said he was a smart kid!

The man ignored him completely. “As I thought being a curse is better. We don’t need to deal with being dumb.”

The boy only frowned and didn’t say a word.

Before their conversation could fully die, the man snapped his finger as his expression went bright. “Oh right! I almost forgot!” Mahito then got up from his seat to crouch in front of the kid. Junpei tried to get away, but the other easily grabbed his temple and held it firmly. “This is my reward for being such a good kid.”

Junpei didn’t want his reward. He wanted to go home. Yet, like everything Mahito had done, he ignored the boy and did whatever he wanted.

Since Yuuji had left Jujutsu High without permission, he couldn’t ask for a driver to take him to Kawasaki City. While there was a train heading there, it took a slightly longer time, and he decided to call a taxi for himself. The half an hour's drive was one of the most anxiety-inducing periods in his life. His brain kept looping back to his past memories. Imagines of Junpei’s face and his death stuck themselves to the forefront of his mind. He had to go. He had to save Junpei. 

Why did Mahito target the boy? The curse couldn’t have known him yet. Was it fate? Was Junpei fated to die by the curse’s hand? Yuuji refused. He wouldn’t let it happen again. He couldn’t. The fact that Mahito sent him that photo meant that he was walking into a trap, but the teen didn’t care. He had to rescue the boy. Damn the consequences. He had just failed his brother. He didn’t want to fail another person. 

Once the taxi dropped him at his destination, Yuuji immediately ran toward the location of Yoshino’s house. Since Mahito didn’t give him an address, the teen had to track down the curse. Junpei was just a boy now, so he needed to meet with his mother to find out where she had seen her kid last. Then, it might be possible for him to track down the missing boy.

Luckily, the woman was in her house when Yuuji knocked on the door. Junpei’s mother frowned when she saw an unknown teen who seemed to be on the edge of panic. “Excuse me, is there something you need?”

“I’m sorry! This may sound strange, but where was the last time you saw your child?” Yuuji asked.

Yoshino frowned. “What? How do you know Junpei? He’s just a small boy so he should be in school right now.”

“He’s not! He’s gotten kidnapped!” Although it would raise more questions, Yuuji activated his phone and showed her the photo that Mahito had sent. In the picture, Junpei was looking up at the camera with wide scared eyes.

Yoshino gasped in horror. “Junpei! How did you? Where’s my son?! And who are you?!”

Not knowing what else to say, Yuuji was forced to lie to convince Junpei’s mother. “I- I’m friends with Junpei. We met at a movie shop. Since we have a similar taste, we started talking.”

Yoshino's furrow became deeper at that explanation. Her son was very shy, and she couldn’t believe the kid would be brave enough to talk to a boy much older than him.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but I think he got kidnapped by one of my enemies. Can you please call the school and make sure he’s there?” Yuuji added.

Not seeing anything wrong with that, Yoshino called Junpei’s teacher while still keeping her eyes on the unknown teen. Based on his expression, it didn’t seem like the boy was lying, but he was still a stranger who suddenly knocked on her house to tell her that her son had been kidnapped.

The phone rang several times before it was answered. “Hello?”

“I’m sorry for bothering you Yanagi-san, but can you find Junpei for me?” Yoshino asked.

The teacher made a questioning noise but asked her to wait for a moment. After a period of silence, she could hear the sound of urgent footsteps getting close before the woman said, “I-I’m sorry Yoshino-san, but we can’t find your son anywhere. He should be within the school grounds right now but I can’t find him. I’ll try to look again, kids like to hide after all.”

Yoshino’s face became pale as he met the gaze of the unknown boy. After ending the call, she said, “He’s not there. Where is he?!”

Yuuji bit his lip. “I’m not sure. Can you tell me the location of his school? I may be able to track him down then.”

“I-I should call the police,” Yoshino said as her trembling fingers started to type in the number. 

“Please don’t! It won’t help. Just- can you please tell me his school?” Yuuji pleaded. If they got police involved in this, things would just get even more messy. The teen couldn’t afford that. Mahito had always been fickle, if he didn’t show up soon, the curse might get bored and do something horrible to Junpei.

Yoshino and the teen stared eye to eye. The woman knew that the rational thing to do was to prevent the kid from leaving while she waited for the cops to arrive. After all, the boy seemed to know something about the kidnapping case. Yet her gut feeling urged her to trust this unknown teen.

Pursing her lips, Yoshino said, “Okay, but at least tell me your name first.”

“Itadori Yuuji!” the boy replied. He hoped he could show her how sincere he was. Showing up suddenly like this while showing the picture of a kidnapped boy certainly made him look suspicious, but he didn’t have enough time. 

Thankfully, Junpei’s mother finally relented and said, “Itadori-kun, huh? Alright, here’s the address to Junpei’s school.” 

After giving him the location of the kindergarten, the boy gave her a quick bow and immediately ran toward the location. Although Yuuji knew it would draw some attention, he used his cursed energy to enhance his speed further. It only took several minutes for him to reach the kindergarten. Since he didn’t want to enter the school grounds yet, he tried to use his sight to notice any residue of cursed energy that Mahito might have left behind. It didn’t take long for him to find one. The track was rather obvious as if the curse was taunting him to follow.

Gritting his teeth, Yuuji quickly followed the residue. Before he even arrived, he already had an inkling as to where Mahito was leading him. Satozakura High School. A ball of dread appeared in his stomach. A dark veil had been placed over the building as if welcoming his arrival. Yuuji didn’t hesitate to get inside and found the area utterly silent. 

There should have been noise and activities from the students and teachers, but nobody was walking around. It was as if the area was dead. Ignoring the mounting anxiety, Yuuji forced himself to focus as he spread his senses. Mahito had to be here. Finding a curse wasn’t hard at all since the special grade didn’t bother to mask his presence. He was like a dark star that immediately drew Yuuji’s attention. The sorcerer headed toward his enemy’s location, the sports building. 

The teen considered doing a sneak attack but he doubted that would work. The curse was aware of his arrival, and Yuuji didn’t want to accidentally hurt Junpei. With a loud bang, he slammed open the door to the building and stepped inside. As expected, there were numerous unconscious students lying on the ground. Mahito was sitting on the raised platform with a smirk on his face.

“Yo! Itadori. You certainly took your time,” the curse said. “I was almost getting bored and I have been thinking about playing around with our dear Junpei.”

“Mahito,” Yuuji growled as he took several steps closer to the curse. “Where is Junpei?”

“Hmm? Why should I tell you?” the special grade asked.

“If you answer me, I’ll make your death quick,” Yuuji coldly replied.

Mahito only laughed, not feeling threatened at all by the murderous glare the sorcerer was giving him. “We’ll see about that.”

A second Mahito broke into the building through one of the windows. The copy then sent its hand toward Yuuji, but the teen easily dodged away and used Cleave to cut the curse’s hand to pieces. The original quickly touched the nearby humans and transfigured them into monsters. Yuuji’s heart twisted at the sight, but he prevented himself from succumbing to that old grief, He had to take down the special grade quickly. 

First, he had to force the curse into an area without any humans, or else more innocents would fall under Mahito’s technique. Without hesitation, he used Dismantle to cut down the transfigured humans and then got close to the original. After grasping the curse’s clothes, he threw him out through the window and then threw a punch at the copy before dragging him outside, too. 

Unfortunately, Yuuji’s hope to stop having more transfigured humans show up was dashed. Just as he stepped foot outside, a new wave of monsters appeared from a nearby building. The sorcerer focused on destroying the copy first and then turned his attention to the original. The transfigured humans tried to stop him, but he easily took them down with his fists and kicks. However, before he could reach the curse, something caught his eye.

It was a young boy.

Yuuji’s eyes widened.

Stab.

The teen felt a blade pierce his stomach, but he didn’t react. With tear-filled eyes, Junpei looked up. His face was red and scrunched up by fear. “I-I’m sorry… I can’t stop it.”

What?

“Ahahahahahaha!” Mahito laughed as he tried to slam his transformed head on top of the two people. 

Yuuji reacted and leaped away from danger while holding Junpei. The boy twisted in his hold as his hands refused to lose their grip on the blade. There was a sharp twinge as the teen felt the kid pull out the weapon from his stomach. His Reverse Cursed Technique immediately activated and healed the wound close. 

“Junpei!” Yuuji tried to say more, but he was stopped when the kid tried to slash his face open.

“Aaah! I can’t stop!” Junpei exclaimed with tears and snot running down his face.

The teen was forced to immobilize the kid, but he couldn’t stay still for long since Mahito kept attacking him. The curse continued to laugh as Yuuji was forced on the defensive.

Fuck.

This wasn’t good. Junpei was clearly not in control of his body and was forced to keep attacking Yuuji. Was it a Cursed Technique? The sorcerer wasn’t sure. Either way, this put him in a bad spot. Since he couldn’t hurt the boy at all, he was forced to hold back. On the other hand, Mahito would keep cornering him, and more humans might fall under his transformation. 

“Come on! Let’s have more fun!” Mahito shouted as he shot his right arm, which had split into several parts, at the sorcerer. As the teen dodged his attacks, the curse shouted, “Junpei! Use your power!”

Junpei cried as his body began to output cursed energy. A familiar-looking jellyfish showed up in the air and immediately tried to choke Yuuji with its tentacles. The sorcerer kicked the shikigami away and jumped back to create more distance. Shit. He had to find a safe spot for Junpei. It wasn’t like he could drop the kid anywhere at the school. There were transfigured humans everywhere, and he was sure the curse would order his creations to attack the boy if Yuuji put down Junpei. 

The sorcerer observed the area and found a sufficiently tall tree on the school grounds. With one large leap, the teen reached the highest branch and hung Junpei from his collar. The kid was still swinging the knife in his hand wildly, but Yuuji took it and threw the weapon away. It was not the best spot to keep the kid, but at least it would give him some time to fight Mahito. Of course, the sorcerer would be forced to stay close since Mahito would still try to exploit Junpei, who was his biggest weakness. 

Yuuji sent one last glance at the boy to ensure he was secure in his current spot. As long as there wasn’t any big wind, the kid should be stuck on top of that tree. Junpei was crying even harder at being left hanging like an abandoned cat, but there was nothing the teen could do. More transfigured humans were heading his way, and he took them down one by one. Mahito also joined the chaos and tried to snipe down Junpei, but Yuuji stopped him by blocking his attack. 

The two reached a stalemate, where Mahito kept attacking while Yuuji was forced on the defensive. Despite the number of transfigured humans that he had taken down, even more monsters appeared to help the curse. Fuck. Did the special grade transform half of the students? Anger surged within Yuuji, and the teen shot a large Dismantle that cut down several monsters in half. The technique also hit Mahito, but since it wasn’t a soul attack, the curse was not hurt much by it. 

“This is getting rather boring,” Mahito grumbled. “How about we spice it up a bit?!”

The curse then opened his mouth and showed four arms that made a sign. “Domain Expansion!”

Yuuji immediately raised his own hands and made a mudra to release his own domain. The two barriers began to clash as the sorcerer and the curse fought for dominance. 

“Ahahaha! You can actually use domain!” Mahito didn’t seem threatened at all by Yuuji’s new power. The teen didn’t reply and only gritted his teeth as he tried to pummel the curse. While Yuuji tried to land a punch, the special grade changed the shape of his body and soul as he dodged and blocked the sorcerer’s attacks. 

“Do you think you have the luxury of fighting me here?” Mahito taunted. “The kid is still outside, you know.”

While the two people were battling inside the barrier, Junpei was crying as the remaining transfigured humans tried to climb or take down the tree. Inside the domains, Yuuji almost broke his teeth in anger at the taunt. Although he couldn’t see what was going on outside, he knew that Mahito would’ve ordered his creations to attack Junpei. Even so, he forced himself to stay calm. As long as he could take down the curse, then everything would be fine. He would also avenge Ryou, who the curse had killed. Yuuji didn’t like to hate, but he couldn’t deny that he despised Mahito. Junpei, Nanami, Kugisaki, Ryou, and so many humans. The curse had taken too many lives. In his previous life, he had failed to kill the special grade despite beating him. This time, he would exorcise Mahito with his own hand.

While Mahito tried to taunt Yuuji and anger him, the teen sharpened his focus and ignored his dark words. Finally, he managed to land a solid punch on the curse’s face. The impact sent the special grade reeling back, but the sorcerer kept up his attacks. He raised his other fist and began to pummel down his enemy. His anger. His pain. He channeled all of his grief into his strikes as he tried to make the curse feel the pain his brother had felt. He ended the combo with a kick that sent the special grade flying back. 

With its master being down, the Self-Embodiment of Perfection was being eroded by Yuuji’s domain. Should another second pass, the sure-hit effect would have landed, and Mahito would have received the full blow of Soul Dismantle. Yet, at that moment-

CRACK!

A sharp projectile came from outside and broke the barriers, destroying both domains in the process. Yuuji’s eyes immediately turned toward the new opponent. Before the teen stood a dead man; he had a long black hair that was tied into two high ponytails. There was a striking dark blood mark from both sides of his face that ran across the bridge of his nose. Golden orbs widened as sharp dark brown eyes stared forward impassively at him. The new opponent had his hands pointed straight at the sorcerer.

Yuuji should dodge. 

“Convergence.”

Yet his body refused to move.

“Piercing Blood.”

Without hesitation, Choso shot the blood projectile straight through Yuuji’s chest.

Omake:

Mahito: Prepare for trouble!

Choso: … 

Mahito: *Elbows the other*

Choso: *Sighs* And make it double.

Chapter Text

“Choso…” Yuuji muttered.

With a trembling hand, the teen covered the wound on his chest. The blood projectile had passed through his body, creating a clear exit wound. Although his Reverse Cursed Technique could heal the flesh wound, his body could feel the poison that was spreading. This amount of pain wouldn’t stop the boy, though. He was used to it. While it didn’t pierce through his heart, there was still a sharp pain inside his chest. It wasn’t because of the flesh wound. No. It was because of Choso.

The last time Yuuji saw the man was when he protected him from Sukuna’s Divine Flame, which burned everything to ash. If it hadn’t been for his brother, who sacrificed his life, the teen would’ve died at that time. Yet, now, the other was facing him as if he were an enemy. No, perhaps they were. After all, they weren’t related in this world. As far as he was aware, Kaori was a normal person and not a flesh puppet for Kenjaku. They weren’t related here. But… how did Choso incarnate already? He should’ve heard about a break-in if Kenjaku somehow managed to grab the Death Painting Cursed Wombs.

No.

Calm down, Yuuji. This wasn’t the time to get lost in his own head. This was bad. After using his domain, he couldn’t use his cursed technique. While Mahito also couldn’t use his Idle Transfiguration, Choso was still a dangerous opponent. Now, it was two against one. 

Junpei’s shriek broke the stalemate between the three fighters. Yuuji immediately turned toward the tree where the transfigured humans had been attacking. A small monster had managed to climb quite high, and it scared the boy when the creature tried to reach him.

Yuuji forced his eyes away from his brother and leaped up. Choso saw his chance and unleashed Slicing Exorcism in an attempt to cut the sorcerer. With his fast speed, the teen easily dodged the attack and kicked the transfigured human back to the ground. As he fell, the Death Painting threw Supernova at the sorcerer. The explosion of blood took down many of the monsters, but it also destabilized the tree. 

“Aaaaah!” Junpei screamed when he began to fall.

Yuuji was forced to tank some of Choso’s attacks so he could reach the kid and grab him in mid-air. Mahito, who had finally recovered from the sorcerer’s assault, tried to get in his way.

“Where do you think you’re going, Itadori?!” the curse exclaimed with a big grin.

Yuuji didn’t reply, only blocked the oncoming punch and retaliated with a kick. With Junpei in his hand, he began to sprint away from his enemies. Fuck. This wasn’t good at all. Unlike his teacher and Sukuna, who could refresh their burnt-out technique, the teen had to wait for his ability to return. That could take several minutes and maybe more, and that was time that he didn’t have.

Whatever technique or curse Junpei was under began to activate again once he was close to Yuuji. Besides slamming his tiny fists into his chest, his body began to glow with cursed technique. Another jellyfish shikigami showed up and attempted to restrain the sorcerer. While the teen easily knocked out the summon with an enhanced punch, Choso sent several more rounds of blood projectiles at the teen.

The sorcerer tried to dodge, but some managed to embed themselves into his back. Although his Reverse Cursed Technique healed those wounds, the extra dose of poison didn’t help. He was already tired because of his domain expansion, but now he had to deal with a poisoned body while trying to escape with a kid that kept wriggling in his hands. They were trying to overwhelm Yuuji, and it was working. Even though Mahito couldn’t use his technique, he still had enough transfigured humans that he ordered to surround and attack the sorcerer.

The teen took them down with kicks and punches, but more just showed up. Mahito also didn’t hold back from joining in the fun. The special grade was cackling loudly as he attacked Yuuji. Choso still kept his distance, but his technique was more than enough to keep the sorcerers occupied. The teen knew that the best thing to do was to engage with the Death Painting, but he couldn’t bring himself to attack his brother. Even if the man didn’t remember anything and would not consider him as his sibling, Yuuji couldn’t raise his fist against the person who had died for him, even if they weren’t the exact same person. Even if…

Surrounded from all sides, Yuuji eventually got overwhelmed. It was only one second, but that time was enough for Mahito to exploit that opening. Choso also saw their chance and activated the Flowing Red Scale to boost his power. Then, with Blood Edge, he tried to slam the blood knife on the sorcerer’s back. The teen easily blocked the oncoming hit, but Mahito appeared on his other side and reached out.

Yuuji’s eyes widened. 

Wait.

Had the curse already recovered?

The teen saw the attack coming. And while he was fast enough to dodge it at the last minute, Junpei was still in his arms, and the kid was making it difficult for him to move. If he tried to twist his body, he knew the special grade would just target the boy. As the sorcerer got trapped in a dilemma, Mahito had already placed his palm on Yuuji’s face.

Clap.

As Mahito used his Idle Transfiguration on the sorcerer, the teen felt his soul being affected. Just as Yuuji tried to fight back, he felt something spark within him. A dark and dangerous presence. Like a tsunami, a new yet familiar power burst out within him and rose to challenge the special grade’s attempt to corrupt the teen’s soul.

Golden eyes widened as an image flashed in his mind. It was a dark realm where thousands of bones lay atop the surface of a blood lake. One lone figure sat on top of the mountain of bones. Four red eyes opened as the ancient curse gazed down at the two intruders that had arrived in this inner domain.

“Fool,” the King of Curses said and raised his hand.

The two were immediately shoved back outside, and a deep gash appeared on Mahito’s torso. The special grade let out a pained yet gleeful cackle. “He’s here then!”

Yuuji couldn’t breathe. How? Sukuna?! How did he show up now?!

Although the teen wanted to panic, Choso’s attempt to attack him broke him out of his moment of crisis. So many questions popped up in his head, yet the sorcerer had to shove it back. As much as he hated the King of Curses, as long as he was here, Mahito wouldn’t be able to use his cursed technique on Yuuji. He just had to hold on until his ability returned, which should be soon. 

As if fate had finally taken pity on Yuuji, a new presence showed up inside the infested school grounds. Like the wind, Fushiguro Toji descended from the sky and tried to slash Choso into two with his blade. The Death Painting was able to dodge at the last second, but the man still managed to wound his left arm slightly.

“Toji!” Yuuji shouted. “How did you-?”

While taking down nearby transfigured humans, the man replied, “I was in the area when I saw this unsightly thing. As far as I know, there shouldn’t be a mission in this area so I decided to check. It’s a lucky day for you brat.” With a final swing of his blade, Toji cut down the last monster and rested the blunt edge of his weapon on his shoulder. “I usually don’t work for free.”

“Thanks!” the teen said happily. While he had never seen Toji fight, he knew the man was able to go toe to toe with Satoru. Having someone this strong as a backup would make this fight easier. 

Both Choso and Mahito had leaped back when they saw the new fighter. It seemed they had no intention to fight the man and after exchanging a glance, they immediately ran away. 

What?

Toji gave chase, but Yuuji shouted, “Don’t kill the black-haired one!” 

“Ha?!” The man shot an incredulous glance but still listened and targeted Mahito. The special grade spat out several monsters that lunged toward Toji. Despite their numbers, the man easily cut the transfigured humans to pieces with several slashes. However, the curse immediately slammed Body Repel toward the human.

Toji was forced to leap back and then jumped on top of the body. Despite the headstart, Toji managed to catch up and slammed the Split Soul Katana into the curse. With a sharp grin, the man sliced the special grade into two. Yet, instead of looking horrified, the curse grinned back, and then his flesh began to bulge out.

Toji’s eyes widened. 

BOOM!

The curse exploded into pieces, but the man managed to raise his cursed tool just in time to shield his face. Yuuji, who had stayed behind to hold down Junpei, exclaimed, “It’s a copy!” He then tried to use his sight to track the real one and found a much smaller Mahito waving his hand.

“Bye-bye! We’ll play again soon!” the curse said his goodbye. Behind him and Choso was a familiar portal that Kenjaku had used to escape.

Toji lunged toward their direction, yet he failed to reach the two enemies before they managed to step into the portal. Clicking his tongue, the man turned around to face the teen, “Who the hell are those two? And who’s that?”

Junpei finally stopped attacking Yuuji the moment Mahito disappeared. Wheezing a lungful of breath, the boy lay limply in the teen’s arm as he looked listlessly at the sky. The sorcerer frowned as he examined the kid. He hadn’t noticed it before since everything was chaos, but now that things had gotten calm, he finally saw something suspicious.

