Chapter Text
“Why does he get to be Yuji One?”
“Who is number one doesn’t matter—”
“I think we should go by letters instead. A. B. Ecetera. Or maybe, alpha, beta, gamma. It will be like having super cool code names.”
“Then I want to be Yuji A-Alpha-Whatever.”
“But why does he now get to be Yuji A?”
“I arrived here first. That obviously makes me the primary Yuji. It’s fate.”
“It’s stupid.”
“This is the same problem as before.”
“Let’s just use some brief description to make this easier, alright? Something that ties to your world, looks, or literally anything as long as it's simple.”
“You got it, Yuji-sensei!”
“Yuji-sensei?”
The Yuji in the midst of becoming the de-facto leader of the group blinked, surprised by the words of the younger look-alike beside him. Out of the thirteen Yujis present—barring the appearance of any stragglers despite the significant amount of time since the last—he was of the four Yujis who was noticeably older. Not by a wide margin, but there was likely a decade or so between himself and the Yuji who had trouble accepting that this was not some bizarre, lucid dream of his.
Said Yuji was the one who watched on in silence, lacking the same buzz of energy as his counterparts. His head hurt from all the information flooding his brain. Baffling conversations were taking place left and right as splintered groups chattered amongst themselves while also commenting on the larger discussion at hand. If this were a dream, then why would his eyes water from each exhausted yawn? Why had his arms gone limp while his legs decided they were too heavy to move? Could he not simply wave a hand and make those feelings go away? Weren’t people supposed to fly in their dreams?
The observing Yuji pinched himself thrice. Each failure to wake himself increased the force behind his next attempt, and all he had to show for his efforts was the blood dripping out from underneath his sleeve. He shifted his stance to cover the red splotches ruining the otherwise pristine snow at his feet. It would not matter how long he checked, the specific detail of his blood would remain.
That snow bothered the observing Yuji deeply, as did every aspect of the place he found himself in. A facsimile of scenes bundled together to make a place that was both vaguely familiar and utterly foreign. A memory that was never real. A world that could not be, as the cold failed to numb his hands or bite at his nose, yet managed to keep his breath visible with every exhale.
This impromptu meeting of Yujis took place outside a house. An old, rural homestead with a wide porch to hide from the flurries of snow accumulating with no end. The hot spring beside it was enticing. Two other Yujis had already made themselves comfortable, but the distraction would not keep the observing Yuji from taking note of what made sense and what didn’t. The house had electricity. The house had running water. Tea had been brewed with the assistance of a gas stove. But there were no power lines nor evidence of where the stove was sourcing its heat, as commented by the Yuji walking around with a stolen blanket wrapped tightly around his shoulders. He had no qualms with raiding the place after his proclaimed teleportation. The house possessed no personal effects to suggest that anyone had actually lived there. Yet, the lack of dust or wear on the property dismissed the suggestion of its abandonment.
“You look like an adult, and you’ve got this mature thing going on. The way you talk, I mean, project, sounds like you have experience getting people to listen.” One of the Yuji’s dressed in his Jujutsu school uniform circled Sensei Yuji before squeezing his forearm, then his biceps. The elder’s jacket could only hide so much. “Your muscles are huge! I can’t believe I get this hot in the future.”
“I thought we were in the middle of establishing that we’re a convergence of alternate timelines and not the result of an abhorrent break in time itself?” The Yuji with white tiger ears that twitched and flicked in line with his words stepped in between them. With a human hand raised beside his mouth, the questions of whether his hands were also paws to match his feet had finally been put to rest. “We don’t know if paradoxes will become a problem or not, but I would like to hope.”
“If any of you were my younger self—which you aren’t—I would remember this.” Sensei Yuji’s own doubt crept in. “Wouldn’t I?”
“I’m not saying you’re me-me, you’re just a… a preview of what I could look like in a few years.”
While it was a possible future for some, the observing Yuji did not hold much faith in Sensei Yuji being a possibility for him. The facial scars they shared, in addition to the clipped ear and missing finger, were strong enough evidence that he would be forgiven for assuming otherwise. Only four Yujis shared those same marks. And out of those four, one still wore the cursed tools his senpai had given him, while another was the tiger-human hybrid whose ears and hands were whole. Sensei Yuji and the Yuji with the cursed tools were the only ones familiar with the Culling Games.
Currently, there appeared to be no inherent reason for the distribution of similarities and differences between them. The youngest Yuji only looked so due to the lack of wear on his school uniform and was only younger by a couple months at most. Some Yujis recognized his clothes with mild interest. Others whose time periods were much older or hailed from worlds devoiced from Earth held no familiarity.
“I don’t think I can grow my hair out as long as he has it.” That same Yuji continued while pointing at the long-haired Yuji observing the low-hanging branches of a nearby tree.
“It’s a blessing and a curse. I’ve lost too many good combs keeping this all in check. Am I the only Kami present? I can be Kami Yuji.” The self-proclaimed deity—If that was even possible!—bowed his head as a reintroduction. If it were not for the radiance of his attire and the sudden traversal of energy through the ground from his point of origin, the observing Yuji’s skepticism would have remained a while longer.