“Sorry, Junpei, I want to check something,” Yuuji said as he lifted the boy’s shirt. Right above his heart, there was a mark that had almost disappeared. That had to be the technique that forced the kid to be aggressive against the teen. 

Toji hummed in surprise. “Well, that’s interesting. But you haven’t answered my question, brat.”

Yuuji sighed as he fixed Junpei’s shirt. “The white-haired one is Mahito. He’s the special grade curse that… killed Ryou. The other one is Choso, a Death Painting.”

“A Death Painting?” Toji asked as he scratched his chin.

Yuuji blinked. “You don’t know? I thought the stain of the Kamo clan was an open secret?”

“The stain of the Kamo clan? I mean I guess there was that Noritoshi guy but nobody could manage to get a hand on his weird experiments. Is that guy one of his works? How did he show up here then?”

Yuuji frowned deeply. Did that mean all the Death Paintings were in Kenjaku’s hands this whole time? That wasn’t good. “I… There’s a lot to explain. I’ll tell you more later. I also need to bring Junpei back home.”

As the teen cradled the unconscious boy in his arms, he sent a mournful look at the transfigured humans on the ground. Although they had attacked Yuuji, he knew it wasn’t out of free will. All of them were victims. They should’ve been studying right now instead of being twisted into a plaything of a cruel monster.

“Come on, brat,” Toji said when the teen didn’t move from his spot. “We can’t stay here for long. Someone is bound to come soon and unless you want to drag the kid into the mess, we need to leave.”

Yuuji nodded. Together, they left the ruined Satozakura High School and headed toward Yoshino’s household. Junpei’s mother shed tears of relief when she saw her son was okay. Although it was against the regulations, the sorcerer still explained what had happened to the boy. After all, who knew if Mahito would decide to use Junpei again to attack Yuuji indirectly? It would be better if the woman knew of what happened. Despite his fear of being seen as a crazy person, Yoshino accepted his explanation much faster than he expected.

“Don’t you think it’s impossible?” Yuuji asked.

“It’s a bit hard to believe, I admit but…” Yoshino said. “Junpei has always talked about seeing invisible monsters before this. I thought it was just his imagination, but perhaps I was wrong. I also don’t think you’re lying to me, Itadori-kun.” 

Yuuji lowered his head at the show of trust. He didn’t feel like he deserved it. Things had gotten very bad during that fight. If Toji hadn’t helped, the teen wasn’t sure whether he could protect Junpei.

Since he couldn’t stay for long, he also gave the woman his phone number and even gave him Satoru’s for emergencies. He doubted that she would need it, but it was better to be safe than sorry. As the teen exited the house, Toji greeted him, “You took your time.”

“I thought you already left,” Yuuji replied.

The man shrugged. “Are you heading back to Jujutsu High?”

“Where else can I go?” Yuuji had already left without permission and he had to be in a lot of trouble. If he didn’t return, then things would get even worse.

Toji replied, “Yeah, I think that’s a bad idea. Just stay with me for a bit and observe how those geezers react.”

The teen frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“I just want to test something,” the man said and clapped the boy on the back. “Let’s go. Staying all the time in that stuck-up place must be boring.”

Yuuji wanted to protest but he was tired. Although Choso’s poison didn’t affect him that badly, his body still needed the extra rest. Since Toji was offering him a place to sleep then he wouldn’t reject it. 

When Choso and Mahito returned to the base, Kenjaku greeted them with his usual smile. The Death Painting didn’t return the gesture and only glared at his father. After being marked as failures, the man hadn’t abandoned them as he had expected. No. He had carried them around with him as he traveled and performed his various experiments. Despite being related, Choso hated the man. He hated how the curse user had treated his mother. He hated how Kenjaku viewed his siblings as failures. Even so, there was nothing he could do against his father. As long as the man held his brothers, he had to follow his orders.

Not that Choso could betray him anyway. Kenjaku had obtained a useful cursed technique from one of the bodies he had stolen. Initially, that power only allowed him to control dead bodies, but after some tinkering and adjustment, he could fully keep incarnated beings under his control. Choso was the first test subject, but another joined. The proud servant of the King of Curses, Uraume, was probably the other person who could fight Choso for the title of Kenjaku’s biggest enemy. Although he held no love for the King of Curses, he could sympathize with the pain of being forced to fight against someone you held dear. 

“So, how is it?” Kenjaku asked.

Mahito, who was stuck being a child after losing so much of his energy, jumped on his favorite seat. “Sukuna is there as you’ve said. It was tough you know. That Itadori has gotten stronger after his twin is gone. I would’ve died if our dear Choso didn’t help me.”

Choso didn’t reply and only turned his head away. If he had a choice, he would’ve let this curse die.

Kenjaku hummed. “Well, you’re the one who volunteered to take this mission. Yuuji is your natural counter. Obviously, he can handle you easily.”

“I know that, that’s why I used that kid.” Mahito snickered. “You should’ve seen his face when Junpei attacked him! Ahahaha! That mark you lent me is very useful, Kenjaku. Can’t you give me some more? I think I can have more fun if I can stick it to someone else. I heard Itadori has gotten close to other young sorcerers. Won’t it be great to see them fight each other? I can already imagine his anguish!”

“Unfortunately, that mark won’t work against trained sorcerers. They can easily disable them with their cursed energy. A pity, but I’ve tried many times. Only regular humans and weak sorcerers can be controlled with this method.”

Mahito pouted as he crossed his arms.

Choso couldn’t understand why the curse targeted that young sorcerer so much. Did they have a history? The Death Painting wanted to say that he didn’t care, but that would be a lie. When he faced Itadori, he felt something strange as he stood before the sorcerer. He could’ve aimed somewhere that would deal more damage. Yet, as he stared at those golden orbs, his hands moved slightly away, which prevented his Piercing Blood from hurting a major organ. How strange. His logic told him that with the kid’s Reverse Cursed Technique, he could’ve handled the wound, but his hand refused to attack anything that would remotely cause him death. Even during the rest of the fight, Choso was forced to stay behind. Half of it was because he didn’t want to try so hard to complete Kenjaku’s mission. The other half was because…

“Something on your mind, Choso?” Kenjaku asked.

The Death Painting glanced at his father before moving his gaze away again. “Nothing. I just want to know why you are so obsessed with the King of Curses. Aren’t you enemies? I thought you wanted him dead.”

“Now, that’s not true. We were colleagues, though, he would probably deny it. Sukuna was always someone who kept everyone at a distance.”

“Yet you still experiment with his remains,” Choso pointed out.

“He told me he didn’t care what I did with them after he was dead!” Kenjaku protested. “This is all just for curiosity's sake!”

“Ah yes, your weakness,” the Death Painting muttered.

The ancient sorcerer smiled. “Anyway, now that Sukuna is confirmed to be back on the board. I need to adjust some things.”

Mahito stretched on his seat before saying, “You said Sukuna isn’t going to be mad but I don’t think he’s that forgiving. Especially considering how you got his reincarnation killed. Wait, will he even remember that?”

“Well, that’s another thing that we have to make sure now, isn’t it?” Kenjaku hummed. “Think you’re up for another mission, Mahito?”

The special grade grinned.

When Satoru returned from his mission, everything was a mess. Yuuji had apparently run away from Jujutsu High and didn’t inform anyone. It had sent many people into a frenzy, especially those geezers. Although he was worried about his friend, he didn’t see anything wrong about Yuuji leaving the school. He wasn’t a child. He could handle himself. 

Yet, the white-haired teen froze when he heard the news from Yaga.

“The elders have deemed Yuuji a traitor and revoked the suspension of his death sentence,” his teacher said grimly.

“What?” Satoru blurted out. “What the hell are they thinking?! Yuuji has only been missing for what? Two days? Is that enough to immediately mark him as a curse user?!” 

Yaga explained, “If that’s the only thing that happens then it’s fine, but there has been a report coming regarding an incident at Satozakura High School. Many of the students were killed inside a veil that suddenly showed up after Yuuji ran away. They found residue of his cursed energy there.”

“Are you saying Yuuji killed them?!” the teen exclaimed.

“Of course not! That boy could never-” Yaga stopped and sighed. “I’m just telling you what the headquarters have decided.”

“Well, it’s a stupid decision!” Satoru shouted and left the room. 

Yuuji suddenly ran away, and an incident occurred not long after. This whole thing stank to high heavens. Only someone blind wouldn’t feel that something was strange. Yuuji would never kill innocent people. Anyone with eyes could see that. Was this their plan? Did they lose all of their patience already? They failed to kill Yuuji with that special grade and instead got Ryou killed. Now, they wanted to mark Yuuji as a wanted criminal and sent sorcerers to hunt him down. 

How dare they? Satoru had stayed his hand until now because he didn’t want to shed needless bloodshed, but they had taken things too far. They already took it too far after what happened to Ryou. However, the white-haired was focused on hunting that special grade first, so he let them off the hook for the time being. Yet, they decided to pull this shit behind his back? He had enough.

As Satoru stormed his way toward the familiar gathering chamber, someone stepped into his path. Blue eyes clashed with black. 

“Get out of my way, Suguru,” Satoru growled.

“Where do you think you are going, Satoru?” his friend asked.

“I’m going to clean out some trash,” the teen replied.

Suguru sighed as he closed his eyes and said, “Are you planning to kill the elders?”

“Why not? They’ve already overstayed their welcome. Someone has to teach them a lesson.”

“By killing them?”

“You think they don’t deserve it?” Satoru exclaimed. “Have you forgotten what happened to Amanai? Did you not remember what they did to Ryou? Have you not heard that they’ve marked Yuuji as a curse user?!”

“I know,” Suguru replied.

“Then, get the fuck out of my way!” Satoru repeated.

Instead of stepping aside, the other teen widened his stance. “No.”

The white-haired teen took several deep breaths. “Are you siding with those fools now? I thought you hated them too?”

“I do, but this isn’t right, Satoru,” Suguru said as he stared back at his friend. “Killing the elders will only cause chaos. We can’t have that.”

“Hypocrite! You were the one who wanted to kill all non-sorcerers and now you try to stop me from killing those good-for-nothings?!”

The black-haired teen shook his head. “No. I’m not against removing those corrupt elders from the seat of power, but this path you are walking down? I can’t allow you to do it.”

The two special-grade sorcerers watched each other in silence. Neither was willing to back down. 

With wild eyes, Satoru raised his hands. “Fine. Let’s fight then. I’ll force you to step aside.”

Suguru responded by summoning a curse. 

They stared at each other for another second, and then they clashed.

Omake:

Choso & Uraume: *Hating on Kenjaku* Shake hands.

Chapter Text

Not wanting to fight inside the hallway, Suguru immediately sent a large worm curse to drive Satoru outside and into the open field. The white-haired boy used Infinity to stop the creature from getting close and then unleashed Blue to fling the creature away toward his opponent. The other boy dodged the flailing worm and opened several portals to shoot numerous small curses like projectiles.

“Get a hold of yourself Satoru! Killing the higher-ups will only cause more problems!” Suguru shouted.

Satoru stopped the curses with Infinity and exclaimed, “Is that so?! I think you’re the only one who thinks like that! Those useless elders have caused endless problems! I will do the world a service by killing them!” He then shot a condensed Blue at his friend, but the other dodged it. The sphere exploded and took down several trees.

Suguru replied, “And then what?! The act of killing them will mark you as a curse user!”

“So what if I become one? It’s not as if anyone can stop me!” the white-haired teen retorted.

“Do you even listen to yourself?! Do you think that becoming a murderer is fine?! What would Ryou think?!”

Satoru gritted his teeth at the mention of his dead friend. “Don’t bring Ryou into this! He died because of them!”

“You don’t know that!”

“I sure fucking do!”

“Based on what proof? Your anger?!” Suguru then summoned Rainbow Dragon and ordered it to attack. 

Instead of blocking the curse with Infinity, the other teen jumped onto its back and lunged toward Suguru. The two then got into a hand-to-hand combat. Satoru tried to punch his friend, but the other blocked it with his arm. 

As he continued to attack, the white-haired boy shouted, “Stop being so preachy! You yourself almost went on a killing spree!”

“I know! And I was wrong! I was wrong and now I know that I can’t let you make a similar mistake!” Due to the other’s agitated mood, Suguru managed to grab a hold of his arm. He then tried to lock the other down, but the white-haired teen twisted in his hold and kicked him on the side.

Although the kick forced him to take a step back, he called forth Kuchisake-Onna. The appearance of the  Imaginary Vengeful Spirit distracted Satoru enough that Suguru could continue his assault. Since the curse hadn’t opened her Simple Domain yet, he could still land a solid punch on the other teen’s face. The blow caused Satoru to get unstable on his feet and allowed the black-haired teen to lock his hand on his back and force him to stay down on the ground. 

Normally, this move wouldn’t have taken down Satoru, but the teen had been running ragged for more than a week. Considering he had just finished a mission, the teen had to be on the edge of exhaustion. Suguru ordered his spirits to return to him and said, “That’s enough, Satoru… I get it, okay.”

“Then let me kill them!” Satoru exclaimed as he struggled against the other’s hold.

The black-haired boy replied, “I can’t. Even if nobody will be able to kill you, that kind of action is still not correct.”

“Not correct?! They absolutely deserve to be killed like a pig!”

“This is not about deserving!” Suguru tightened his hold and then sighed. “Even if you kill them all now, what makes you think that no other corrupt clan members will show up to take their place?”

“Then I’ll just kill them again!”

“And then what? Are you going to keep killing until you have someone worthy step up?! What kind of sane person will want to get near you when you have that kind of notoriety?!”

Satoru didn’t respond, but there was still a stubborn tension in his shoulders.

Suguru closed his eyes and slowly released his friend. It was a gamble, but he felt like he couldn’t make the other listen by being too forceful. He slowly sat down beside Satoru, but the other refused to move, so he kept his face to the ground. “... Ryou and I talked several times after that mission.”

Satoru didn’t reply and turned his face away. Despite the sign of not wanting to listen, his friend didn’t run away.

The black-haired teen continued, “Did you know that he liked to speak like an old man? Ryou was always more mature than his age, but the stuff he said made me feel like I was talking to someone who had lived many years his age.”

“... Ryou was smart,” Satoru reluctantly replied.

Suguru smiled. “That he was. He said a lot of wise words, but if I have to pick one right now, it’s, ‘Don’t mistake your anger for a just cause’.”

No response.

“Satoru, I’m not saying that your anger is wrong, but you shouldn’t use that feeling to justify horrible actions,” Suguru said. “How the higher-ups have been handling Yuuji and Ryou’s situation and many other matters is unpardonable, but murdering them in cold blood is not the answer. I’m sure Ryou would agree.”

Instead of replying, Satoru fully turned his body sideways, curled his feet into himself, and wrapped his hands around them. “I hate them.”

“I hate them too,” Suguru replied. “If it makes you feel better, I also feel suspicious about their role regarding Ryou’s death. That special grade’s sudden appearance is too strange. We definitely have to do our own investigation.”

“And if they are behind it?” Satoru asked.

“I won’t say feel free to kill them,” the black-haired boy said, “but I think humiliating them and forcefully stripping away their titles and positions are okay. Of course, you’ll need to not be a murderous curse user to do that.”

“I still want to kill them,” the white-haired teen grumbled like a child.

Suguru sighed. “Come on Satoru. If you are gone, who’s going to lead your clan?”

Satoru snorted. “I don’t care.”

“Well, you should because that position is required to safely guard Yuuji,” the black-haired teen pointed out. “Even if you are strong, the name of the Gojo clan still holds a unique weight. Also, you can’t clear Yuuji’s name if you are also a curse user, right?”

His friend wordlessly grumbled but remained in his position.

Suguru shook his head while smiling and then said, “Ijichi! Good job deploying that barrier!”

There was a small whimper from a tall bush. Several seconds passed before a familiar young teen peeked out his head from behind the leaves. “... Geto-senpai, Gojo-senpai.”

The black-haired teen gave a warm smile. “You’ve gotten better at using seals. Opening that kind of barrier without altering the alarms within Tengen’s barriers in Jujutsu High is quite a feat.”

Ijichi carefully made his way out of the bush and muttered, “It’s nothing impressive. The barrier just dampens sound and masks visuals. I’m sure anyone will notice if they pay attention hard enough.”

“You still did a good job,” Suguru said. “If you hadn’t opened that barrier, Yaga-sensei would have already gotten out and interfered.”

“It’s all thanks to Ryou…” Ijichi realized what he had just said and covered his mouth. Using that name in Jujutsu High was a bit like throwing a flash bang these days. The younger teen shot a fearful look at his temperamental senior, who was still lying on the ground.

Satoru made another unpleasant grumble and said, “... I miss Ryou.”

“I miss him too.” Suguru patted his friend on the head. “Anyway, have you been contacted by Yuuji?”

“I don’t know. My phone has been out of battery since morning. I forgot to cha-” Satoru’s words were cut off by a massive yawn that shook his whole body. Oh dear. His friend was terribly sleep-deprived. 

Suguru sighed. “The good news is, Yuuji has sent me a message. He said he’s okay, but he hasn’t responded today. Give your phone to me, then. I’ll check it while you go and take some rest.”

Satoru gave a grumble of protest but didn’t resist when his friend fished out his phone from his pocket. Just like the white-haired teen said, it was completely dead and would need to be charged first.

“Okay, to be with you.” Suguru then got up and dragged the lanky teen into a sitting position. Although Satoru still had the energy to walk on his own, he had opted to become a useless sloth and only hang limply on his friend’s shoulders. The black-haired teen was forced to drag him back to the dorm room while Ijichi was given the task of reporting the damage that was caused by the fight.

After throwing the sleep-deprived sorcerer on the bed, Suguru plugged the phone into a charger. It took several minutes before the device would allow itself to be turned on. While still being connected to the power source, the teen opened the latest message and saw one from Yuuji.

[Yuuji ♡(ŐωŐ人): Sorry, Satoru. I won’t be able to go back for a bit since Toji invited me to stay at his house.]

[Yuuji ♡(ŐωŐ人): I met the special grade again at Satozakura High School. I’ll tell you more about it later.]

Suguru pursed his lips. That wasn’t good at all. The report didn’t say anything about a curse appearing on the school grounds. Did someone tamper with the report? It was definitely important news, but the teen felt that Satoru needed more sleep. Yuuji was currently safe with the Fushiguro. As long as he kept his head down, the headquarters couldn’t track him.

[Me: This is Suguru. I don’t know if you have seen my messages, but please continue to stay with the Fushiguro. The headquarters has revoked the suspension of your death sentence and marked you as a curse user. We’ll talk soon after Satoru gets some rest.]

When Yuuji woke up from his sleep, he wasn’t sure where he was. He had to stare at the ceiling for several seconds before he remembered that he was staying at the Fushiguro house. Since there wasn’t any empty room, Toji told Yuuji to stay in Megumi’s bedroom while giving him a futon that he could spread on the floor. After the fight had ended and the adrenaline had seeped out of his body, the teen had suddenly found out he was dead tired. He sent short messages to his friends to tell them that he was okay, but then he immediately threw himself on the bed and fell asleep.

After blindingly looking for his phone with his hand, he finally picked up the device and was shocked when he saw it was already noon the next day. How long had he slept? It was definitely more than twelve hours. Although his stomach was protesting about the lack of food, the rest of his body was quite happy with that short coma session. After Ryou’s death, he hadn’t gotten any good sleep at all. His nighttime was filled with images of that night and sometimes accompanied by memories of his past life. 

Yuuji’s stomach made another angry rumble and the teen was forced to get out of the futon. When he opened the door, the smell of takeout food immediately reached his nostrils which signaled his stomach to make another desperate cry. 

Toji turned around from his seat on the soft and grinned, “Look who finally got up. I almost thought I had to get you to the hospital.”

Yuuji gave a sheepish smile as he sat down on an empty spot. “Sorry. That was the first time I ever slept that long.”

The man shoved a takeout box into the teen’s hands and replied, “Here. There was some big stuff happening while you were conked out but I figured you need to eat first.”

Although the teen was very much curious, his stomach gave a threatening grumble. He looked at the food inside the box and saw that it was Chinese takeout. “Itadakimasu.” After shoving several big mouthfuls of rice and orange chicken, the pain from hunger lessened considerably. His grandfather would have chided him for not chewing his food properly, but Yuuji was too hungry. Toji also ate his own lunch, and the two remained silent while they finished their meal.

On the TV, a newscaster was talking about various major events that had occurred. “For our next news, the police have shared new updates regarding the incident at Satozakura High School. Reportedly, there was a big gas leak that took numerous students' lives while leaving causing the rest to become unconscious. The police have promised to continue their investigation and get to the bottom of this issue.”

Toji picked up the remote and changed the TV channel to one for entertainment. Yuuji didn’t say a word, but the speed of his chewing slowed down. So that was the excuse they made to cover up the incident. The boy wasn’t sure how to feel about it. While he understood the need for secrecy, he didn’t like how they had been lying to the parents and the public regarding what had occurred in that school. Not that there was anything he could do about that right now. The best thing he had to do was exorcize Mahito and stop the curse from killing more humans.

It didn’t take long for them to finish their meal. After taking a chug of beer, Toji said, “I think you should check your phone. It made a lot of noise.”

Yuuji did as he was told and opened the messaging app to see messages from his friends. Surprisingly, the one who sent the most messages was Suguru, but the most recent one was Satoru. He decided to check that one first and saw the surprising news.

[Gojo Satoru: This is Suguru. I don’t know if you have seen my messages, but please continue to stay with the Fushiguro. The headquarters has revoked the suspension of your death sentence and marked you as a curse user. We’ll talk soon after Satoru gets some rest.]

Yuuji didn’t say a word after rereading that message. A curse user, huh? Not that it was a new thing to him. After the Shibuya incident in his other life, the headquarters also revoked the suspension of his death sentence. Although he didn’t panic over this bad turn of events, he was a bit worried about his friends. Since Satoru and Suguru were special-grade sorcerers, they might be assigned to hunt him down. While he doubted they would truly harm him, this might put extra pressure on the two sorcerers.

“They certainly didn’t hold back eh?” Toji commented after taking another sip. “It has only been two days but they’re already out for blood.”

“You know?” Yuuji asked.

“I have my own source but yeah. The vessel of the King of Curses going missing isn’t something you can hide for long. You’ve got many eyes on you, brat.”

The teen narrowed his eyes. “Don’t tell me… You didn’t actually stumble on the veil. You’ve been following me?!”

“Keeping an eye on you more like. Your brother knew that you would get into trouble if he was gone so he asked me to get you out of trouble. My informant only told me that you left Jujutsu High without permission and the rough direction you took. It still took my own effort to find you. You’re quite good at hiding your own tracks. Unfortunately, people left all sorts of traces.” Toji tapped his nose. “I’m quite good at tracking people.”

Yuuji’s face went somber at the mention of his brother. Of course, Ryou would ask Toji to take care of him. Even after he died, the other still fussed over him.

“So, care to explain what’s going on with those two weirdos?” Toji asked.

“Ah, that… It’s a bit long so it may take a while.” Yuuji immediately explained his first encounter with Mahito. “... He’s a very dangerous curse. If you can’t attack his soul, then you won’t damage him. He can also kill you if he gets a good grab since he can manipulate the shape of a soul. That’s how Ryou died.”

Toji hummed. “Well good thing I have a useful cursed weapon that can handle him. Next time I see that guy, he’ll die.”

It was a promise. Although Toji was a rather cold and distant man, he had become friends with Ryou. Yuuji wasn’t sure how that had started, but the man had become a reliable ally and friend. “... Just be careful.”

Toji snorted. “I can take care of myself, brat. What about the other guy? The one you didn’t want me to kill?”

“He… I knew him from somewhere,” Yuuji muttered. He wasn’t sure how he should explain Choso. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Toji, but telling the man that he had lived another life and knew Choso because of it was really unbelievable. If he was going to tell someone, he wanted to share it with Ryou or Satoru first. 

“Have something to hide, huh?” Toji said. “That’s fine. You can keep your secrets. Not like I care about him, just make sure your decision doesn’t get you killed or your brother will have my head.”

Yuuji nodded. “Thanks Toji. I’ll tell you about it eventually.”

“So, what do you plan to do now that you’re a curse user?” Toji asked after he finished his can of beer. “You can’t go back, and those elders won’t stop until you are dead.”

Yuuji looked down on his drink. It was a can of cold tea. “I’m not sure. I definitely need to stop Mahito but he’s working with a tricky person. You’ve met him, right? Kenjaku?”

Toji nodded. “The weirdo with a line of stitches on his forehead. Ryou warned me about him.”

Yuuji’s eyes widened. “Ryou did?” But if his brother was aware of Kenjaku, then… No. That couldn’t be. 

“Something wrong?” the man asked.

The teen shook his head. “Nothing. He’s a very dangerous man. Although Mahito killed Ryou, the true mastermind is that person. As long as he is alive, he won’t stop causing more chaos.”

“We need to kill two people then?” Toji asked. “Sounds easy.”

“It’s not that simple,” Yuuji replied as he shook his head. “He has several cursed techniques and one of them is to create portals that he used to let Mahito and Choso flee. Tracking him down and cornering him will be extremely difficult.”

The man narrowed his eyes. “How annoying. We need to find his location and perform a surprise attack then.”

“That’s the problem. I don’t know where he is,” Yuuji said. “Kenjaku probably has many hideouts and since I have a bounty on my head, I can’t just stroll outside and investigate.”

In the end, the two agreed that it would be best for them to meet with Satoru and Suguru first. Yuuji was able to chat with Suguru who told him that the white-haired teen was asleep and might not awake any time soon. Knowing that his friend had been running himself ragged, Yuuji knew that the teen would need this rest.

The Fushiguro family was already quite full with four children and one man, but nobody protested about Yuuji staying with them for the foreseeable future. Mimiko and Nanako were quite familiar with the teen, and they liked to pepper him with questions about Suguru. Tsumiki also liked Yuuji and even tried to help him in the kitchen when he was making dinner. Megumi was actually the only person who frowned at the teen. It wasn’t because he was displeased with his presence, but his friend was worried about the recent events. Mahito suddenly showed up many years before his supposed appearance, which made the boy rather anxious. Unfortunately, the two couldn’t talk at all since they were surrounded by his other family members.

Once the night arrived, Megumi finally cornered Yuuji in his bedroom. After locking the door, he asked, “I think we need to talk. What happened at Satozakura High School?”

Although Yuuji didn’t like revisiting that memory, he still readily answered his friend, “Mahito targeted Junpei and baited me to come there.” As he explained what happened two days before, the frown on Megumi’s face became deeper.

“Mahito and Choso… Those two shouldn’t be out and about during this time,” the boy muttered. “The fact that curse targeted Junpei also worries me. The only reason he decided to do that is if he also remembers that other life.”

“But if that’s the case then why is he still working with Kenjaku?” Yuuji asked. The ancient sorcerer had betrayed the special grade and absorbed him using Suguru’s technique. Although the man couldn’t do that now, that didn’t change how dangerous working with Kenjaku was.

Megumi shook his head. “I don’t know. Curses are not known to be that logical. One thing is for sure though. If Mahito remembers then he’ll continue to target you, Yuuji.”

Yuuji bit his lip. He wasn’t afraid of fighting Mahito, but he was worried about other things the curse might do. After Junpei’s kidnapping, it was clear the special grade would resort to various methods to make the teen suffer. Attacking his old friends would not be the end. 

“What should I do, then?” Yuuji asked.

“For now, nothing,” Megumi replied. “Leaving to hunt down Mahito is too dangerous. We know that the headquarters is compromised and Kenjaku’s spies will use everything to keep an eye on you. I’m starting to get suspicions that Kenjaku may also get memories of that other world.”

That wasn’t good at all. Kenjaku might not be as strong as Sukuna, but the ancient sorcerer was awfully smart. Who knew what other plans he might think up when he received those memories? 

“But if that were the case, I still don’t understand why Kenjaku would target Ryou,” Megumi continued. “We still don’t know how your brother even existed in the first place. Sukuna’s soul should be contained within those fingers yet he was reborn as a human. We’re missing something big here.”

Yuuji also couldn’t understand. Everything was falling apart. When he first realized he had been thrown into this world, he thought that he could at least stop Kenjaku before it was too late. Yet he still failed. His brother died because of his choice. Mahito had appeared several years earlier. There was even Choso and Uraume, who were still following Kenjaku. Yuuji was also a hunted man, so his actions were constrained significantly.

“Say, Yuuji, how’s Sukuna?” Megumi asked warily. “You said you felt his presence when Mahito used his technique on you.”

Yuuji shrugged. “I can feel him, but he hasn’t said or done anything.” It was normal. Even in that other world, the King of Curses preferred to keep to himself until something interesting happened. Then, he would usually throw in some mocking words and cruel laughs at Yuuji. 

Yuuji wasn’t sure what he should think of Sukuna now. Was he the other Sukuna who had tormented and laughed at his misery? Or was he Ryou? Considering that his brother warned Toji about Kenjaku meant that Ryou had his memories of his past life. Why did he change his mind, though? Why did he decide to go against Kenjaku? Weren’t they friends? 

Yuuji had never been able to feel the King of Curses’ presence despite him being his vessel. Only after Ryou’s death and Mahito’s attempt to touch his soul did the curse awaken. The teen knew that his brother was the reincarnation of Sukuna. Did that mean that after he died, his soul got shoved back into the fingers? 

But Yuuji still had doubts. If Megumi’s suspicion about Mahito was true, then there might be other people who would gain memories of that other world. That might mean that Sukuna might gain those memories, or it might be possible that Yuuji was now hosting the other King of Curses.

Considering the fact that the curse could see his memories and hear his thoughts, Sukuna might already be aware of everything. There was nothing Yuuji could hide from him. If this Sukuna was the other one, then he might use this chance to trick his vessel by pretending to be his brother. The King of Curses might hate Yuuji, but he would do anything to be free. Even if pretending to be his brother would sicken him to his stomach.

Seeing Yuuji’s dark expression, Megumi only sighed. “... I see. Just tell me if anything happens, okay?”

The teen nodded.

The two decided to go to bed. Unlike his previous sleep, Yuuji couldn’t rest at all. He tried to keep his body still and not make any noise. Megumi had fallen asleep on his bed, and the teen didn’t want to disturb him. As he attempted to get some rest, dark memories and anxieties rose up within him. With Kenjaku starting to become active, Yuuji couldn’t help but feel afraid of the future. Despite his desire to change fate, he had failed once by failing to save Ryou. Who said that he couldn’t fail again? Perhaps someone else would die next. Perhaps Kenjaku would still launch the Culling Game. Perhaps Sukuna would escape and go on another rampage. Everything could go wrong again. Yuuji could fail again. He would fail and disappoint everyone. 

Faces of dead friends and comrades flashed again in his head. Nanami. Kugisaki. Gojo-sensei. Higuruma. Choso. And many more. He heard of Yaga’s death in the other world. The Culling Game had also taken numerous civilians' lives. It could happen again. It would be Yuuji’s fault if he failed to stop Kenjaku. It would also be Yuuji’s fault if let the other King of Curses incarnate and kill everyone again. 

Those fears tormented Yuuji well into the night. Even so, the teen continued to lay in his futon. It took some time, but he eventually fell asleep. Even then, his dream was filled with memories of his failures. He found himself returning to Shibuya as he stared at Nanami’s half burnt face. The man smiled at him. Yet Yuuji couldn’t move as Mahito touched the man and killed him. Kugisaki appeared next. The girl was grinning at Yuuji.

The teen screamed and told her to run, but she remained on her spot. Mahito stood beside her and placed his hand on the face. Her head exploded. He was taken to Shinjuku next. Instead of sitting before TV screens, Yuuji was standing on the battlefield. Gojo was facing Sukuna, who had stolen Megumi’s body. The teen tried to shout and warned his teacher to dodge. The curse swung his hand, and the sorcerer's body got cut.

Yuuji was suddenly fighting Sukuna. Despite desperately throwing his punches, the curse wasn’t overwhelmed at all. The allies on his side began to fall one by one. Higuruma. Kusakabe. Maki. Okkotsu. Choso. Sukuna’s deranged laughter echoed as the teen became more desperate.

“Leave them alone! Stop!” the teen wanted to scream, but his mouth stayed shut.

As he stood alone in that ruined city, he gazed blankly at his feet. He failed again. The teen felt Sukuna’s massive form stand before him. Yuuji closed his eyes, expecting the curse to cut him down next. That was what he deserved. Everyone else was dead. It was now his turn. 

Instead of a merciless cut, a warm hand was placed softly on his head. Yuuji looked up and suddenly found himself at a familiar grass field. Instead of standing in the destroyed Shinjuku, he was sitting underneath the ginkgo tree as golden leaves gently fell to the ground.

Yuuji turned to see his brother. “Ryou?”

His brother didn’t say a thing. 

The younger teen threw himself into his brother's arms, and the other held him back. Tears began to pool in his eyes as he pressed his face into Ryou’s neck. There were so many things he wanted to say, yet no words came out.

His brother moved his right hand into his back and began to hum. It was an old yet familiar tune. Their mother sang it to Yuuji when there was a storm outside. After her death, it was Ryou who used this method to calm down his brother when he had a nightmare. There were no lyrics. Only simple tunes that the other hummed lowly. The soft touch and the melody slowly made Yuuji’s relax. The young teen closed his eyes and finally entered a peaceful slumber. 

Deep within the dark and red inner domain, the King of Curses sat on his throne of bones. With his eyes closed, he hummed an old tune that only the two brothers knew.

Chapter Text

When Yuuji woke up the next day, he felt strangely refreshed despite the nightmares that had haunted him at the start of his sleep. Despite most of the memories of that night fading away, the teen could starkly remember seeing Ryou in his dream. His brother humming that old tune had chased away the bad dreams that plagued his rest. Was it just a dream, or was it…?

The teen shook his head and pushed the question away. This was not the time to lower his guard. Before Yuuji could get lost in his head, a huge noise came from the living room.  Two familiar voices began to shout at each other.

“Toji, you bastard! How dare you kidnap Yuuji!” Satoru exclaimed.

“Ha?! When did I kidnap the brat? He came willingly!” Toji retorted.

Yuuji quickly headed outside to see Satoru and Toji glaring at each other like usual. The sound of his door opening drew Suguru's attention. The black-haired teen ignored the two people and smiled at the teen.

“I’m glad you look okay, Yuuji,” Suguru said.

“Suguru,” Yuuji greeted as he exited Megumi’s bedroom. It seemed he had overslept again since the children had left to go to school. “When did you guys arrive?”

The other replied, “Just now. It took some time for us to find a good excuse to leave the headquarters. There were also many eyes on us, so we had to be extra careful coming here.”

Since Yuuji was close to the third-year students, especially Satoru, the elders had to have suspicions about the special grade coming to meet his friend. Assigning spies to watch the young sorcerers was not surprising in the least.

“I admit it’s safer if we just stick to using phones but as you can see…” Suguru gestured at the angry Satoru, who was still in a glaring contest with Toji. “Satoru is a bit anxious about not seeing you after hearing the news.”

“It’s fine,” Yuuji replied. “There are some things that I want to tell you guys too. It would be better if we speak directly about them.”

After stopping the stare-off between Satoru and Toji, Yuuji retold the events at Satozakura High School. The more the teen talked, the darker the white-haired boy’s expression. The older teen became so angry that Yuuji could almost hear the sound of his teeth grinding. 

“Those fucking bastards…” Satoru growled lowly.

Suguru patted his friend on the shoulder to calm him down. “It’s a bit concerning how the reports we received and the truth are heavily edited. While I understand that the elders are wary of Yuuji, they should also be fearful of the special grade, no?”

“Dunno, those guys are pretty brain-dead to me,” Toji said.

Yuuji sighed. “I can’t deny that the higher-ups have always been after my head, but I think Kenjaku also has a hand in this incident.” 

“The body stealer?” Suguru asked. 

The pink-haired teen blinked. “You know about him?” Although he had told them about the curse user that had helped Mahito escape during that disastrous mission, he had not revealed his name to anyone.

“Ryou told me about him,” Suguru replied. “He’s the one who orchestrated Amanai’s assassination attempt, right?”

Yuuji pursed his lips. His brother warned Toji about the ancient sorcerer and told Suguru about it. How many secrets had Ryou kept? 

Satoru exclaimed, “Why am I the last one to hear this name? Yuuji, Suguru, how dare you not tell me about him?! I mean, I know who Kenjaku is but why didn’t you guys tell me at all?!”

“You do?” Yuuji and Suguru asked while Toji only blinked.

“Tengen warned me about the guy when they asked to meet me after Amanai got attacked,” Satoru replied as he crossed his arms. “I’ve been keeping it a secret since I don’t want to worry you guys. Based on their words, that guy shouldn’t have been moving so soon.”

“Tengen-sama?” Yuuji blinked. Wait. Could it be? Out of everyone, Tengen was the one who was the most familiar with Kenjaku. It might be possible that the ancient sorcerer was simply being wary of this old acquaintance. Yet the fact that he warned Satoru specifically implied that they might know something wrong. Did Tengen also regain memories of that other world? If the ancient sorcerer was also aware, then they might be able to ask them for help. “What did Tengen-sama tell you?”

Satoru waved his hand dismissively. “A bunch of gibberish. They told me that they have willingly rejected the merger with another Star Plasma Vessel. They also warned me about Kenjaku and his dark schemes.” The boy drifted off as a heavy frown appeared on his face. “... There was also the really weird stuff about something returning to me.”

Yuuji went still. Returning. Considering that Tengen was likely one of the people who had obtained memories of that other world, the ancient sorcerer was likely telling Satoru about the possibility of him experiencing the same thing. In the grand scheme of things, that was a good thing. Although Satoru was strong, he was nowhere near as powerful as his adult self. If the teen could obtain those years of experience instantly, that would give them a better chance against Kenjaku or, in the worst-case scenario, Sukuna. Yet, Yuuji was not thrilled over the prospect of his friend experiencing death. He still vividly remembered the gruesome sight of his teacher being cut into two, and he didn’t want his friend to feel that moment of death, even if it was only through memories.

Despite all his smiles, Gojo Satoru was a lonely man. A lonely man who had to stand above everyone due to his birth. The conversation Yuuji had with the man during their training. The way the man readily embraced the supposed death he would likely encounter. His request to be forgotten. While Yuuji would always strive to carry his teacher’s will, he would never be able to forget the man. Despite all the hardship they had encountered, the current Satoru did not yet carry the same mountainous burdens on his shoulders. Yuuji feared that if his friend were to remember, then that familiar darkness and loneliness would also return.

“Yuuji?” Satoru said.

Yuuji blinked and noticed the three people were looking at him. “Sorry, I was thinking of something. I think it would be really great if I could meet with Tengen-sama.”

“That won’t be possible,” Suguru replied. “The Tombs of the Star Corridors is heavily guarded. If what we fear is correct, then Kenjaku also has spies who watch over the area. It will be too risky to smuggle you in.”

“I mean, I can try to speak with thumb face again,” Satoru added.

Suguru sent a dry look at his friend. “Please don’t make fun of Tengen-sama, Satoru.”

The white-haired teen stuck out his tongue. “I just call them like how I see them.”

“This conversation is really unproductive so far,” Toji commented as he opened a can of beer.

Satoru glared at the man. “Shut it, old man. Nobody asks for your presence, piss off if you think we bore you.”

“It’s my home, brat, I can sit wherever I want,” the man shot back. “Oh, before I forget.” Toji suddenly got up and went to his room. The three teens exchanged glances but waited for the man to return. He then threw a bag at Yuuji.

“What’s this?” Yuuji asked. It was firmly closed, and there were seals on it.

“Sukuna’s Fingers.”

The sorcerers’ eyes widened. 

“Where did you get it?” Satoru asked.

“I look around for them obviously,” Toji replied after chugging down a gulp of beer. “It took a lot of work, let me tell you. Those damn things like to hide themselves.”

“Why have you been searching Sukuna’s Fingers?” Suguru asked as he examined the bag that Yuuji was holding.

The man shrugged. “Ryou asked me to do it.”

Yuuji’s hands twitched. His brother again. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” Toji replied. “He never explained and I never asked. He did tell me to give them to you if he was dead. I managed to get three but I suggest you don’t open the seals unless you want to draw attention to this place.”

“What do you want to do with them, Yuuji?” Satoru asked.

Yuuji kept staring down at the bag in his hand. He was Sukuna’s Vessel. Although he wasn’t looking forward to eating the cursed object, he knew that he couldn’t leave them in the wild. Sukuna’s Fingers had always drawn curses toward them, and more Finger Bearers could be born. While Sukuna inside of him would become stronger, Yuuji was still the best container and prison for the King of Curses. He wasn’t the naive teenager who had trusted the curse and got tricked into making a Binding Vow with him. As long as he was careful, Sukuna would never have a chance to roam free.

“Eat them, what else?” Yuuji replied. 

“If that’s what you want, I can set up a suppression barrier that should prevent the energies from the cursed object from leaking out,” Suguru offered.

The teen nodded. “Thanks.”

It didn’t take long for Suguru to set up a simple barrier. Although Sukuna’s Fingers were powerful, they were still an inactive cursed object. As long as Yuuji consumed them quickly, they wouldn’t be able to spread their influence. Once the black-haired teen gave the go-ahead, Yuuji unsealed the bag, and the King of Curses’ dark aura began to spread. Nobody in the room flinched despite its powerful miasma. Yuuji stared at the three fingers for a moment before he picked one up and swallowed it whole.

The flavor made the boy gag and cough. Yet he couldn’t react to the foul taste because a burst of energy immediately exploded within him. It was unlike the previous two occurrences when he had consumed the cursed object. Back then, there was only a shadow of the King of Curses’ power, but now it was like throwing gasoline into a fire. His body twitched as he automatically suppressed Sukuna’s power, and familiar dark tattoos emerged on his skin. Several seconds passed before the tsunami of energy subsided and calmed down. Yuuji sighed as he closed the bag again.

“Ah, I was about to offer you this talisman,” Suguru said as he held a piece of sealing paper. 

Ah. It was the talisman that Ryou designed for Suguru. Yuuji had heard of it from his brother when he got busy working on the new seal with Ijichi. 

“You’re not going to eat the other two?” Toji asked.

Yuuji shook his head. “No, I can only handle one per day. Anymore than that then I will run the risk of losing control of my body to Sukuna.”

“Sukuna, hmmm,” Satoru said. “You said he recently awoken in you, right?”

Yuuji and Satoru exchanged a look. Besides Megumi, only they knew about the truth behind Ryou’s identity. The reincarnation of the King of Curses.

“Has he said anything to you?” the white-haired teen eagerly asked. Perhaps the boy hoped that Ryou had somehow returned as Sukuna within Yuuji. While that was a possibility, it wasn’t one that Yuuji wanted to believe without solid proof. The memory of that tune reemerged in his mind.