“I’ve been worshipped as a deity, but I believe our stations are quite different.” The tiger-human hybrid was the first to respond, unaffected by the outflow of energy that had left most others reeling from the reveal. “Tora-sama is my more well-known title, but Byakko Yuji works best with the naming convention we are using.”
“The celestial white tiger? Byakko? No way!” The Yuji wearing Okkotsu’s cursed tools gasped. The observing Yuji had thought him to be one of the more stoic of the bunch, but the break in his serious demeanor proved otherwise.
“The Tiger of West Junior High is worthy of the title.” The youngest Yuji jumped beside him. They shared a high-five together while the Yuji wearing layered pastels, nodded in excitement. His historical clothes were not too dissimilar to those of the proclaimed Kami, adorned with softer tones of spring in contrast to the bold splashes of summer. His short, modern hairstyle made him stand out in what may have been an assumed pair.
“Why are all the old era Yuji’s super powerful!? Something isn’t fair here.” The Yuji pouting was the one who’d claimed the blanket for himself. A thick comforter to flail around as he pleased. He had been brought here in nothing but his boxers. Unlike the Yujis whose humanity was in question, his embarrassment due to exposure was obvious. “Also, I will be… uh, skip me, I don’t know what Yuji I want to be yet.”
“It’s not…” Sensei Yuji pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine. Who else wants to pick their name before one is assigned to you?”
The Yuji in pastels raised his hand.
“Me next, Sensei! I know I also look like I crawled out of a period piece, but that’s because I was gifted these clothes when I first met my husband in the Heian Era. I’m actually from 2018 and can time travel… I used to be able to time-travel. It doesn’t work at the moment, probably because there isn’t a reason to do it anymore.”
Husband!? Time travel? The observing Yuji did not know what to find more unreasonable. That Yuji was one of the younger ones, yet he smiled so brightly at the news shared so casually. Then, of course, Sensei Yuji had to come in and reveal that time travel was not a unique phenomenon.
“You time-traveled too?”
“Yeah! I would use a torii to cross time—Wait, too!? We’re time travel buddies! How does your time travel work? Can you do it now?”
“No, it was a freak accident that created a rift. It’s not an innate power. At least, I don’t think it is? I haven’t been able to do it since agreeing to stay in the Heian Era permanently.”
“You kept your modern clothes in the Heian Era?” His fellow time traveler brought his oversized sleeves over his mouth, failing to hide his giggling. “The historians are gonna love that.”
“And you were perfect when you time-traveled to seduce a man?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose, and I wasn’t trying to seduce him!” Frantic, the Yuji in pastels began to ramble. The pitch of his voice grew higher as he went, practically squeaking as he ran out of breath. “I thought my dear husband was a demon and that I had ended up in some weird domain of his. We kept meeting because I made a promise to earn his forgiveness for trespassing by cooking him food from home. I was very careful after figuring out I was time-traveling. And even before that, my husband actually thought I was a knotweed-slash-spring-spirit when we first met. He never knew the truth until I told him.”
With an exceptionally large inhale of air, the same Yuji managed to add one final note before crossing his arms in a huff.
“I will be Knotweed Yuji. It is my husband’s nickname for me, and I adore it dearly.”
A nickname from the same husband who looks like a demon…?
“That sounds like a trashy—Ahem, I mean a wonderful shoujo romance.” Sensei Yuji’s cough did not cover up his true feelings as well as he may have thought it did. The observing Yuji felt like agreeing with him, as he was rather unimpressed by the recap of events.
“That poor Yuji got taken advantage of by a gluttonous demon.” The comment came from the snake-like Yuji lounging in the hot spring. His posture made it look like he was whispering to the mermaid creature beside him, but his projected voice was heard by all.
Knotweed Yuji was not happy.
“Our courtship was beautiful! But if you’re all going to judge me, then tell me how your love lives are going!?”
“If you must know—”
“Ok, I figured my name out now!” The Yuji with the blanket tried and failed to snap his fingers as the cloth held between them got in the way. “Call me Bound Yuji. It’s not the best choice, but it’s ‘cause I was the only one trapped inside my own head for a year because of some shitty sorcerers.”
“You were what?” That was the first time the Yuji in fantasy clothing had looked up from his magical grimoire thing. The observing Yuji thought him to be an elf or half-elf of some kind due to the pointed ends of his ears and the radiant glow to his complexion. Otherwise, he was more human than the alien sharing the kotatsu with him.
“Trapped inside my own head. I almost died. Worst year of my life. But I had Sukuna with me to pass the time, and we eventually escaped. Nanamin helped us hide for a little bit. Then Gojo-sensei brought us to a safe house. Okkotsu-senpai was tasked with looking out for me after being kidnapped off a plane—”
“—It gets worse the more he goes on—”
“—Sukuna took down the asshole behind everything. Now we live in the countryside with Uraume and my big brother Choso who figured out we were related due to the almost dying thing… You guys have a, I mean, do you know Choso?” At least Bound Yuji was aware that the differences between their worlds were more than just aesthetics. The mention of Choso struck a chord in quite a few Yujis. Most were positive, but to the observing Yuji, it was a name that made the void in his heart all the more apparent.