“No, he hasn’t said anything after he attacked Mahito,” Yuuji replied.

There was a flash of disappointment, but Satoru quickly masked it by fixing his glasses.

Suguru said, “If that’s the case, I’ll leave some seals for you, okay? You can use these to repress the taste, while these ones can set up a barrier. You know how to deploy one, right?”

Yuuji nodded. Yaga had been quite thorough about the basics of barrier and sealings. As long as it wasn’t anything overly complex, the teen could understand how to use them. 

Since the two sorcerers couldn’t stay for long, they had to leave Fushiguro's house once the discussion was over. Satoru gave Yuuji a hug, which the teen returned.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Satoru said. 

“I can say the same to you,” Yuuji replied with a grin.

Mahito was a curse born from humans’ hatred of other humans. That was why he hated them all. Even more than other curses. He hated their existence. He hated their aspirations. He hated their sheer number. He hated their weaknesses. He hated their strength. Jogo might proclaim himself as the number one hater of humanity, but Mahito felt like he could claim that title. However, despite his endless hatred against mankind, he couldn’t deny that there was one person that he hated the most. Itadori Yuuji. The bane of his existence. 

The moment Mahito was born, he had received glimpses of memories. He didn’t have the full picture of everything, but one thing was clear: he hated Itadori Yuuji. He wanted to torture the sorcerer. He wanted to destroy everything the teen held dear. He wanted to kill everyone the other cherished. Was it wise? No. Itadori was a strong sorcerer, and picking a fight with him wasn’t a good idea, but Mahito didn’t care. He was a curse, after all. Ruled by his whims and desires, he only wanted to fulfill his dream of breaking Itadori apart until only despair was left. When he had his fill of laughing at the teen, he would kill the sorcerer with his own hands.

That was why he decided to work with Kenjaku. The man was another dangerous figure. His body shivered when he got near the curse user. Despite his smiles, there was no goodwill in the other’s bones. He would use Mahito until he was useless. Perhaps he would even backstab the curse if it would be beneficial to his grand scheme. Not that Mahito cared. Exploiting each other was how relationships worked. To use and to be used. He would keep working with Kenjaku as long as the man would keep helping him mess with Itadori. Once he had killed the sorcerer, then he might turn his attention to the curse user. 

Of course, dealing with Kenjaku would require a lot more finesse. Unlike Itadori, who had big weaknesses, the ancient sorcerer didn’t have any openings that the curse could exploit. Considering how strong the curse user was, fighting him head-on in his current state would not be wise. So, Mahito had to be patient. Anyway, there were still a lot of things that he could do to fill his time. Itadori was still alive and well, and Mahito would have a lot of fun playing with him.

Okkotsu Yuta liked to think of himself as a normal child. Well, as normal as he could pretend to be. He had a normal family and had a normal childhood. Sure, he was a bit withdrawn, but Yuta had managed to make friends. Only one, actually, but Rika was great. They met at the hospital where he had been treated when he was sick, and they had been friends ever since. Rika didn’t mind him being meek and silent. She always knew how to cheer him up and fill the silence. 

The most important thing was that she believed him when he told her about the invisible monsters. Nobody had believed his words when he had confided in them about this. It was just his imagination, they said. But Yuta knew the things he saw were real. Although they looked scary, they usually left him alone as long as he pretended not to see them. 

It was fun being friends with Rika. They often play in the park, and they spend a lot of time together at school. Yuta didn’t have to be worried about not having partners for school activities. However, despite their closeness, there were times when Rika had to be separated from him. Her home life was a bit complicated. With both of her parents dead, her grandmother was the one taking care of her. Although Rika tried to keep her problems to herself, sometimes Yuta could hear her grumbling about her grandmother. She wasn’t nice to her. Although the older woman mostly left Rika alone, sometimes she would ground her and prevent the girl from hanging out with Yuta.

That was fine. Yuta used to be by himself, even when it got lonely. He was on his way home after going to the park when he saw a strange-looking man. Now, his parents had told him not to be mean to others, especially making fun of their appearance, but the man was indeed quite striking. It was the first time Yuta saw someone with such light hair despite being so young. There were also lines of stitches on his face. Two different colored eyes locked on Yuta as the man smiled. 

“Hello there!” the man greeted while waving his hand cheerily.

Yuta automatically waved back. “Um… hello?”

The other crouched down to his level and asked, “You’re Okkotsu Yuta, right?”

Yuta blinked. He was sure he never met this man before. Was he a friend of his parents? “Yes?”

“That’s great!” the other clapped his hands. “My name is Mahito. Nice to meet you!”

“Nice to meet you too,” Yuta replied, even though he was starting to get freaked out. 

The smile on Mahito’s face didn’t recede at all and only got wider. “I’ll have to say sorry in advance, but I’ll need your help with something.”

“Help?”

Mahito nodded. “Something very important. Don’t worry you’ll see something very interesting in exchange.”

Before Yuta could reply, the other raised his hand and placed his fingers on his forehead. In the next second, the boy lost his consciousness.

When he woke up, he found himself inside a dark and unfamiliar room. Yuta immediately tensed as he tried to find out his current location. The temperature was cold and he could hear noises from outside. There was a small lamp placed on the table but it barely drove back the darkness.

Did Yuta just get kidnapped? What were they going to do to him? Was he going to get killed? Would he never see his family or Rika again? Tears began to gather in Yuta’s eyes as he started to sob.

“Oi! Quit crying, you crybaby!”

The sudden shout stopped the tears instantly. Yuta’s head whipped around and saw another person in the room. The other was a girl who seemed to be younger than him. She had a short dark-brown hair. Despite the darkness, her eyes shone brightly as she glared at him.

“You just woke up and you already cry?! Wimp!” the girl added.

Yuta felt like crying even more after those harsh words, yet he forced himself to stop. “W-who are you?”

The girl snorted. “Kugisaki Nobara! And who the hell are you, idiot?”

“O-Okkotsu Yuta,” the boy replied. “Did you get kidnapped too?”

The girl didn’t respond and only threw her face away with a disgusted expression.

The answer seemed to be yes.

Before the two could continue their conversation, the door to the room opened, and Mahito walked in. Kugisaki didn’t waste any chance and threw herself at the man. Unfortunately, her attempt at a surprise attack was fruitless, and the man easily caught her fist and dangled her in the air.

“Let me go you creep!” the girl exclaimed.

Mahito laughed. “As spunky as always.” 

“You bastard! Where the hell have you taken me?!” 

“Somewhere.”

Kugisaki screeched in anger at the vague reply. In response, Mahito threw her at the futon in the room and dropped two bento boxes on the table. “Here’s your meal for today. Don’t forget to eat. We need you alive~”

Yuta could only watch with wide eyes as the man left the room and closed the door with a click.

“Fuck!” Kugisaki shouted as she punched the futon.

Yuta knew it was bad to curse, but he felt like he wanted to do it, too.

Yuuji’s life only remained calm for a week before the next big crisis arrived. It was October 31st when he received horrible news. A massive veil had suddenly dropped on Shibuya. The teen couldn’t breathe at all for several seconds. It was happening again. No. Before Yuuji could descend into panic, he felt Sukuna shift into attention inside him, which broke his shock. 

The sorcerer immediately got up to his feet and began to change into his uniform. Since it was night, Megumi and the children were inside the house. The boy frowned at the pale look on his friend’s face.

“What’s wrong?” Megumi asked.

Yuuji didn’t reply and only headed outside. Before the teen could exit the house, Toji stood behind him with his hand on his hips.

“Going somewhere?” the man asked.

Yuuji knew that he couldn’t escape from Toji. The man was fast, and it wasn’t as if he could fight him at this moment. “I need to go to Shibuya.”

Toji hummed. “Is this related to Kenjaku?”

Megumi, who had followed his friend, tensed at the name. The boy shot a wild look between the teen and his father.

“Yes…” Yuuji replied. “Please don’t stop me, Toji.”

The man replied, “I won’t. I need to go with you though. The last time you went somewhere alone, you got cornered pretty quick.”

“What?” Megumi blurted out.

“It’ll be dangerous,” Yuuji replied as he turned his face toward the man.

“All the more reasons to bring me along,” Toji said with a grin.

Toji was strong. He was like Maki and could be considered a special grade. No doubt Shibuya was a giant trap. Who knew what enemies he had to face? Although he didn’t like to involve the man in his mess, the teen knew he needed help. 

“Okay,” Yuuji replied.

“Hold on, you two!” Megumi tried to stop them, but he was still a small boy, and the two people easily exited the house and left him in the dust. The boy could only watch the empty spot before him and shouted, “Fuck!”

“Megumi! Don’t curse!” Tsumiki chided from her room.

[Record of the incident on October 31, 2007 at 7:00 PM]

[A curtain with a 400-meter radius was cast with the Toyoko branch of the Tokyu department store as its center.]

Omake:

Mahito: *Kidnapped Junpei* Wanna see me do it again?

Satoru: Don’t do anything stupid.

Yuuji: *Does something stupid*

Toji: Hold on. Let me join you.

Megumi: Idiots!

Chapter Text

Jogo wasn’t quite sure why he agreed to work with Kenjaku. The man was deeply untrustworthy, yet he knew the other was dependable at creating schemes. Jogo was a curse, and while he was strong, he admitted that he preferred the most straightforward method. While it could work against weak humans, such an approach would not be enough to fulfill his dream of starting the age of curses.

That was why he agreed to Kenjaku’s plan to help the King of Curses fully incarnate. This was another feeling that Jogo couldn’t understand. Sukuna had been a human sorcerer who became so strong that he earned the title of the King of Curses. Such an individual should not bring him any feelings other than despise. Yet Jogo feared and respected Sukuna equally. While he had never met the curse, he knew that the other would be someone strong enough to realize his dream. This would be a dangerous move. Jogo knew that he would likely die, yet he didn’t feel worried. 

“What’s with those faces, Jogo?” Mahito asked.

Jogo only scoffed. Speaking out his thoughts would only earn mockery from the other curse. Unlike him, Mahito was very whimsical and didn’t take anything seriously. No doubt, the curse only joined in the plan because he thought it would be fun. Mahito never believed in Jogo’s dream of creating a world for curses.

“It’s nothing,” Jogo replied. “Why did you kidnap those two brats anyway?”

Mahito only grinned. “It’s for something great. If you can survive long enough, you’ll know what they will be used for.” 

It was as if Yuuji was thrown back into that horrible night when everything fell apart. His heart squeezed with anxiety as he examined the curtains that had fallen over Shibuya. What was Kenjaku planning right now? Was he attempting to seal Satoru? But that didn’t make sense. He hadn’t obtained Suguru’s body yet, so it wasn’t like he could take the teen off guard. While his friend was not yet as strong as his teacher, fighting him without a proper plan was basically suicide.

“Not going to call your friends?” Toji asked as he began to stretch beside him. The two of them were standing on top of a tall building as they observed the situation. There were already some assistant managers in the area so they had to be careful when heading in.

“No,” Yuuji replied. He still wasn’t sure what the ancient sorcerer was planning, but he had to keep Satoru away. It would be best if he could handle everything himself. 

“That sounds stupid,” Toji said.

“Are you going to stop me?”

“Nah. I doubt those brats will stay away for long,” the man replied.

That was what Yuuji feared the most. He had to take care of this mess and stop whatever Kenjaku was trying to accomplish. “Let’s go.”

Together, the two of them leaped into the dark curtain that enveloped Shibuya.

“Bring Itadori Yuuji,” the assistant manager said as he debriefed the two young sorcerers outside the barrier, “that’s what those trapped civilians are shouting.”

Satoru bit his lip as he tried to call Yuuji again. It failed. The boy had remained silent despite countless messages and calls that his friends peppered him with. Despite wishing it wasn’t true, the boy suspected that Yuuji had already headed into Shibuya.

The assistant manager continued, “The headquarters has two orders. The first is to remove the curtains around Shibuya and to save the civilians. The second one is to capture Itadori Yuuji.”

Like hell, Satoru would do that.

Suguru sent a warning glance at his friend, and the other replied with an eye roll. He wasn’t stupid. He knew better than to show outright protest. Since they were special-grade sorcerers, they would be the first to head in. While inside, nobody would be able to monitor them, and they could do whatever they wanted. Not wanting to waste anymore time, the two teens immediately went into the curtain.

Reaching the Fukutoshin Line Platform wasn’t easy since the area was so packed with people. Yuuji had to jump from furniture to other railings to get past the throngs of civilians. Seeing their anxious faces made the teen feel guilty. All of them were only innocent people who were dragged into this incident because they were nearby. Although the boy would try his best to stop Kenjaku and Mahito, he knew that there were likely going to be casualties.

As Yuuji landed on the railway tracks, he faced the group that would challenge him. Jogo, Hanami, Choso, and Uraume. There was also another curse nearby, but its presence was low, and it didn’t seem like it would join the fight just yet. Should Yuuji feel flattered because Kenjaku had ordered this many powerful opponents to fight him? 

There was a pinched look on Uraume’s face as the monk looked at the sorcerer. It was nothing like the disdain the teen had seen in his memories. Ryou had commented that the ancient sorcerer seemed to be working under Kenjaku under duress. Not in those exact wording, of course, but Yuuji had gotten the gist of it. There was a furrow in Choso’s brow as the man examined the young sorcerer. While the teen had been surprised at his sudden appearance before, he was much calmer now.

After reviewing the fight at the high school, Yuuji had noted the other’s reluctance to truly aim for the kill. Was the proof that his brother was remembering the other life? Yuuji wasn’t sure. However, it was likely that Choso and Uraume wouldn’t be overly aggressive during this fight. Then, his two main targets would be Jogo and Hanami. He had encountered these two special grades before. While the old him would be afraid of facing them, Yuuji no longer felt that emotion. His main concern would be to exorcize them as fast as possible while limiting the number of civilian deaths. 

“Where’s Mahito?” Yuuji asked the most pressing question in his mind. He had wanted to chase after Mahito but when he heard the threats the trapped civilians were shouting, the boy had to go to this place. Before he went to confront the curses, he had asked Toji to search for the barrier foundation. Hopefully, the man could locate it soon.

“If Itadori Yuuji doesn’t show himself within five minutes, we will start killing people.”

How dare they? Yuuji could still see the fearful and confused expressions of the regular people who were forced to be pawns of Kenjaku’s games.

“He’s somewhere else,” Jogo replied. “Don’t you think you should be more worried about your situation, brat?”

Yuuji only narrowed his eyes. While he wanted to chase down that special grade, allowing Jogo and Hanami to roam free wouldn’t be a good decision. While they seemed to be less cruel than Mahito, these two were still curses. The sorcerer would also need to subdue Choso and Uraume. If possible, he wanted to keep them alive so he could question them about Kenjaku’s plan. 

“As far as I can see you are terribly outnumbered,” Jogo continued, “Four against one. Are you stupid or confident about your own abilities?”

Which one should Yuuji take down first? Both were quite dangerous in their own ways. 

Jogo was still talking. “You are Sukuna’s Vessel correct? If you agree to let the King of Curses out, we will not hurt you.”

“No,” Yuuji said and immediately hit Jogo in the face. The attack sent the creature flying into the air and crashed onto a wall. Choso and Uraume immediately jumped back and kept their distance. Hanami immediately tried to shoot Cursed Buds at the sorcerer, but Yuuji easily dodged the projectiles and sent Dismantles at the curse. The attack cut the special grade, but the other had enforced their body with cursed energy. 

“What the hell is going on?” a civilian shouted when she saw a strange teen fighting the air.

“What are those monsters?” another yelled.

“What monsters?”

Both Uraume and Choso sent their own projectiles at Yuuji, but as the teen expected, their attacks were quite half-hearted. Still, their assault gave Jogo enough time to pull himself out of the crater he had created with his body. Seeing Hanami having trouble protecting themselves from the sorcerer’s assault, Jogo raised his flaming hand to point at nearby humans.

Despite not being able to see Jogo, some civilians began to move away, sensing the danger in the air. “Get back! Get back!”

“Stop pushing, idiot!” another human screamed.

“Itadori! Look over here!” the special grade shouted. According to Mahito, Itadori Yuuji was someone who had a weak heart and couldn’t bear to see humans get hurt. If they could use the civilians as shields, that would prevent the sorcerer from going all out.

Before the curse could fire a warning ball of flame, he felt the weight of his arm becoming lighter. Jogo turned his head to see his arm already being cut off. When the curse turned his attention back to the sorcerer, cold golden eyes suddenly glared down at him.

A faded memory flashed in Jogo’s mind. Instead of golden, there was a set of icy blue eyes looking down at him. Panic immediately gripped the special grade’s heart. That weakness allowed Yuuji to grab his face and send a solid Soul Dismantle into the curse’s body.

While Jogo wasn’t an incarnated being, soul attacks were harder to deal with than regular attacks. After all, they were much slower to recover, and you couldn’t heal them with the Reverse Cursed Technique. Jogo spat out a mouthful of blood.

Seeing their friend being targeted, Hanami tried to send roots at Yuuji, but the teen jumped into the air and threw Jogo at the other special grade. After being hit with soul attacks, the curse had a hard time moving and his ally was forced to capture him.

“Choso! Uraume!” Hanami exclaimed. “Help us!”

The two passive fighters made a displeased face but still sent another volley of projectiles at the sorcerer who had jumped back toward the two special grades. Yuuji had to block and deflect some of them or else they might hit a civilian.

“Why is there ice here?!” a man screamed.

“No! More importantly, why is there a kid jumping around?!”

When Yuuji landed near the two special-grade curses, Hanami created a Flower Field to distract the sorcerer, but the other only glanced away for a slight second before he slapped himself in the face. However, Hanami used that small opening to send out a root underneath the sorcerer’s feet. Fortunately, the teen easily evaded the roots that kept following him. Despite the curse's best attempt to keep their enemy away, Yuuji still pushed forward.

‘This isn’t good,’ Hanami thought. Whatever attack the sorcerer had used, it had heavily weakened Jogo. Although his ally had managed to get back on his feet, he was still wheezing as he summoned Ember Insects to attack the teen. Despite their opponent being young, the curse was aware that he was very strong. ‘Then, I must open a domain.’

Jogo had told Hanami to hold back since they didn’t want to accidentally kill the vessel, yet it was obvious that they were quite outmatched despite the teen being young and outnumbered. They had to increase their attacks, or else they would be the ones defeated here. 

Hanami unraveled the clothes on their left arm. The flower on their shoulder began to blossom. Unlike Jogo would could open his domain much faster, Hanami required a bit more time to power up. Yuuji noticed this and lunged toward them. Jogo created several small volcanoes that spat out streams of hot fire, but the teen dodged them.

“F-fire!” a woman screamed.

Yuuji kept his eyes locked on his enemies. Finally reaching the two special grades, he kicked Jogo away and threw a punch at Hanami. The special grade raised their arms to block the attack, yet Yuuji released his fist to land a palm at the curse’s arms.

“Cleave.”

Deep cuts immediately emerged from the dark lines that suddenly appeared on the curse’s body. That wasn’t the end though, Yuuji immediately rained punches upon punches upon Hanami. Although the curse was quite sturdy, each of the sorcerer’s blows damaged their soul. It hurt them so much to the point they could not reinforce their body with cursed energy. Seeing the opening, Yuuji grabbed the curse’s face and used Cleave.

Jogo could only look with his one horrified eye as the boy beheaded his ally. Golden eyes turned toward him. “You’re next.”

Although Satoru and Suguru were eager to immediately find their friend, they soon found out that there was another barrier inside the outer curtain that fell over Shibuya. Forcefully breaking this veil wouldn’t work since the creator seemed to be a master at barriers. It had to be Kenjaku. The two sorcerers opted to head toward Shibuya Tower, where Satoru felt a strong amount of concentrated cursed energy was gathered. Rainbow Dragon easily took them to the building, and several curse users greeted them by throwing attacks before they could even land.

Usually, Satoru would’ve taunted his opponents, but he wasn’t in the mood right now. His Six Eyes passively told him each of their abilities, but none of them were noteworthy, and he sent them flying off the building with Blue. Suguru also took care of a number of the curse users with his cursed spirits.

While Satoru glanced at his friend, he suddenly felt a presence suddenly appearing beside him. The teen immediately turned to the new opponent who had tried to strike him from behind. Infinity had easily stopped the sneak attack from the hooded figure. Annoyed, the white-haired teen shot the enemy away with Blue. While that move forced the opponent back, it also removed the hood that covered the opponent’s head.

Satoru’s eyes widened as he saw Ryou’s grinning face. He could hear Suguru gasping beside him. The two teens were so shocked that they failed to notice an item the other had thrown to the ground while he was thrown back.

Satoru barely had the time to glance down and registered that the item was a cursed object. The box automatically opened, and darkness expanded and swallowed the three people inside, leaving the rooftop of Shibuya Tower empty and silent.

When Satoru regained his bearing, he found himself standing inside an ancient hallway. They had definitely gotten swallowed by a cursed object. He tried to extend his senses to find Suguru and his enemies.

“You piece of shit,” Satoru said. “That borrowed face will only distract me once. My eyes can easily tell that you are not him.”

A chuckle echoed in the air. “How unfortunate. I quite like it.”

“You’re working with Kenjaku?” Satoru asked coldly.

The cursed spirit replied, “We’re partners I suppose but only because I’m bored.”

“Did he ask you to use that face or was that your idea?” the sorcerer retorted.

“What if I said it was mine?”

“It doesn’t matter regardless, I’ll make you pay for daring to that.”

Tamamo-no-Mae laughed in response.

Jogo was afraid. He was a special grade curse born from human fear yet he was afraid of a mere human. How could he not? Itadori Yuuji might be young yet the other easily handled several special grade opponents.

“You shouldn’t underestimate Yuuji,” Kenjaku said to him before he left to complete the mission.

“He’s only a vessel. What damage can a boy who was raised as a mundane person can do?” Jogo snorted. 

Kenjaku hummed. “Well you might have a chance back then, but after his twin’s death, I doubt you can handle him without sufficient preparation.”

Jogo had only huffed as a reply, but now he understood. They had underestimated Itadori Yuuji, and it cost Hanami their life. Jogo immediately threw himself into the crowd and tried to use the humans as shields. Yuuji immediately tried to follow him. His golden eyes locked onto the curse’s back.

“Uraume! Choso!” Jogo shouted. “Stop hanging back and help! Bastards!”

“Che,” Uraume clicked their tongue in distaste. The monk created a sheet of ice on the ground that froze many people’s feet. While the humans began to screech in confusion and panic, Yuuji easily jumped up and avoided the attack. Choso immediately shot a blood projectile at the boy, but the teen blocked it with his arm.

Jogo tried to use the opening to attack from behind, but the sorcerer grabbed his arm. Panic swelled within the curse, and he instantly cut off his own hand. His instinct was telling him that he had to keep his distance. Don’t get too close! No! He had to run. The special grade threw himself back into the group of humans and created more distance between them. 

Yuuji frowned in annoyance. It seemed the curse was going to keep using the civilians as shields. He would need to force him out somehow. The problem was that Yuuji’s power was quite destructive, and he could hurt people by accident. This was one of the times he wished he had techniques like Inumaki or Okkotsu. His seniors could easily order the special grade to stay still and stop this cat-and-mouse game.

Jogo summoned a small mountain above Yuuji’s head, but before it could launch a fire attack, the teen sent Dismantle to cut apart the manifestation. He then hastened his footsteps while he dodged the civilians the special grade threw at him. The curse was getting desperate, and his movements became more unorganized. That allowed the teen to lessen the distance between them. Yet before he could get close enough to his enemy, a sudden sharp sound rang in the air.

Everyone turned their head toward the train that headed toward their way. The civilians who had been trapped inside the underground station instantly tried to enter the transportation, expecting to find a way out of this hellhole. 

“Move!”

“Step aside!”

“It’s the train!”

A second later, the doors opened, and a wave of transfigured humans entered the scene. Yuuji’s eyes widened in fear. Fuck. He wasn’t fast enough. Screams began to explode as monsters leaped out of the train carriages. 

“Itadori!” Mahito shouted as he manipulated a human and launched it like a projectile at Yuuji. The boy blocked the attack and sent Dismantle at the curse. While the sorcerer immediately lunged toward his new opponent, the curse jumped back with a laugh.

“Come on, we don’t have enough people here!” Mahito yelled.

Yuuji’s eyes were immediately drawn to the shouts that came out of the people from the upper floors who were thrown into the lowest floor. As if that wasn’t enough, Mahito ordered his transfigured humans to launch a group attack on Yuuji. Emboldened by the backup, Jogo joined in on the assault. Yuuji released Dismantles to push back against his enemies.

“Aaaah!” a civilian screamed when she accidentally got hit.

No.

Yuuji instantly stopped using his technique.

“Ahahahahaha!!!” Mahito laughed. “What are you going to do now, Itadori?!”

No.

Yuuji could only watch with horrified eyes as more people were thrown over the railings while others succumbed to death after being mauled by transfigured humans. 

No.

Omake:

Jogo: I can take care of this kid.

Yuuji: *Acts slightly like Gojo*

Jogo: *PTSD intensified*

Chapter Text

Satoru examined the pocket dimension in which he had gotten trapped. Based on his observation, this thing seemed to be fully under the control of Tamamo-no-Mae. Likely, she wanted to use it to even the playing field. Not that it would help her much. He would ensure she paid the price for daring to use Ryou’s face. Breaking this pocket of space would be much easier if he were outside, but since he was inside, he would need to find the core.

As the teen began to move through the maze-like hallway, he stretched his senses in an attempt to find his friend. No luck. The cursed object was able to limit his range by making the area farther away from him in flux. It was like trying to see the bottom of a muddy river. That was fine. He had faith that Suguru could take care of himself. His priority would be to break them out of this damn pocket space. 

While Satoru never had that much interest in barriers, he was talented in many fields. His Six Eyes also helped him understand many things easily. This cursed object was basically an advanced barrier technique meant to confuse its prisoners. It sounded quite simple in writing, but it was still annoying. His biggest concern was the fact this pocket of space also seemed to mess with how they perceived time. If they spent too long here, they might fail to help Yuuji. Tamamo-no-Mae’s task was likely to stall them so her allies could deal with the younger teen.

Not a chance.

As Satoru began to pinpoint spots of weakness that he could forcefully break to reach the core, he heard someone call his name, “Satoru!”

The sorcerer turned to see a black-haired teen running toward him. “I’m glad you’re okay. That cursed spirit really took us off guard.”

“Suguru,” Satoru muttered.

“Have you found out how to break out of this place?” the other asked. “I was lucky to be able to find you so soon despite the hallways constantly changing.”

“I do. If I were a regular sorcerer, then I would probably stuck here for a long time. This damn thing almost had no weaknesses, but I think you already know that…” Satoru glared at the other teen. “Tamamo-no-Mae.”

Suguru’s soft face distorted as the fox spirit stretched his mouth wide to show a toothy grin.

Satoru immediately blasted away the curse into a nearby weak point and sent the monster into another hallway. As the spirit bounced several times due to the impact, the sorcerer leaped toward her and attempted to crush her skull with her feet. Unfortunately, the spirit jumped away and threw several fire projectiles at him. Infinity easily blocked those attacks from landing, but they still exploded near his face.

“Just give up and die,” Satoru said, “there’s no way you can hurt me.”

In response, Tamamo-no-Mae created numerous blooming flowers in the air that exploded in the next second. The sorcerer only narrowed his eyes as Infinity blocked the explosion from reaching him and sent the curse flying through another weak point.

Before she could gather herself, Satoru had already jumped above her and slammed his feet through her chest. The spirit spat out a mouthful of blood, but the teen only glared coldly down. He then used his other feet to crush her face. He easily turned her skull into a bloody paste thanks to his Blue technique. 

After staring down at the gory mess under his feet, Satoru raised his head and said, “Didn’t I say your cheap tricks won’t work on me?” The sorcerer turned to see Tamamo-no-Mae froze in mid-air as she tried to pierce his head with her sharp nails. “I’ve always known that’s just a copy.”

Instead of becoming panicked, the curse only smiled and replied, “Then shouldn’t you know that I’ve managed to poison you?”

As if responding to her words, Satoru’s body began to spasm as pain exploded inside him. This time, it was the teen who hacked out a mouthful of blood.

Tamamo-no-Mae continued, “My fire isn’t just for show, they also spread poisons that will eat your insides.”

As Satoru got overwhelmed by waves of pain, his control of his technique also diminished. The curse landed gracefully on her feet and grinned at her victim.

“You may be blessed Gojo Satoru,” Tamamo-no-Mae said, “but I’ve killed many blessed people.”

Despite being tortured by pain felt as if it was ripping his organs, Satoru grinned back. “I think they were too stupid to be fooled by a scam like you.”

Tamamo-no-Mae’s face twisted into a rage. “I’ve had enough of you.”

“Well me too!” Satoru shot back.

As the curse raised her hand to summon flame flowers, Rainbow Dragon suddenly appeared and slammed its wide jaw around the special grade. Several insect curses followed suit and began to surround and attack Tamamo-no-Mae. 

The fox spirit screamed in rage and tried to fight back, but the poisons the Kodoku had injected into her had slowed her down. Still, that wasn’t quite enough to take down a special grade. Tamamo-no-Mae suddenly disappeared into several flowers, yet before she could escape, Satoru tracked her new position down and slammed his fist into her face. 

The impact made her stumble. Suguru suddenly appeared on her other side, and the two sorcerers started to pummel the curse with their fists. Tamamo-no-Mae tried to retaliate, but the teens were special-grade sorcerers, and each of their hits felt like being hit with a small explosion. To end their combo, Suguru dropped a massive Daruma Doll above the spirit and crushed her to the ground. 

Tamamo-no-Mae was on the edge of defeat. The black-haired sorcerer stretched his hand automatically and used his technique. The fox spirit screeched in rage and pain as she felt her being slowly being condensed into a sphere. The sorcerer was trying to subdue her. Yet despite her desperate struggle, there was nothing she could do as Suguru turned her into a condensed spirit orb.

The teen stared at the black and gold orb for a second before turning to look at his friend. “That was risky.”

“You want to complain now?” Satoru huffed. Despite what Tamamo-no-Mae had believed, the teen had noticed the poison she was spreading. Perhaps if he had mastered his technique further, his Infinity could filter out poisons, but he wasn’t at that level yet. So, he decided to take a risk and allowed himself to play along with the curse’s plan. In the meantime, he intentionally drew their fight closer to Suguru’s location. As he broke down the weak points inside this pocket space, the range of his Six Eyes became normal, allowing him to track down Suguru.

Despite the two of them not discussing this plan, the other teen instinctively realized what his friend was planning. Thus, he kept his presence low and allowed Satoru to bait the special grade into lowering her guard. That was how they successfully ambushed the curse in the middle of a fight.

“I think you should see Shoko,” Suguru said when he saw Satoru’s pale face.

The other teen shook his head. “No, we don’t have time.” He then turned around and broke down several more weak points to finally reach the core of the cursed object. It was actually a painting of a castle that was hung in the middle of a large chamber. With a condensed Blue, Satoru destroyed it, and the two of them immediately spat out back into the real world.

Suguru used his hand to stabilize his friend, who had stumbled on his feet. Despite receiving a worried look, the other remained stubborn and went to the strange-looking nails that had been embedded into the roof of Shibuya Tower. The nails were covered in complicated seals and seemed to be the center of the barrier that prevented sorcerers from entering. With another condensed Blue, Satoru destroyed the nails, dropping the second veil on Shibuya.

Suguru sighed as he ordered Rainbow Dragon to get close. Then, he gently shoved Satoru so the teen would get up on its back. While his friend would usually complain about being manhandled, the white-haired teen’s eyes were closed tightly as he tried to deal with the poisons inside his body with cursed energy. Suguru knew that was only a temporary measure and they would need to see Shoko to fully remove the poisons. Yet, knowing that the other teen wouldn’t change his mind, he wordlessly told Rainbow Dragon to take them deeper into the city.

As Mahito laughed gleefully, Yuuji was stuck in his spot as he saw the chaos around him. Screams from horrified civilians rang in the air as they desperately tried to escape the jaws of transfigured humans. There were also groans of pain that came from those who had been thrown from the upper floor.

What should Yuuji do?

There was no way he could defeat this many enemies while having to deal with Mahito and other special grades.

Did Gojo-sensei have to deal with this, too?

Before the teen could take one desperate step forward, he suddenly found himself standing above a pool of blood. A mountain of bones stood in front of him. Yuuji’s head automatically looked up to stare at the owner of this inner domain.

“Sukuna,” Yuuji gritted out. “What? Do you want to laugh? Keep it to yourself. I don’t have time to deal with you.”

Instead of sneering or getting angry, the King of Curses gazed at him impassively. “You are now cornered. Even if you focus on taking down those special grades, I doubt you can actually fight without interference with those transfigured humans running about. At this rate, you will lose this battle.”

“I’m not going to lose!” Yuuji replied heatedly.

“Oh? Tell me, what’s your grand plan then?” Sukuna asked boredly.

“I-” Yuuji clenched his fists. The only thing that came into his mind that could easily take down this many enemies was domain expansion, but that wouldn’t work. If he used this ability, then he would attack everyone in its range simultaneously. While his Soul Dismantle could gravely injure the special grades, it would hurt the civilians.

Sukuna sighed. “How disappointing. Fine. I’ve no wish to see you be so pathetic. I shall lend you a hand.”

“Huh?!” Yuuji blinked in shock, and then wariness set in. “I’m not going to let you out!”

“I do not need to gain control of your body to deal with this small annoyance,” Sukuna replied. “You only need to deal with the transfigured humans swiftly, correct? That should change the tide of battle in your favor.”

“I guess.” Yuuji stared at the King of Curses doubtfully. His biggest threat right now was Mahito. With this many transfigured humans he could control, dealing with him would be troublesome and dangerous. Jogo had received a solid hit from Soul Dismantle, so it was unlikely that he would be able to use his full power. Choso and Uraume always kept their distance and didn’t try to truly harm him except for being slight annoyances.

“Then, you will need to use your domain,” Sukuna said.

“You know that won’t work!”

“Why not?” the King of Curses asked. 

“Do you want me to kill everyone here?!”

The curse sent him a dry look. “The only problem with your domain is that it hits everyone inside its range, correct? If you adjust that requirement so you can actively select your target then it won’t be an issue anymore.”

“I-” Well, that was true, but that was easier said than done. He knew that each domain was rather unique. Gojo’s domain would hit anyone except for himself and those he touched. On the other hand, Sukuna’s domain would attack everyone without mercy. Then, there was Okkotsu’s domain, which Yuuji had entered safely without being hit with a sure-hit attack. “You think I can just change my domain like that?!”

“Can you not?” Sukuna asked.

“Can you?!” Yuuji shot back.

“I can,” the King of Curses said. “I simply saw no reason to adjust my domain when I used it before, but I can certainly select the target of my technique.”

Yuuji scrunched his nose in frustration. He wanted to believe the other was lying, but he doubted it. The curse was many things, but he was certainly a genius. While most sorcerers struggled to even use a domain, the curse could tinker with his to suit his needs. “And you are going to help me?”

“Make up your mind, brat,” Sukuna said. “While time moves slower here, we cannot speak forever. If you agree, I shall help you adjust your domain so it’ll only hit those you wish. I’ll even help you mark the targets so you won’t accidentally hit those pathetic mundane people.”

Yuuji stared at the King of Curses in consternation. Why would the curse offer to help? Sukuna wasn’t someone so charitable that he would help Yuuji out when he was in trouble. No, the King of Curses would laugh at him as he watched him struggle. There were few things the curse enjoyed, but seeing his vessel being desperate was one of them. Sukuna would do no such thing, but…

The four red eyes stared at him impassively as Yuuji tried to read him. As he opened his mouth, he suddenly felt a sense of danger from outside. Shit. He had stayed too long here. 

“Fine! But I’m not allowing you out!” Yuuji said.

“Finally,” the curse said before kicking him back to reality.

Yuuji returned to his body just in time to dodge an attack from Jogo. He grabbed the special grade’s hand and slammed a fist into his stomach. Then, he raised his feet to kick the curse away.

Mahito only laughed seeing his ally being punted like a ball. “How fun! Let’s get wild!”

Yuuji only growled and raised his hands to form a mudra. “Domain Expansion.”

All curses and incarnated beings’ eyes widened. Yuuji was still quite new at using a domain, yet with Sukuna’s help, his barrier easily expanded within a millisecond. Then, as if invisible hands guided him, Yuuji started to feel the presence of all the transfigured humans within his domain. There were over one thousand of them. It seemed Mahito had worked hard to prepare. Before anger could take hold, Yuuji felt Sukuna nudging him into focus. In the next millisecond, dark lines immediately showed up on everyone the teen had marked as targets. Besides the transfigured humans, he also marked the two special-grade curses.

Soul Dismantle!

When his technique hit, Yuuji immediately dropped his domain. While the teen breathed hard after completing the almost impossible feat, both Mahito and Jogo fell to their knees as they received a direct hit from Yuuji’s attack. Choso stared in shock at the fallen curses while Uraume shot a wild look at Yuuji.

Despite being hit with Soul Dismantle, Mahito still laughed. “I can’t believe it! You really surprise me, Itadori!”

Yuuji didn’t reply. While he managed to take care of the transfigured humans, he could no longer use his technique for some time. Since he only opened his domain for milliseconds, his burnt-out period should be relatively short. He would need to survive during this time. 

Mahito got up to his feet while Jogo was still shaking on the ground. Before the special grade could launch an attack, everyone froze when they felt the aura shift.

Twang!

The last inner curtain had been broken. Yuuji grinned. Toji had destroyed the barrier’s foundation. Although the tide of battle had shifted in the sorcerer’s favor, Mahito still kept up his offense and created Polymorphic Soul Isomer. The creation immediately tried to pummel the teen to death, but Yuuji evaded their powerful strikes. He had fought this monster before. It had a strong offense but a very weak defense. 

While the teen dealt with Polymorphic Soul Isomer and Mahito, Jogo slowly got up to his feet. After he got hit with Soul Dismantle twice, the curse output was greatly reduced. He couldn’t understand why he had such a hard time healing the wounds. He was a curse, this level of damage should stop him. 

The special grade wasn’t sure whether he should help Mahito or retreat. He was heavily wounded, and it was unlikely he could survive the fight if he continued to battle. Yet, before he could make up his mind, somebody else made it up for him. Like a ghost, someone suddenly appeared behind him and swung a blade.

Jogo’s one eye widened as he felt his head behind chopped off. There was a man that had somehow sneaked up behind him. The other had no cursed energy at all, preventing the special grade from noticing him. The black-haired man grinned down at him before he swung his sword again and cut the special grade into pieces.

With that, Jogo was exorcized by Fushiguro Toji.

“Oi oi oi! You’re not invited to the party!” Mahito shouted when he saw his ally being cut down. Seeing Jogo being exorcized did not make him feel angry. He had always known that the other special grades would not survive the night.

“Sorry, but I go where I please,” Toji then lunged and joined the fight between Yuuji and Mahito.

Mahito created several more Polymorphic Soul Isomer, but Toji easily handled them. As if fate had finally taken pity upon Yuuji, two more backups arrived on top of a white dragon. 

“Yuuji!” Satoru shouted as he jumped off the back of Rainbow Dragon to land beside his friend. He then blasted a nearby Polymorphic Soul Isomer away before turning his attention to Yuuji. “You idiot! Didn’t I say don’t do anything stupid!”

“Hey, stupid brat! That one was my prey!” Toji shouted as he cut down another Polymorphic Soul Isomer.

Satoru only stuck out his tongue.

“Come on guys, let’s focus,” Suguru cut in while he summoned a large worm that started to swallow the unconscious humans. It wasn’t an elegant move but he figured that this was the fastest way to move the civilians out of this dangerous zone. While being kept inside a worm’s stomach wasn’t nice, it was better than getting killed.

With an extra backup arriving, the tide of battle was now squarely on the sorcerers’ side. Thus, they had lowered their heightened guard slightly. While Toji and Satoru bicker, Yuuji shouted, “The barrier that prevent you guys from leaving is down, you can escape now!”

Those who were still awake and not greatly unharmed during the battle quickly ran toward the exit of the Shibuya stations. Since Yuuji had expanded his domain to its biggest range, he had taken down the majority of the transfigured humans that Mahito had released in Shibuya. Hopefully, the sorcerers outside could take care of the rest.

“What a warm scene,” Mahito said as he chuckled.

“Give it up, Mahito,” Yuuji replied as he took a step closer to the lone special grade. Choso and Uraume hadn’t moved from their spots, and it was unlikely they would become aggressive at this point. Mahito was the only one left, and he was surrounded by enemies.

“I don’t think so.” Mahito grinned and spread his arms. In the next moment, two portals suddenly appeared and dropped two large figures into the abandoned station. All sorcerers tensed at the sudden pressure.

“That’s-” Yuuji’s eyes widened. 

He had become familiar with this infamous figure. But that wasn’t possible. That towering stature, muscular body, and white skin. Those could only belong to Mahoraga. How did two appear here?

“Surprised?” Mahito asked with a grin. “I got these toys from Kenjaku. He’s very nice, you know.”

Of course, it was Kenjaku. Only that ancient sorcerer could cook up something this crazy. But that shouldn’t be possible. Even if he got a hold of the Ten Shadows Technique, how did he summon two at the same time? 

Satoru, Suguru, and Toji remained still in their spot as they watched the new opponents. The legendary Six Eyes glowed brightly as the teen tried to examine these strange creatures. “It’s still like a shikigami but not quite… cursed tool, but even then…” The young sorcerer gasped.

“Oh, I suppose the Six Eyes won’t miss it. Anyway, I never plan to hide it from you.” Mahito’s smile widened. “Hey, Yuuji, I don’t think you have heard about it yet, but I have kidnapped two of your friends. Your future friends, I guess. They’re still small. Well, the two kids are quite the perfect size to power these two. You know, Kugisaki and Okkotsu?”

Yuuji froze. No.

“There are kids inside?” Suguru muttered in horror. Toji tightened his grip over the Split Soul Katana while Satoru clenched his teeth.

“Alright, that’s enough talking. Let’s play some more, shall we?” Mahito said.

The two shikigami immediately jumped toward the sorcerers. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Dagon, who had been silently watching the fight, finally snapped. Unlike the other special grades, the curse was quite a pacifist, yet the sight of his friends being killed finally made him evolve from his cursed womb state.

The newly awoken cursed spirit immediately unleashed a domain expansion that swallowed everyone inside. In this current time, only Yuuji could unleash a domain expansion, but the teen had not recovered his burnt-out technique yet. Dagon threw numerous shikigami at Yuuji, whom he had seen kill Hanami. Toji immediately got in the way and cut down the sea serpents. The two Mahoraga and Mahito joined in on the fight. 

Satoru fought one of the Mahoraga copies while Suguru handled the other. With furious eyes, Yuuji lunged toward Mahito, who was still laughing. 

“MAHITO!!!”

“ITADORIII!!”

Satoru really wanted to help his friend, but handling this knock-off Mahoraga was harder than he had expected. While he had never fought the real one, there were records of this legendary shikigami within the Gojo clan. He knew that it should be much stronger. Perhaps its capabilities were limited because it was just a copy or due to the source of its power. 

Based on his observation, the one he was now fighting was slightly stronger than the second copy. It seemed the kid inside this shikigami was much stronger than the other child. Either way, it wasn’t good. If this was just a pure shikigami, he could go all out and not hold back. However, there are children trapped inside, and they were kids that the curse had kidnapped due to their connection to Yuuji. Satoru couldn’t kill them. But that was exactly against how you could take down Mahoraga. He knew that to kill this shikigami, you had to hit them with a powerful attack that could instantly kill the creature. If you went half-assed, the shikigami would just get back up again.

This wasn’t good at all!

On the other side of the battlefield, Toji was overwhelming Dagon. While the curse was a special grade, he was nothing against the Heavenly Restricted man. The two danced on the sea within the domain. While the curse desperately shot numerous man-eating fish and sea serpents at the other, the man easily destroyed all of them with his slashes. Manipulating the water didn’t work either because despite not having any cursed energy, Toji had superhuman strength and speed that allowed him to fight back against the current. 

Was Dagon going to lose? No, he refused! He hadn’t avenged Hanami and Jogo yet! He activated Death Swarm with Toji as his main target. An endless swarm of shikigami flew toward the man, yet the other merely grinned and dashed toward them head-on. He pulled another long sword from his inventory spirit and started to swing around those two blades. 

Dagon took a step back as he watched his enemy getting closer to him. It was as if his shikigami was nothing but a piece of meat that the man could easily cut like butter. The curse raised his output to another level and summoned more sea serpents behind Toji. The man jumped up into the air to dodge the oncoming hit.

What?

That was impossible! He was inside Dagon’s domain! Yet Toji only smirked and landed right above the special grade. Without wasting any more time, the man cut apart the newly awakened curse and fully exorcized Dagon.

After ensuring his enemy was dead with the domain falling apart, Toji turned to check on his allies. Both Satoru and Suguru seemed to be holding themselves fine against the fake Mahoraga so he decided to help out Yuuji who was slowly losing his cool. Anyway, he had planned to kill Mahito after he dared to murder Ryou.

At that moment, Yuuji dodged another Body Repel from Mahito and attempted to punch the curse, but the other blocked his attack. Despite using so many transfigured humans, there didn’t seem to be an end to his stock. How many humans had the curse taken?!

“Why do you look so angry, Itadori?” Mahito laughed.

Yuuji only gritted his teeth and threw more punches. He knew that he was losing his cool, but the curse had been pushing his button too much. He hated Mahito. Hate!

Before the teen could fully lose his mind in anger, Toji chose that moment to interfere and blocked one of Mahito’s attacks with his blade before pulling back Yuuji. “Calm down, idiot.”

Yuuji gritted his teeth. “I know.”

“I’ve taken care of another special grade, but I think our main problems are those two Mahoraga knock-offs,” Toji explained. “We’ll need to kill them with one hit but that’s why they use those kids as shields, huh?”

The teen clenched his fist. “I-I’m not sure but if their connection is somewhat similar to incarnated beings and vessels, I may be able to pull out the kids.”

“Oh?” Toji grinned. “Good. Then you help those brats and I’ll handle this trash.”

Mahito didn’t say anything while Toji and Yuuji talked. 

While the teen wanted to be the one to kill Mahito, he knew that he had to help Satour and Suguru deal with the two shikigami. After sending one last hateful look at the special grade, he left to chase after Suguru and Satoru.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” Mahito tried to stop Yuuji’s escape, but Toji got in his way and blocked his attack. 

“I’m your enemy, bastard,” Toji said.

“Get out of my way, I only want to play with Itadori,” Mahito replied.

“Too bad.” Toji rested the Soul Split Katana on his shoulder. “I don’t give a shit.”

After Dagon’s domain was destroyed, Suguru and Satoru brought their fight against the shikigami outside. Despite being much weaker, these two Mahoraga could still cause great damage, and fighting underground was not a good idea. The two sorcerers decided to keep their fight close so they could support each other. Satoru was still trying to figure out how they could extract the children while also defeating these annoying shikigami.

Despite being lauded as a genius, Satoru couldn’t find shit. He could think of ways to destroy the two Mahoraga, but not one that could save the kids. Dragging this fight for long wasn’t a good idea either. While Satoru had been blasting them away with Blue and blocking their attacks with Infinity, the wheel on top of the the shikigami’s head was slowly turning. 

This wasn’t good.

Before Satoru could be forced to make a decision to solve this awful dilemma, Yuuji showed up after jumping on top of a nearby building. “Satoru! Suguru! I know how to extract the children from the shikigami!”

“You do?!” Suguru exclaimed as he dodged another attack from Mahoraga while riding on his manta rays.

Yuuji shouted. “Yes! I just need to wait for my technique to refresh and I can use my domain! Can you keep these two close until that time?”

“When did you-?!” Satoru sputtered. As far as he knew, his friend had never mastered that powerful technique. Hell, he wasn’t able to use one yet! There were so many questions in his mind, but he pushed it back. They could talk later. If Yuuji needed time, then he would give it.

“Alright!” Suguru yelled back.

Although it was three versus two, there were several factors against them. First, they still had to hold back against the shikigami. Second, they were fighting inside Shibuya. There were still some civilians who were trapped inside various buildings, and they had to ensure that their fight wouldn’t involve them. As if that wasn’t enough, the two Mahoraga seemed to be connected and could sync their attacks. 

One of the Mahoraga landed on the road and began throwing cars as if they were projectiles. Satoru had to stop all of them with his power and throw them back at the shikigami. The second Mahoraga tried to stab him in the back, but Yuuji got in its path and blasted it into the air with a punch.

Satoru whistled. “Good punch!”

“Focus!” Yuuji chided, but there was a grin on his face.

Before the flying Mahoraga got too far, Suguru ordered Rainbow Dragon to throw it at its counterpart. The first shikigami dodged its falling brethren and flew into the air toward Satoru. The boy blocked the oncoming fist with Infinity, but the impact still destroyed the side of the building on which he was standing. He blasted the creature away with Blue, and Yuuji knocked it down further with a kick. The second Mahoraga reappeared near the youngest teen and threw a punch. Yuuji managed to block it, but he got thrown back and even took Satoru with him. 

They crashed through the building, but Suguru sent several of his flying spirits to catch his allies. He then ordered countless more curses to attack the two shikigami, but they were cut down like flies. 

“Che,” Suguru frowned. These guys were really troublesome.

While one lunged closer to the three sorcerers, the second one remained on the ground. Before they could wonder what that one was planning, it decided to lift up a nearby building and throw it straight at them. 

“That’s someone’s property, you know!” Satoru shouted as he blasted Blue to destroy the structure. 

Although it was only for a second, the blind spot allowed the first Mahoraga to get close enough to attempt to cut Yuuji and Satoru. The teen blocked its slash with Infinity again, and Suguru condensed numerous cursed spirits into an orb and blasted the projectile at it. The impact knocked the creature back, and Yuuji grabbed its feet before slamming it straight down to earth.

The impact created a massive impact on the ground. The first shikigami tried to get close, but the teen jumped back down to meet it head-on. His technique had recovered. The teen created his mudra. 

“Domain Expansion.”

His domain enveloped the nearby area and swallowed the two shikigami. With no other domain attempting to fight for control, Yuuji’s sure-hit effect was immediately activated. Soul Dismantle rained down upon the two Mahoraga. As expected, the first attack wasn’t enough, but that was fine. 

Yuuji slammed his hand into one of the shikigami and landed blow upon blow upon its massive torso. Each of his hits was enhanced by his domain, making his Soul Dismantle even more lethal. Bit by bit, he tore apart the seals that tied Okkotsu’s soul to the shikigami and finally ripped the boy apart from his cage. He caught the unconscious boy and barely had enough time to place him down before the other enemy rose. 

The other Mahoraga tried to attack, but Yuuji blocked its blade. Although the shikigami tried to defend itself, Yuuji easily bypassed its attempts and also tore away Kugisaki from Kenjaku’s creation. When he felt the two shikigami wouldn’t get up again, he dropped his barrier and grabbed the two kids. He checked them with anxious eyes and sighed in relief when he saw them relatively unharmed.

Both Suguru and Satoru landed beside Yuuji. Their eyes widened when they saw the two shikigami defeated. 

“Wow! When did you get this strong, Yuuji?” Satoru commented.

“How are the kids?” Suguru asked.

Yuuji gave them a smile. “They’re fine.”

While Yuuji and Suguru fussed over the two children, Satoru decided to examine the shikigami. He still couldn’t get how Kenjaku made this thing work. Although he could feel the kids had cursed energy, there was no way they could power this beast. Before he could examine the remains further, he heard Suguru yell, “Come on Satoru! We still need to deal with the other special grade!”

“Ha? Isn’t Toji supposed to deal with that guy?” Satoru asked. Frankly, he was quite tired. The elders had been pilling up extra work on his shoulders, and he still didn’t get that much sleep. The poison from Tamamo-no-Mae was still stressing out his body, and that fight didn’t help either.

Before he could take a step away, his Six Eyes registered the shikigami behind him twitched. The teen barely had time to jump back to avoid getting hit by Mahoraga. This time, there was only one. It seemed the two halves merged into one.

“As I thought, it was too easy,” Satoru muttered. 

Suguru, who was holding Okkotsu, took a step back while Yuuji tensed with Kugisaki in his arms. How did it get up again?

“It’s fine guys! I’ll handle this!” Satoru said. Now that this thing didn’t have the children as shields, he could use his full power and blast it to smithereens. 

Mahoraga raised its bladed arm and swung. Satoru only smirked back, expecting Infinity to stop the attack. Yet at that moment…

Slash.

That blade passed through Infinity and cut him straight on the torso, right at his heart.

Yuuji’s and Suguru’s eyes widened.

Satoru covered his bloodied chest with his hand in shock.

Mahoraga swung its arm again.

This time…

The shikigami beheaded Gojo Satoru.

“SATORUUUUU!” the other teens screamed in horror.

Omake:

Mahoraga: *Cut off Gojo’s arm* Wanna see me do it again? But better?

Chapter Text

Suguru immediately summoned two spirits. One was to take the kids to a safe spot, and the other was sent to attack Mahoraga. Yuuji threw himself at the fallen body of his friend and was forced to pick up the head that had rolled off its intended place. Satoru’s soft white hair caressed his hands softly, yet Yuuji could feel nothing but despair. 

“I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!!” Suguru screamed as he dashed toward the shikigami and summoned even more curses.

Mahoraga easily cut down the spirits the enraged sorcerer sent and shot a powerful slash toward its enemy. While Suguru easily dodged it away, Yuuji was still crouched beside Satoru's fallen body, frozen in shock.

Before the slash could cut down the young teen, a thick wall of ice suddenly appeared to block the attack. While it immediately broke the ice construct into pieces, it also stopped the slash from hitting Yuuji. Suguru looked suspiciously at the monk who had helped them. He had been aware of their presence before, but since they hadn’t exuded any ill intent, he left them alone. However, he was aware that the monk and the other man were working with Kenjaku. 

“Focus on your enemy!” Choso shouted as he shot Supernova at the shikigami. He had been watching the fights alongside Uraume and had no intention of stepping in. Yet, when he saw how Yuuji broke down after witnessing the death of his friend, something in him snapped. He wasn’t sure why he wanted to protect the sorcerer, but his gut feeling told him that he had to do this or he would regret it his whole life.

Uraume’s reasoning was much simpler. Yuuji was Sukuna’s Vessel, and it was their duty to protect their master. After all, Kenjaku’s order was simply to keep the sorcerers distracted in Shibuya. As long as they remained here, Uraume technically followed the curse user’s instructions. 

Suguru didn’t trust the two sudden allies that he had gained, but he knew that defeating the shikigami alone was unlikely. Thus, he let them help him and threw himself back into the fight. While the battle against Mahoraga continued in Shibuya, Yuuji was trembling as he held Satoru’s head.

The blood from the beheaded body had almost soaked his pants. The teen could barely breathe as his brain scrambled to find a way to fix this. It happened again. Satoru died again. Yuuji had been close this time, yet he had failed to do anything. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless.

What should he do?

While Yuuji could use the Reverse Cursed Technique, he had never known how to output it. Should he bring Satoru to Shoko? Could she even heal him? Satoru was beheaded. Beheaded! How could you heal something like this?!

“Aaaah…” Yuuji croaked out as his body trembled.

“Stop crying.” Sukuna’s voice suddenly rang out in his head. “Shedding your tears won’t bring your friend back.”

Yuuji knew. Of course, he fucking knew. But what else could he do now? Satoru was dead, and it was all his fault!

“Enough with your pity party,” the King of Curses cut in. “Let me out.”

“No,” Yuuji automatically replied. He couldn’t let Sukuna out. That was the number one promise he had made. Perhaps his words were worthless since he kept failing to keep his promises, but he refused to let that horrible night repeat again.

The curse sighed. “Do you want your friend to die?”

Yuuji stilled.

“I won’t make a Binding Vow for this since I’m not sure myself,” Sukuna continued, “but I believe I’m the only one who may have a chance to fix this.”

Yuuji should reject it. It was obviously a trick. There was no way the King of Curses would do anything to help the teen. He would just exploit this moment of weakness to unleash chaos upon the world. And yet…

Yuuji stared at Satoru’s blue eyes, which had become blank. Those wonderful blue eyes that would usually sparkle under sunlight had dimmed, turning into dead jewels without light. The sight was replaced with the scene of his teacher being cut into two by the King of Curses.

Yuuji shouldn’t…

The teen took a shaky breath. “Fine, I-I’ll let you out, but while you’ve control, promise me you won’t kill any humans or try to escape from my body.”

Yuuji expected Sukuna to try to change the contract, but the other easily replied, “As you wish.”

A familiar sound of chains rang in the depths of his soul. Then, Yuuji felt his control over his body loosened. A dark presence rose up to greet him. Before Sukuna rose to the surface, the teen felt a pair of strong arms hug him from behind for a moment before allowing him to descend deeper.

As the King of Curses took full control of his vessel’s body, dark tattoos showed up on the teen’s skin. A secondary set of eyes slid open, showing red orbs that gazed impassively at the head in his hands.

Sukuna sighed. “What a mess.”

He then moved closer to the body and calmly placed the head back to its proper position. Unlocking the Reverse Cursed Technique was already an incredible feat for sorcerers. Being able to use it on others was an even rarer talent. Shoko was arguably one of the best healers in the modern era, but he doubted even she could heal this level of damage. Oh, she could still fix the body, but to revive someone who had been beheaded? No. That would be impossible with a simple Reverse Cursed Technique. 

First, Sukuna would need to fix Satoru’s wounds. From reconnecting the spinal cords to knitting back all the muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, those could already be considered a medical miracle. Barely a minute had passed, yet death had almost fully taken over the teen’s body. His heart had also been damaged by Mahoraga. The curse could detect Satoru’s attempt to fix his own wound, yet the sudden beheading he received not long after had stopped it. After all, although cursed energy came from the stomach, the brain was also an important factor in sending orders.

Sukuna could feel Yuuji watching from the inside. While the storm of despair still persisted, some hope started to blossom inside the boy as he watched the King of Curses knit back Satoru’s body and close the wound on his torso. Yet the curse knew that wasn’t quite enough. That blow was fatal. Not even someone as blessed as Satoru could survive that. His soul had already departed from his body, yet one thread remained.

Now, for the next step…

Sukuna closed his eyes and reached out.

Satoru blinked and found himself sitting inside an airport. 

“What?” the teen said.

As he examined his new surroundings, he found out that the place was empty except for one person. It was a man with striking white hair and black clothes. There was even a black blindfold that covered his eyes. The other person was sitting in front of Satoru on another set of benches.

“Yo!” the man said while raising his hand.

“Who the hell are you?!” Satoru exclaimed. While he couldn’t see the other’s eyes physically, he could feel the other set of Six Eyes staring back at him.

“You, of course!” the man grinned. “Well a version of you, I guess.”

“Ha?!” Satoru scrunched his nose. “What’s this alternate universe or some shit?”

“Yeah, something along those lines. Nice to meet you!”

Satoru felt like he wanted to punch the man after having to see that ever-present grin. Was he also this obnoxious? No way! 

“But, man, that was really something huh?” Gojo continued as he leaned back and placed his hands on the back of the bench. 

“What are you talking about?” Satoru grumbled. While the other claimed he was another version of him, the teen wasn’t fully buying it. Where was this place, anyway? His Six Eyes couldn’t register much. The area felt like a pocket space, yet it didn’t seem like he was trapped inside a cursed object.

“You don’t remember?” Gojo tilted his head. “You died.”

Satoru froze. 

Several images flashed in his mind. Mahoraga standing up. His own chest was bloodied and open. Then, his vision was tilted as his head got chopped off.

The teen touched his neck. There was no wound. 

“The hell?”

Gojo laughed. “It was really something! I can’t believe that happen!”

Satoru gritted his teeth at the other’s reaction. “Shut up! If I’m dead then this place has to be an afterlife or some shit. If you are here, then you’re also dead!”

“Ding! Ding! Correct!” Gojo clapped. “I didn’t get beheaded though. I got sliced into two! Like a fish!”

Satoru gave a flabbergasted and tired look at the man. “I don’t think this is something you should laugh about.”

“But it is funny!” Gojo grinned. “Unlike you, who got taken off guard, I entered that fight knowing that I would likely die. So I wasn’t that surprised when I found myself here.”

The teen crossed his arms as he slid down on his seat. “What the hell is this place, anyway? The afterlife for all Gojo Satoru? Why the fuck is it an airport?!”

Gojo shrugged. “Not sure about why it materialized as an airport, but yeah, it is sort of an afterlife. As to how we somehow met, now that I’m not sure. Something weird happened after I died…”

“Who killed you?” Satoru asked with a frown. Although it was embarrassing, Mahoraga getting past his Infinity was understandable. Considering his other self was already an adult, he should have a better grasp of Limitless than him. Who could defeat him when he had gotten that strong?

“The dreadful King of Curses, of course!” Gojo replied cheerily.

“Sukuna?” Satoru’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe that was happening at all. How could he and Sukuna fight? 

Gojo smirked. “I see you’re confused. But well, my Sukuna and your Sukuna seem to be quite different. Mine never reincarnates as a human and only manifested as a curse inside Yuuji’s body. He was quite ruthless and horrible. I don’t think you can find a single good bone in his decrepit body! Now that I think about it. It’s quite unfair that you get a kind Sukuna. I want one too! At least yours won’t give me a headache!”

The teen narrowed his eyes. “How the hell do you know that?” This was the first time they had ever spoken to each other, unless…

“I’ve been seeing your memories,” Gojo confirmed. “You’ve also seen mine, right?”

Satoru frowned even deeper. He had been seeing those weird flashes sometimes, but he had chalked it up to hallucination at first. Then, when it kept occurring, he started to suspect that it might be a vision of the future. Perhaps it was another ability of his Six Eyes. The teen had even tried to look for records regarding such ability but he found none.

Gojo explained, “It’s a bit one-sided so far. I can easily see yours but you seem to only get mine when you’re experiencing heightened emotions toward events that are similar to mine.”

“You mean you killed the elders?” Satoru asked. That was the first vision he had received.

“I did! It was very cathartic! Those geezers had been yammering in my ears for years and I was very happy to finally be rid of them!” Gojo’s grin became quite bloodthirsty as he remembered how he cut down those useless higher-ups. “But I understand why Suguru stopped you. I don’t think you’re at the point where it’s better to just kill all of those useless bags of bones.”

“Suguru…” The mention of his friend made Satoru remember another piece of memory. “He left in your world, right? He became a curse user.”

Gojo nodded. “Yeah, unlike in your world, I didn’t notice anything was amiss before it was too late. He left when he received that mission. Man, was I glad that you actually sent Ryou with him! Everything would’ve been a mess if he were to go alone. Do you see how lucky you’ve been? I didn’t have this much help!”

Satoru only scowled. “I don’t feel so lucky now that I got beheaded.”

“Now, now, don’t be like that,” Gojo chided as he wagged his index finger. “I mean, you’re dead but you’re not super dead yet.”

“I’m quite sure you’re either alive or dead,” Satoru groused. He really couldn’t understand how he turned out into this mess of an adult. He refused! He would not become like the other him. He would have more grace! More decorum! More elegance!

“Now, that’s where you’re wrong.” Gojo tutted. “When I was about to move on, I suddenly felt a weird pull that led me to you. I still don’t get what’s going on but I somehow found myself anchored to you. Although you are here now, that link still hasn’t broken yet.”

“You mean…” Satoru’s eyes widened, but then he narrowed them back again. “That’s stupid. Even if I’m still hanging by a thread, that doesn’t mean I can go back. Even Shoko can’t heal a beheading.”

Gojo pouted at the direct rejection. “Have more faith! You’re correct that Shoko can’t heal this level of damage but there’s another person that may be able to pull off the impossible!”

“Who?” There was no other healer that he knew. Suguru also hadn’t mastered the Reverse Cursed Technique. He had seen Yuuji heal himself during that fight, but he doubted that the kid could be better than Shoko.

As if answering his question, the teen suddenly felt a tug. It wasn’t a physical one, more like a pull at his soul that demanded him to return. The presence felt familiar. It was one that he had thought he would never see again. Satoru’s eyes went wide.

“Speak of the devil.” Gojo grinned and got up to his feet. “Alright! It’s time for us to go!”

“Huh? Where do you think you’re going?” Satoru asked as he also stood up. He understood that he could go back now, but why the hell was the other him also tagging along?

Gojo clicked his tongue. “Come on now. We’re both Gojo Satoru. Didn’t I say that we’re already connected? I think we’re supposed to merge at one point but your death expedites the process.” The other stretched out his hand toward the teen, but Satoru only stared distrustfully at it. The man wiggled his long fingers. “We don’t have much time here! It’s not a bad deal! We become one. You get my memories and experience, and I get to see my lovely students again!”

“Since when are you a teacher? Who let you become one?!” Satoru shot back but slowly pulled out his hand from his pocket.

“Yaga, obviously,” Gojo replied with a grin.

Satoru wasn’t sure about the prospect of merging with this unreliable guy, but he knew he had to get stronger. If you could instantly gain years of experience and power, then it wouldn’t be a bad trade. “Fine. Just don’t do anything strange.”

“You’re me! What are you implying here?” Gojo pouted and grabbed the other’s hand.

The moment their hands touched, the man’s body began to glow bright. In the next moment, the other broke into shards of light that flew toward the teen. As those lights entered his body, Satoru received a flood of memories. Years of life that he had not experienced and would never experience entered his mind. Suguru’s betrayal. The lonely years. His students. Shibuya. Prison Realm. The final fight. Death.

Satoru took a deep breath. He felt like he needed a moment to think, but he felt another tug again. This time, it was more desperate. Knowing that he couldn’t stay here longer, the man-boy followed the direction where the tug was leading him. The airport slowly dissipated into nothing, and then-

Satoru blinked his eyes as he stared up at the red orbs that were gazing down at him. There was a hint of panic that was quickly masked with indifference.

“Yo!” Satoru grinned. “I was wondering when you would show up, Ryou!”

The King of Curses scrunched his nose and then raised his right hand to jab two fingers at the other’s eyes. Satoru automatically closed his eyelids, but those fingers still hit their marks.

“Aaargh! That hurt!” Satoru covered his eyes with his hands as he rolled to his side.

Ryou sighed as he got up to his feet. “You clearly don’t need those eyes since they’re not working anyway. Why didn’t you dodge you damn fool?”

Satoru rubbed his eyes as he protested, “I was in shock, okay?! It’s not every day something managed to get past Infinity!” 

“Clearly you need more training,” the other replied.

Satoru wanted to protest some more, but a sudden explosion drew their attention away. The two teens looked at the battle between Mahoraga and the three people. 

“You should help them,” Ryou said.

Satoru got up to his feet and began to stretch his neck while he touched the skin. He could not notice any damage outside and inside his body. “I will, but wow! You really fixed me back to full health!”

The King of Curses only scoffed. “You should feel lucky that I’m nearby. Any longer than that, you would already be a corpse.”

“I know! I’m really grateful! How about I buy you more of those coffee beans that you like?” Satoru asked. 

The other only sent him a narrow look and turned away. Satoru smiled at his retreating back, knowing Ryou wouldn’t go too far. 

BOOM!

The white-haired teen finally fixed his full attention to the ongoing fight. Although the three people tried their best to fight back, it was obvious that Mahoraga was slowly gaining the upper hand. After all, you had to beat it with one powerful move that it couldn’t recover from.

“Now then.”

Clap!

Using teleportation, Satoru suddenly appeared in the middle of the fight and pointed his fingers at the shikigami. A bright red orb appeared on the tip of his digits.

“Red!”

The attack sent Mahoraga flailing back, destroying several empty buildings in the process. Oops. Maybe he should hold back a bit. Yaga would berate him for that later.

“Satoru?!” Suguru shouted in shock when he saw his friend, who was supposed to be dead, alive and well.

“Miss me? Ryou fixed me!” Satoru replied with a grin. His mind flashed an old memory of his friend dying before him. His right hand was gone, and he was covered in blood. Satoru aiming his technique at his friend’s chest-

He shoved that memory back.

This wasn’t the time for that.

“Ryou?” Satoru’s answer only confused Suguru further. How did another friend who was supposed to be dead return, too? Was he dreaming this whole time?

“Talk later!” Choso shouted when Mahoraga launched itself back toward them.

Satoru decided to dodge the last second by bending his back. This made the shikigami fly past him, but the creature landed on another building before launching itself back. Mahoraga tried to slice Satoru again, but the teen easily evaded its attack and shot Red point blank.

BOOM! CRACK!

The shikigami got thrown to the ground again. Before it could get back up, Satoru started to chant, “Nine Ropes, Polarized Light, Crows, and Shimyo, Between Front and Back.”

The three other people’s eyes widened as they felt the amount of cursed energy the teen was outputting. Despite knowing they would not get caught, they still moved away from Satoru.

Mahoraga decided to lunge back toward the teen at that moment.

“Hollow Purple.”

BANG!

Not knowing that it was heading straight to its own death, the powerful technique swallowed the infamous shikigami and reduced it to nothingness. As dust and smoke settled, a massive hole was revealed to mark the end of the technique.

“Whoops! I overdid it again!” Satoru said when he saw the damage he had done. “At least there are no casualties right?”

The teen turned his eyes toward his friend for approval, but Suguru could only gape. What just happened?

Sukuna turned his head slightly when he felt a familiar explosion occurred. While he had never personally experienced Hollow Purple, he knew what Satoru’s cursed energy felt like. He felt Yuuji stirred in curiosity, but his feelings were still a mix of surprise, joy, and anxiety. The King of Curses could feel the questions from the teen, but he had to ignore it for now.

While the other could yank back control at this point, Yuuji had decided to sit back and watch what Sukuna was planning. The curse had decided to go to where Mahito and Toji were fighting. They had moved outside where they were now fighting in an open area. It was obvious that Toji was dominating this battle but the man was still playing around with Mahito.

Although Toji had no protection against Idle Transfiguration, the special grade was extremely vulnerable to the Split Soul Katana. The man’s speed had made him nigh untouchable. Even from this distance, Sukuna could see the dread on the curse’s face.

Well, it was time to end this now.

The King of Curses showed himself to the two fighters by landing near the spots. Toji raised an eyebrow for a second before he grinned, “Hah, didn’t expect to see you like this, Ryou.”

Sukuna didn’t reply and only kept his eyes on Mahito, who had gotten even more pale. “If you’re not going to end this fight, I will.”

Toji shrugged. “Suit yourself. He was the one who killed you, after all.”

Mahito tried to attack the King of Curses in desperation, but Sukuna easily dodged his transfigured arm and cut it apart with Cleave. He then appeared right before the special grade and punched the other in the gut. The hit sent the curse flying into the air and then landing several times on the ground. 

It was a soul attack. Mahito wheezed as he got up. He had to run. He couldn’t win this. He had to escape. Sukuna’s single punch had made it nearly impossible for him to move his lower body parts. Although he tried to heal himself, the curse was left crawling away pathetically.

Toji and Sukuna watched in silence.

Then, the curse said, “Furnace, Open.”

A bright red flame appeared on the King of Curses’ hand. The man whistled in interest but didn’t say a word. Mahito glanced fearfully at that fire. He had seen that flame consumed Jogo and Mahoraga. He couldn’t let that fire hit him. It would kill him instantly.

“I’ve been thinking,” Sukuna said, “You curses tend to reform sometime in the future. Some will be reformed as a new being, but others… tend to stick. You, Mahito, seem to be the latter.”

Mahito didn’t dare to reply and only crawled away even more desperately.

“I can’t allow that. So, you should feel honored that I created a new technique to ensure you will no longer bother me.”

The bright red flame shifted into a blue color. The King of Curses raised his hands and pointed them at Mahito like a pulling bow gesture. 

“This took some work, but it is well worth the headache it has caused me.”

The special grade only caught a glimpse of that eerie blue flame before he tried to run even harder.

Fwosh!

That arrow of flame flew toward him and landed on his back.

“AAAAAARRRRGGHHHHHHH!!!!” Mahito screamed in pain as he felt himself being burned away. It wasn’t just his flesh. It was his everything. The fire wasn’t just consuming his body, no, it was shredding his soul apart. The special grade tried to divide a part of himself so at least a piece of him would survive, but that just made the flame burn even hotter as it spread faster.

“Stop struggling,” Sukuna said, “this isn’t a flame you can quench or escape from.”

The two people watched emotionlessly as the special grade screamed and cried in pain. His crying face was quickly consumed by the angry blue fire. It turned everything in its path to ashes. Bit by bit the flame consumed everything. Until there was nothing left of the curse called Mahito.

“That’s one hell of an exorcism,” Toji commented.

Sukuna only closed his eyes. He could feel Yuuji watching Mahito’s death in silence. The boy hated the curse so much, but he didn’t say a word as Sukuna took him down. In the next second, three people suddenly showed up near them.

“Hiya!” Satoru greeted with a grin. In each of his hands were Uraume and Choso, who were struggling against the man’s hold.

The monk’s struggle stopped when they saw their master. “Sukuna-sama!”

Choso still glowered at everyone.

“I thought I should bring these two to you,” Satoru explained. “Oh, Suguru went to grab the kids but he’s fine.”

Sukuna nodded and turned his attention to Uraume. Although he had only encountered them once, he felt like he had known the trick behind Kenjaku’s control. After seeing Junpei and Mahoraga, his suspicions were proven correct. 

“This will get hurt,” Sukuna said to Uraume. Without waiting for the other reply, he immediately impaled his right hand into the monk’s chest. 

Shluk!

Everyone’s eyes widened at the action, but nobody stopped the King of Curses. Uraume spat out a mouthful of blood as Sukuna pulled out their heart. 

Sphhhlt!

He glanced at the organ impassively as he saw complicated seals etched into the flesh. Then, in the next second, he placed his left arm on the monk’s bleeding chest and healed everything back to normal. Although gruesome, it was the most direct way of solving the problem. Other people wouldn’t even consider this method since they would have no way to instantly regenerate a heart.

Satoru let go of his hold and allowed the monk to fall to their feet as they wheezed. While Uraume knew that they were no longer gravely wounded, their body was sure that they were still dying.

“What’s that?” Satoru asked. 

“A creation of Kenjaku,” Sukuna replied as he examined the heart further. While it was a seal, it was more like an amplifier that ensured his control over Uraume. It seemed Kenjaku had gotten hold of another trouble technique that allowed him to control others. That Mahoraga creation was definitely another result of his experiment with this technique.

Turning his attention to Choso, Sukuna said, “You also have this in you, correct? If you want, I can remove it for you.”

Choso shot a wild look between the King of Curses and Uraume. While the monk still looked pale, the other was still alive and breathing. Even so, the Death Painting wasn’t sure about the choice. While he wanted to be free, he also still had his brothers that he was concerned about.

“I…”

“If you are worried about your brothers, don’t,” Sukuna said, “While that man is mad, he’s not one to perform meaningless cruelty. As far as I’m aware, he doesn’t have much interest in the other Death Painting Wombs. Also, I believe he should already be aware of this possibility when he sent you two here.”

“Sukuna-sama, Kenjaku, he-” Uraume began.

“He ordered you to keep us here, correct?” Sukuna replied.

“What?” Toji and Satoru asked in confusion.

Uraume closed their eyes in shame. “Yes his real target is-”

Kenjaku raised his head as he felt his connection to Uraume and Choso disappear. A satisfied smirk appeared on his lips. Oh well, that was within expectation. Those two were never willing followers, and keeping them so close would only cause more trouble. Sending them to Sukuna was an act of goodwill and charity to an old friend. Anyway, he already claimed what he wanted. 

Within his grasp was the Prison Realm which was now containing Tengen, while the back of the Prison Realm was kept safely in his pocket. Once the preparation was ready, he would release Tengen and started the ritual.

Shibuya was only a big distraction that should hopefully keep all the troublesome sorcerers out of his way while he took Tengen. The old sorcerer had tried to put up a fight, but that shut-in didn’t stand a chance against him. It wasn’t difficult to trap them inside the Prison Realm.

As for the next stage of his plan.

Kenjaku grinned widely.

He couldn’t wait.

Omake:

Kenjaku: Sorry about that here I will give you Uraume back. You can have Choso as an extra.

Sukuna: Thanks, but I’ll still kill you.

Kenjaku: Understandable. Have a nice day.

Chapter Text

While the Shibuya Incident in this world didn’t turn out as badly as in the other world, things were still quite messy and complicated. The amount of property damage that their fights had caused had to be addressed. There were also civilian deaths and injuries. While the majority was only trapped within Shibuya, there were still quite a number of people who had either been transfigured or gotten hurt in the crossfire. This was arguably the biggest incident in the world of Jujutsu. The headquarters' insistence on hiding their society made the fallout even more complicated. 

That wasn’t Satoru’s concern, though. His job was to exorcize the cursed spirits, which he had done stellarly. Now, Yaga might argue that he was being over the top and unnecessarily destructive, but Satoru thought it was the proper amount of force. The only thing he failed to do was to capture Yuuji, but he had never intended to do that in the first place. Since the kid still had a bounty on his head, the younger teen returned with Toji back to the Fushiguro house. Since the building was already too full, Satoru offered to rent two rooms at a nearby hotel for Choso and Uraume. The monk wanted to stay close to their master so they didn’t protest, but the Death Painting never lost his complicated expression the whole time. Perhaps he was still debating whether his decision to free himself of Kenjaku’s control was a good idea.

Satoru and Suguru couldn’t stick around for long, and they had to return to the headquarters immediately. They left Kugisaki and Okkotsu to Toji, who would return them to their homes. On their way back to Jujutsu High, Suguru kept shooting him glances. The teen still couldn’t believe his eyes. He had been sure that the white-haired boy had been beheaded, yet his friend was now standing around and talking as if he had never been hurt in the first place. Well, there were bloodstains that covered his collars and the rip on his uniform, so those were proof that Suguru hadn’t gone insane. Still, how did Satoru recover?

Satoru only said, “We’ll talk later.” 

After all, they were now riding the car that was driven by an assistant manager. It would be one thing if the guy was Ijichi since the teen trusted him, but this person was not someone he knew well. While he detested the higher-ups, he knew that there were individuals who followed their words like laws. That Usami guy was a great example. Ugh. Maybe Satoru should beat him up the next time he saw his ugly mug.

As expected, there was another assistant who greeted them once they entered Jujutsu High. Although Satoru never bothered to remember the man’s name, he knew this guy would only show up to tell him that the higher-ups were calling for him. 

“Thank you for your hard work, Gojo-san, Geto-san,” the assistant manager said with a bow. “Once you’ve cleaned yourself, please make an appearance in front of the elders.”

Satoru rolled his eyes. “They want to talk right? Why postpone it? Let’s just go already.”

The manager’s eyes widened in panic. He tried to raise his hand to stop the teen, but the other walked past him and headed toward the meeting chamber. Those guys were the ones ordering him to risk his life to deal with the crisis. They should at least stomach facing him covered in blood and dirt.

Suguru followed him uncertainly. The assistant manager exchanged a glance with the driver, but he ended up sighing and also following the stubborn teen who could easily kill him with one finger. Well, he tried.

When the two young sorcerers entered the meeting chamber without an announcement, the conversation the elders had with each other ceased. One of the higher-ups narrowed his eyes, “Gojo Satoru, why have you come here already?”

“I heard you guys want to talk so I figure I should humor you, geezers,” Satoru replied. “You guys are pretty old already. Who knows how many hours you’ve left?”

“You-!” the first elder sputtered.

Another one cut in, “Gojo Satoru, show some manners. Arriving here with that dirty clothing is improper!”

The white-haired teen shrugged. “This is the result of my hard work fighting those special grades. Did you know how many of them there were? There were five! You should be glad that I took care of them so quickly.”

Some of the higher-ups took a sharp breath at that statement. One special grade was already bad enough, but five of them at the same location? That was nigh unheard of?

“All unregistered?” an elder asked.

“Four unregistered, but we also fought Tamamo-no-Mae,” Suguru answers. “I’ve managed to subdue her.”

A higher-up nodded his head in approval. “Good work, Geto. We know it is the right choice to rank you as a special grade.”

Satoru rolled his eyes. No doubt these idiots believed that Suguru was just a pawn. Having him grow stronger would be considered good in their eyes. Unfortunately, they weren’t aware that his friend wanted their heads, too.

“The rest are exorcized but there are many civilian casualties,” Suguru continued, not flattered at all by their praise.

An elder replied, “No matter. The reports say that most of the sorcerers leave this incident unscathed, we will deal with the cleanup later.”

Suguru pursed his lips but didn’t reply. He wasn’t sure what to think of that. While he was glad that his allies were safe and unharmed, the way the higher-ups shrugged off the civilian deaths put him off. It was strange. A part of him still hated non-sorcerers, but he had to admit that he could sympathize with their fear and distress. After all, they only came to Shibuya to hang out and have fun, but their night was suddenly upended when a group of invisible monsters used them as hostages. Many had lost their lives, and many more had gotten hurt. While the majority were adults, he had also seen some children lose their lives. It was a tragedy.

The higher-ups peppered them with numerous questions that Satoru answered impatiently. When the teen had enough, he asked, “Anyway, none of those matters. I want to know whether you guys have checked Tengen.”

The elder who was about to chide the young sorcerer paused and asked, “Tengen-sama? What do you want with them?”

Satoru shoved his pinky finger into his ear. His posture was extremely relaxed as he dropped surprising news at the higher-ups. “Nothing, but I heard something interesting from one of those cursed spirits. It’s about to get exorcized but as one last petty move it claimed that an ally of it has sneaked into the headquarters and kidnapped Tengen from the Tombs of the Stars.”

Nobody spoke a word for several seconds.

“WHAT?!” one of the old men stood up in surprise.

“That’s impossible!” 

“Why did you not say this earlier?!”

“Gojo Satoru!”

Satoru only stuck out his tongue, not bothered at all by the wave of anger thrown at him. Suguru was also shocked. His friend hadn’t told him about this matter either. After he had retrieved the kids and dropped off the wounded civilians, the two of them were immediately taken back to the headquarters. 

“Quick! Send someone to check!” a higher-up shouted.

While the elders were panicking, Satoru used that chance to teleport him and Suguru out of the meeting chamber. He had wasted enough time humoring those old men. 

Suguru blinked at the sudden change of scenery and shot a sharp look at his friend. “You have been keeping a lot of stuff from me.”

“I did?” Satoru tilted his head.

“You still haven’t explained how you survived,” Suguru replied while crossing his arms.

“I told you Ryou saved me!” 

“He’s supposed to be dead too! Did you meet him in the afterlife or something?”

“No, only another version of myself. That’s not important for now. Hmm. It’s a bit complicated. I think it would be best if we talk about this with Ryou and Yuuji around too.”

Suguru still couldn’t understand what the hell the other teen was saying, but this didn’t feel like a practical joke at his expense. He gave a narrowed look at his friend, which Satoru returned with a wide doe-eyed look.

“Fine, but let me take a bath first,” Suguru grumbled. All those fights had made him drenched in sweat and grime. He wanted to refresh his body a bit before his brain had to deal with the nonsense Satoru would no doubt throw at him.

While Satoru and Suguru returned to Jujutsu High, Toji and Yuuji had to sneak out of Shibuya and return to the Fushiguro house. Despite the number of sorcerers and assistant managers in the area, it was quite easy. They were all busy dealing with the remaining curses and helping the civilians. Yuuji shot one last look at the city before he left. Its condition was much better than the other time he had to pick himself up and leave the ruined town. At least there wasn’t a massive circular dead land where Sukuna had used his Domain Expansion.

Yuuji paused at the thought of the King of Curses. The curse had returned his body back to the teen once he was done talking. Ryou was Sukuna. He knew that fact already, but it was still hard for him to imagine his brother being the ancient curse who had terrorized the Heian era. After his reincarnation was killed, Ryou found himself back within his vessel. Although he felt like he should feel happy, there was a new fear that rose within him. 

Would Ryou remain himself? Or would he revert back to the cruel and unfeeling King of Curses? Those questions hounded Yuuji as he made his way back to the Fushiguro house. He knew he was being stupid. Despite taking over his body, Ryou hadn’t tried to do anything that would edge the limits of the Binding Vow. He had saved Satoru, exorcized Mahito, and then released Choso and Uraume from Kenjaku’s control. He had proven himself to have good intentions, and yet…

A part of him still whispered, ‘What if it’s all lies?’ Perhaps this Sukuna obtained Ryou’s memories and decided to mimic his brother’s actions and mannerisms. As to why he decided to save Satoru, it could be argued that the curse only wanted to have a rematch with the Six Eyes wielder. He had never liked Mahito, so exorcizing the curse wouldn’t bother him. Helping Uraume was an obvious decision. The monk was his most devoted follower. As for Choso…

Yuuji’s pondering was stopped when they finally reached their destination. The fight had lasted the whole night, and they arrived when the sun was rising. They had expected the kids to still be in bed, but Toji and Yuuji were greeted by an angry but sleep-deprived Megumi.

The boy shot them a deadly look that promised murder. “You!” Jumping off the couch, Megumi walked toward them and began pummeling his fist into Yuuji’s stomach. “Idiots! Both of you! What makes you think that heading off without a plan is a good idea!”

“Calm down there, Megumi,” Toji said. “Did you not sleep the whole night?”

The boy glared up at his father. “Of course not! How could I sleep after seeing you guys leave like that?!”

“Did the others also do the same?” Toji asked.

“They tried, but they got sleepy quickly and I told them to go to bed.”

“So you keep a night watch on your own?” 

Megumi didn’t reply and only gave them a dead-eyed stare. “What happened? I heard something off occurred in Shibuya! It’s all over the news!”

“What makes you think we went there?” Toji said.

Megumi replied, “Don’t try to lie. I’m not stupid.”

“Debatable.”

The boy stomped his foot on his father’s toes, but the man didn’t react at all. Rubbing his hand harshly against Megumi’s spiky hair, he said, “Okay, I think you can take a day off today. Yuuji also needs some rest. No doubt those two brats will bother him again soon.”

Megumi gave a curious look at Yuuji. Although the teen looked worn down, he didn’t have that shocked and traumatized expression his friend had worn in the other world. So, Shibuya had to have gone differently. However, there was still a deep tension on his shoulders. 

“Fine, but you can’t dodge my questions forever,” Megumi grumbled.

Yuuji rubbed his face tiredly. “I think it’s time to come clean since I think Satoru has remembered.”

Megumi blinked while Toji glanced between the two of them. Although he wanted to hear more, he still said, “Alright Yuuji. Go take a bath first and then go to bed. We can talk about this later. Megumi, you better head off to bed too.”

Yuuji didn’t protest and did ask what the man ordered. He didn’t bother to take a soak and only showered to clean the grime and blood from his body. Although things had gotten quite dire several times, he didn’t receive any grievous wound that would require long rest. Once he was done bathing, he went to Megumi’s room to see the boy still awake.

“Are you okay?” his friend asked.

Yuuji gave a small smile. “It’s fine… It went better this time but… I need to talk to Sukuna.”

Megumi looked a bit worried about that decision, but he only nodded. Despite the sun rising on the horizon, the two of them finally went to bed. Entering Sukuna’s inner domain wasn’t something that Yuuji could actively do. It was an act that only the King of Curses could perform. Yet, the moment the teen closed his eyes, he felt a familiar pull that dragged him down into those red depths.

When Yuuji opened his eyes, he found himself standing atop of a blood lake. The King of Curses sat on his throne silently as he gazed down at him. Neither of them said a word for a long moment.

“... Are you Sukuna or Ryou?” Yuuji asked.

“I believe you won’t believe me whatever answer I give you,” the curse said. “I can hear your doubts and fear clearly.”

Yuuji clenched his fists. “You’ve seen everything, right? My memories…” Incarnated beings had full access to their vessels’ memories. That was how Yorozu managed to fool Megumi by pretending to be his sister. Sukuna could also be doing the same thing right now.

“I do,” the King of Curses replied. “I know that you have gained memories of another world. I know that you were once a vessel for the King of Curses. I know of that final battle.”

Yuuji closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure what he should think or do. His experience with Sukuna told him he had to keep his guard up. Yet he had already failed that once when he caved in and let the curse out to save Satoru. That decision didn’t end terribly, but who was to say that wasn’t a ploy to earn his trust?

“Why didn’t you say anything before if you are Ryou?” the teen asked. 

“Will you believe any word I say?” Sukuna replied. “Any attempts at reaching out will only be met with doubts. I do not see the point of trying something that will end in failure.”

“But you decided to help me twice,” Yuuji said.

“I did.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to.”

“Why do you want to help me?”

“I think you already know the answer.”

The two stared at each other. Once again, the ball was in Yuuji’s court. The King of Curses’ answer could mean two things. The curse could be helping the teen because he wanted to earn his trust, or he could be doing it because he was his brother. In the end, this decision hinged on whether or not Yuuji dared to trust the other. 

Trust. 

That was a word that he could hardly associate with the King of Curses. Back then, he had desperately wished to see a good side of Sukuna. He had wanted to believe that there was goodness in everyone, yet the curse had proven his foolishness by stomping everything he held dear. Did he dare to risk the same thing again? To bare his heart upon the King of Curses?

“Why have you never asked whether Ryou remember?” the curse asked. “You suspect that he is my reincarnation, correct?”

“... I did,” Yuuji said. “I just… perhaps I just want to believe that it will never become a problem. That Ryou can just be my brother.”

“But he’s not,” Sukuna replied. “Believe it or not. He has always remembered everything.”

“I know.” Yuuji had suspected as such. Ryou’s request to Toji. His mastery of seals. The warning he gave to Suguru. Everything pointed to the clear truth that Yuuji had turned his eyes away from.

“Ryou is Sukuna. Sukuna is Ryou. Regardless of whether or not you want to believe in my goodwill. This is the truth that you cannot deny.”

Yuuji didn’t reply and only looked down at his reflection in the pool of blood. He hated this. He hated himself. He felt like he should’ve already thrown his arms around the other and welcomed his brother back. That had been how Satoru and Toji reacted. Both had easily called the King of Curses Ryou. Yet there was the insistent part of him that refused to budge. The part that was still cowering and hurting. The part that wanted to lash out and bite. It was ugly and dark. 

Sukuna sighed and gracefully leaped down to stand before the teen. He stopped a step away from Yuuji. “Do you want to kill me?”

Yuuji froze.

“While I’m not the same Sukuna who has tortured you, I’m still the King of Curses,” Sukuna said. “My hands are forever stained with the blood of innocents. I have killed many and I will not hesitate to take more lives should I deem it necessary.”

The teen could only stare blankly at those red eyes. There was no bloodlust there, yet he knew that it was a promise.

Sukuna smiled. “How about a Binding Vow? With your power to attack souls, it should be easy for you to destroy mine. Of course, you will need to consume all of my fingers first but it should be feasible for you to kill me permanently in this inner domain.”

“What-?”

“Then, let the world be our witness. Itadori Yuuji, I shall grant you the right to execute me whenever you wish. I will not fight back or defend myself in any way. If I were to die, then let it be by your hands.”

The sound of chains echoed in the depths of their soul. 

“Y-You!” Yuuji grabbed Sukuna’s kimono. “Why the hell did you do that?”

“What?” the other raised an eyebrow. “I thought this would suit you best. Should I ever go rogue, you can instantly kill me and stop my rampage. There shall be no prolonged fight that takes many lives.”

Yuuji couldn’t say a word. It was a good thing, but he could not accept this suicidal Binding Vow.

“You know, when Ryou tried to save you from Mahito that day, he could actually help you without using himself as a shield,” Sukuna continued. “But he decided that the best option would be to let himself die. A cruel choice. One that forced his own brother to witness his twin’s death. He deemed it a necessary sacrifice. After all, twins would always hold each other down in the world of Jujutsu, and so he opted to take himself out of the equation. Do you hate him now? After all, he left you alone to mourn him. Even now, your grief for him is still fresh. I can easily recall you crying your eyes out. What a cruel brother.”

“Shut up!” Yuuji screamed. “Don’t talk about him like that!”

“Have I said anything false?” Sukuna replied. “He was cruel and ruthless. He weighed your suffering against your survival and decided the latter was more important. He knew very well that you would likely blame yourself but he still did it.”

“Stop it!”

“Itadori Ryou was a curse upon Itadori Yuuji the moment he was born. He was someone who shouldn’t exist in the first place.”

“He’s not!” Yuuji tightened his hold over the other’s kimono and held it higher.

“He was a curse upon you in life and in death he returned as me.”

Yuuji finally snapped and raised his fist to punch the King of Curses in the face. The curse didn’t fight back and let his body fall into the pool of blood. He waited for more punches to come, but the teen only fell on top of him and hugged him.

“Shut up already! I get it okay! I was wrong! I don’t want you to die, Ryou!” Yuuji shouted as he shoved his face into the soft kimono.

The curse narrowed his eyes and said, “I’m not doing this to force you to call me your brother.”

“I know.” The teen tightened his hold over the King of Curses. “You’ve always been stupid like that. You try to shoulder everything by yourself and keep many secrets. I should’ve talked to you honestly back then but I was a coward.”

“You’re not.”

“I am, or else we could’ve had this conversation months ago.”

“I’m still Sukuna.”

“You are, but you are my brother too.”

Ryou remained silent. Yuuji didn’t mind. The two of them lay there for a long time. Despite their bodies only being projections of their minds, the teen could still feel the heat coming off the other’s body. It reminded him of the old days when they would huddle close when the weather got cold due to the storm outside. Ryou had never been one to be bothered by temperature, but Yuuji always went to his brother to leech off his body heat. 

“I don’t think you’ve gotten any return for that Binding Vow,” Yuuji murmured. “You only give me a one-sided right to kill you. Can you even do that?”

Ryou explained, “It’s not a common one, but it is possible. A Binding Vow is merely a pact made with cursed energy. It first started with people making deals with each other but some found out that you can also impose a Binding Vow upon oneself. The type that I use is possible but not popular since it doesn’t give any return.”

“Since it involves me, can I change it?” 

The King of Curses frowned. “It should be possible. In a way, this is an incomplete vow since it involves two parties, but I’m the only one who has said my part.”

Yuuji nodded. “Okay, then in return for that right, I’ll give you the freedom to take over my body whenever you want.”

Another sound of chains rang again. 

Ryou got up and pushed the teen away. There was a sharp look on his face. “Imbecile! What makes you think that’s a good idea?!”

Yuuji only stared back unflinchingly. “I want to stop being afraid and start trusting you. You’re Ryou and I believe you won’t abuse this privilege.”

“I’m still the King of Curses!”

“So?”

“You!” Ryou raised his right hand. It was a familiar gesture that he often did whenever Satoru was around. Hitting people on the head seemed to be his preferred way of pummeling some sense into other people’s heads.

The younger teen kept his stare.

Ryou sighed and dropped his hand to rub his eyes. “It’s already done. Nothing we can do about it now.”

Yuuji grinned.

Omake:

Sukuna: Do you hate me?

Yuuji: Yes? No?

Sukuna: It’s okay, I hate myself too. In fact, let me list 20 reasons why Ryou/Sukuna is a horrible human being.

Yuuji: No!

Chapter Text

Although Satoru and Suguru wanted to meet Yuuji and Ryou soon, they had to wait for two days before the higher-ups lowered their guard enough for them to sneak out. The confirmation of Tengen’s disappearance had made its rounds around the headquarters. The elders tried to keep the news from spreading, but it didn’t take long for everyone to hear the horrible news. Except for the most extremist groups, everyone relied on Tengen to hold the barriers that kept the Jujutsu world. With the ancient sorcerer going missing, chaos quickly spread. 

Satoru wasn’t bothered much by this development. In his eyes, this level of chaos was nowhere near the mess he had witnessed when he finally escaped from the Prison Realm. With Mahito being exorcized, there was no way Kenjaku could start the Culling Game. On the other hand, that made him concerned about what that brain was planning. He might be a disgusting creep and a body stealer, but he was smart. 

While the world of Jujutsu had been thrown into an unprecedented crisis, most people hadn’t lost their minds yet. Despite Kenjaku kidnapping Tengen, thumb-face had prepared a temporary measure that would keep the barriers on Japan up despite them being missing. Kenjaku should be aware of this when he took the ancient sorcerer, yet the man didn’t mess with it. How did that guy kidnap Tengen in the first place? Although Tengen had evolved further, Kenjaku didn’t have Suguru’s cursed manipulation technique. 

Numerous questions swirled in Satoru’s mind. He hoped that Ryou had some ideas about Kenjaku’s plan since the King of Curses was arguably the most knowledgeable person among them. Suguru kept asking for more details, but Satoru only teased him by repeating what he had said. It wasn’t that he wanted to keep things secrets from his friend, but this world alternate world thing was very new to him, and he didn’t want to throw unfounded theories just yet. As revenge, Suguru told Shoko about what had happened in Shibuya, and the girl forced him to undergo an hour-long examination.

“I’m fine!” Satoru screamed when he finally couldn’t handle Shoko’s prodding. 

“I know, that’s why I can’t believe you got yourself beheaded,” the girl replied while still staring at his neck.

“Ugh, Ryou healed me back to full health and even if he missed a spot, I could heal myself with the Reverse Cursed Technique.”

“When did you learn that anyway?” Shoko asked as she put her hands on her hips. “Did you get a near-death eureka moment?”

“Something like that but it’s more like a post-death one,” Satoru said as he waved his hand. 

“Yeah, I still don’t get how you’re still alive.”

“Yeah, Satoru, how did you manage to survive?” Suguru cut in. “Don’t tell me it’s because Ryou saved you. How did he return in the first place? We saw his body get cremated.”

Satoru threw his hands into the air. “So impatient! Fine. We’ve been laying low for too long anyway. Let’s just meet Yuuji and Ryou today. Shoko, you come along too.”

It wasn’t hard for them to sneak out of Jujutsu High. Satoru simply used his teleportation and took them outside the school grounds, where he called a taxi to take them straight to Fushiguro's house. Since it was a school day, the kids were not at home, and they could only talk in the living room. When the three sorcerers knocked on the door, it was Toji who welcomed them with narrowed eyes.

“Brat,” Toji said.

“Old man,” Satoru shot back. 

Two sets of memories from two different lifetimes resurfaced in his mind as he looked at Toji. In his first life, the two of them didn’t interact much. The man first time they had officially met was when the other tried to kill him. Of course, that backfired horribly for Toji, but Satoru had never held much grudge over the murder attempt. In his second life, they had met much earlier. Instead of merely exchanging a glance, Toji had become a person from his childhood life after he approached Ryou.

Satoru could still remember the jealousy and anger he felt toward this previously unknown man. In his first life, he hadn’t paid much attention to Zen’in Toji, but after finding out the man had approached Ryou, he performed a thorough investigation on the Zen’in member. He hadn’t been pleased, to put it lightly. Back then, he could only see Toji as bad news. It wasn’t because he was called the trash of the Zen’in clan. No. He had heard of all the bad things he liked to do, like gambling. His child-self didn’t believe that it would be a good idea for Ryou to hang around Toji. Well, he still thought that the man was annoying even now. He had to admit that at least this Toji was a tad more responsible than his counterpart.

“Where’s Yuuji?” Satoru asked.

“Outside,” Toji replied as he let the three teenagers enter his house. “He heard you guys are coming and wanted to buy some snacks. Not that you deserve it.”

“Well, clearly Yuuji disagrees,” the white-haired boy replied.

It took several minutes before Yuuji returned with a plastic bag full of snacks. Satoru could easily spot one of his favorite brands of sweets peeking out. 

“Yuuji!” Satoru greeted as he dragged the teen closer.

“Sorry if I made you guys wait,” Yuuji replied, not fighting against the older teen's attempt to take the snacks away from him. He then sat on the empty spot beside the white-haired boy. 

“You really don’t need to do this,” Suguru said.

“Yeah, this idiot already ate how many sweets today?” Shoko asked as she looked at her friend, who was already chewing on one while opening another packaging. 

“It’s fine, I’ve been staying cooped up for too long anyway,” Yuuji said.

“So what’s today’s discussion topic?” Toji asked while he opened another can of beer.

“You’re not invited, old man,” Satoru grumbled.

“It’s my house.”

“I can buy it from you.”

“Sure five billion yen. No, ten.”

Suguru sighed at the two’s antics. “So, Satoru has been avoiding answering questions about his return from death. He said… Ryou has something to do with it?” The teen expected Yuuji to gain the familiar dark expression whenever his brother was brought up, but there was none of it on his face.

“Oh! Yeah, Ryou saved Satoru in Shibuya. I don’t get how he did it but he was right as rain!” Yuuji replied cheerfully, which Satoru approved by giving a thumbs-up.

Suguru and Shoko gave them a flat stare. Really, these two were quite alike. 

“So, can you explain how Ryou suddenly appeared? Isn’t he supposed to be dead?” Shoko asked.

The smile on Yuuji’s face disappeared slightly. “He did, but he’s back now?”

“Is the out?” Suguru asked as he tried to check the house. As far as he was aware, there was nobody else in the house except for them.

“No, he’s here.” Yuuji pointed at his chest.

Shoko and Suguru blinked in confusion. 

“Ryou is Sukuna,” Satoru said. 

Several seconds passed for the two teens to process that statement. And then…

“WHAT?!”

“Keep it down,” Toji commented as he rubbed his ear. He was much more sensitive to sounds, and he never liked people yelling near him.

“Oops, did I forget to mention that?” Satoru asked. His expression exuded innocence, but his friend knew he had been keeping this intentionally.

“No, you didn’t.” Suguru gritted his teeth. “How long have you known this?”

Satoru shrugged. “Eh, since last year. I did notice something was off about Ryou since the first time I met him. When Yuuji consumed Sukuna’s Finger, I felt the same energy coming off the cursed object and Ryou. It wasn’t hard to put the two together.”

The black-haired teen rubbed his temple tiredly. “So what? Ryou was Ryoumen Sukuna’s reincarnation and his soul moved to the King of Curses vessel after his death?”

“That’s the gist of it.”

“Wow.” That was all Shoko could offer. 

Suguru shot a look at Toji, but the man didn’t show any sign of surprise after hearing Satoru’s words. Did he also know about this too? Although it was something he struggled to believe, if this was true, then it could also explain many things. Ryou had always been wiser than his age. Too wise, even. If the teen he knew was the reincarnation of the King of Curses, then that could explain the strange things about him.

“Do you want to talk to him?” Yuuji asked. “I can switch if you want.”

“Sure! I need Ryou to help me answer some questions!” Satoru replied.

While his friends had confirmed that Ryou was Sukuna, he was not yet ready to face the infamous King of Curses. Unfortunately, Yuuji didn’t wait for long and closed his eyes. In the next second, tattoos began appearing on the teen’s skin, and four red eyes slid open. Despite not giving any threatening aura, both Shoko and Suguru tensed at the emergence of the curse.

Satoru wasn’t bothered in the slightest and tried to hug the King of Curses. “Ryou!”

The curse whacked the arms that tried to touch him and then pushed the teen off the sofa with a firm shove. “Cut it out.”

Satoru pouted. “This is how you respond to my heartfelt welcome?!”

“More like sickening.” Toji snickered.

“Nobody asks your opinion, so shut it!” Satoru hissed.

The King of Curses averted his eyes from the two man-children and ended up meeting Suguru’s hesitant gaze. 

“You are… Ryou?” Suguru asked.

The other looked at him impassively and said, “That was once who I am, yes. But Sukuna is also me. So you can address me as such.”

“Don’t be stupid. Ryou is Ryou!” Satoru cut in.

“Nobody asks your opinion,” the King of Curses repeated the other’s words.

The white-haired teen pouted even harder while Toji barked out a laugh.

It was really strange. The King of Curses was definitely a powerful individual. Even when he was actively dampening his aura, Suguru could feel the dark energy that could only belong to the infamous ancient sorcerer. This was the figure who had frightened the sorcerers of the Heian era. That time had been considered the golden age of Jujutsu, yet this person was able to stand on the top. Sukuna was definitely not someone you could afford to slight. 

While Suguru was gathering his wits, it was Shoko who spoke up next. “Uh, Sukuna? Ryou?” 

The King of Curses turned his head toward the girl.

Despite being the target of those red eyes, Shoko remained calm as she asked, “You were the person who managed to heal this idiot after being beheaded. How did you do that?”

Ah. Figured it was medical questions that made Shoko a bit daring.

“I assume you use the Reverse Cursed Technique, but considering Suguru’s tale there should already be several minutes where this idiot was bleeding like a pig. Even if you sew the head back together, which was already miraculous, the amount of damage to his brain would already be significant. Reversing that issue on top of healing a severed spinal cord and other damage was not something I considered possible.”

The King of Curses nodded. “It was indeed not easy. Though I would like to argue that healing flesh wounds is many times easier than dealing with an empty body without a soul.”

Shoko blinked. “You mean…” 

“Yes, this idiot has actually passed away in a sense.”

“Stop calling me an idiot!” Satoru protested.

“Shut up, idiot,” Shoko said, “Anyway, are you saying that you performed a necromancy?”

“I wouldn’t call it as such,” the King of Curses replied. “If I could perform such a feat then I would be able to revive a person who had been dead for many years. No. The only reason this idiot was able to survive was because I was nearby. Had I performed the procedure even a minute later, I wouldn’t have been able to pull his soul back from the beyond. Luckily, there was still a thread of connection remaining that I could exploit to guide the soul back. Thus, it was not a true necromancy.”

Shoko’s eyes widened while Suguru gaped.

The King of Curses gave a small smirk. “Why such faces? I believe there are some techniques where you can call forth the soul of the dead albeit temporarily.”

Shoko muttered, “It’s still a great medical feat. I don’t think I can do that if I were there.”

“Yeah! Isn’t Ryou great?” Satoru tried to hug the King of Curses again, but the other slammed his open palm on the other’s chin. 

“Does that answer your question?” the curse asked.

Shoko nodded while Suguru rubbed his upper lip. He had never heard of the King of Curses being able to perform that level of healing capabilities, but then again, he wasn’t known for being a kind person who would help others. Then again, perhaps his time living as a regular human and developing close relationships with people had changed his nature somewhat. While Satoru was a carefree person, his friend knew when to get serious. The fact he still treated the King of Curses as Ryou was enough proof.

“Have you always remembered about your past life?” Suguru couldn’t help but ask. That was one of the main questions in his mind after he heard that Ryou was Sukuna’s reincarnation.

“Yes,” Ryou replied drily.