Sensei Yuji’s eyes connected with the observing Yuji for a split second, then turned to the ground. The chance that he had experienced the same loss was high.
As for Kami Yuji, he walked up to Bound Yuji and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. Kami Yuji’s cheek now rested on the other’s head. The need to offer sympathy in spite of the levity in Bound Yuji’s spirit was too strong to resist.
“Choso, and his younger brothers Eso and Kechizu… All three are my attendants. I also consider them family. It is pleasant to hear that our familial ties extend to other worlds as well.”
“All three? Are they… well? Happy?” The Yuji with the cursed tools carried loss in his eyes as well. The observing Yuji suspected that the battle in Shinjuku had not taken place in his world, but the Shibuya Incident most certainly had. Eso and Kechizu were casualties of ignorance, victims of their own brother’s hand just before that.
“They are. While Choso prefers to remain at my side, Eso and Kechizu get along well with Junpei and the others.”
“Junpei!” The youngest Yuji shouted. He was not alone in doing so, only the loudest. “He’s there too?”
“Who is Junpei?” The Yuji with the antenna, the alien visitor from another world, anxiously raised his hand. He sat beside the fantasy Yuji, sneaking glances at his book while being too overwhelmed to speak until now.
“A friend.”
“A dear friend I bet many of us wish we could have spent more time with.” Added the Yuji in pale white with a kasa atop his head. He read the air easily, hands trembling in spite of his efforts to keep himself steady. General shock had not come only in recognition, but once again at the shared loss of someone most knew. “I would like to move on from this, if that is alright.”
It was probably best to avoid breaching discomforting subjects if it could be helped. Yet, at the same time, knowledge was valuable. There was no telling what could apply to their worlds or not, but with the many similarities between the modern era Yujis, their differences along whatever standard timeline their worlds shared offered an edge in their own battles to come.
As for the Yuji who just spoke… He had been grouped with the Yujis of the Heian Era. He had a different air about him—they all did—but he hadn’t shared enough to give away what that meant. No claims of godhood have been made, so that should place him with the rest of the mere mortals.
“Hey, you lot over there.” Sensei Yuji signaled to the Yujis surrounding the kotatsu, either by sitting underneath it or leaning against the hot springs steps to participate in their conversation. “Does Mermaid Yuji, Snake Yuji, Alien Yuji, and uh… Wizard Yuji work for you guys?”
He received two thumbs up and two thumbs down. The first to object was the snake-like Yuji in the hot spring.
“I’m a Naga.” Naga Yuji curled the tip of his tail high into the air, only to snap it against the water's surface. His upper body may be human in shape, but the pink and gold scales that covered his skin made sure no one forgot about the rest of him. “I’m also classified as a yokai, like the Byakko. However, my world doesn’t contain those cursed spirits you guys were mentioning earlier. We have curses. We have spirits. But not the two wrapped together in some magic system with curse-wielding sorcerers. I also don’t hunt humans or anything. Sukuna and I live peacefully outside of Sendai and don’t go looking for trouble.”
There goes Ryomen Sukuna getting mentioned again… And like before, the observing Yuji found it difficult to believe that Ryomen Sukuna of all beings would live peacefully anywhere.
“Shit, sorry. I didn’t call you a slur, did I?”
“Wouldn’t it be a ssslur?” Knotweed Yuji chimed in, finger on his chin as he pretended to ponder his question. The cheeky look that followed only spread the terrible joke around. It was hardly expert-level comedy, but that didn’t stop Naga Yuji from laughing along.
“I know I should be insulted, but I need to remember that for later.”
The Not-Wizard Yuji across the kotatsu corrected his label next.
“Hi. I’m a warlock, not a wizard. Books are the enemy. I got my powers from my patron, which is sort of similar to how I overheard that some of you got your abilities. I didn’t eat my patron the way a lot of you did, though. We just made a deal, and now he invades my life once in a while to accomplish whatever suits him.” That explained the struggle on Warlock Yuji’s face when poring over the grimoire of dubious intent. He may as well be fighting for his life when reading its contents, but desperation for a solution to their predicament forced him to continue.
“Some of you are vessels like me, but I’m supposed to be the Star Plasma Vessel for Master Tengen, not for The King of Curses.” The Yuji wearing the kasa muttered under his breath. “That is a terrifying thought… Star Plasma Yuji will be my name if there aren’t any objections.”
The Star Plasma Vessel was the one whose death enabled Kenjaku to overtake Master Tengen. For the observing Yuji, there was a little over a decade of time that took place between that tragedy and the culmination of all the fallout that came of it. Star Plasma Yuji predated those events by a thousand years, which lined up with the cycle Master Tengen has explained. Still, it was strange to see a Yuji in that position. Stranger still was the fact that Ryomen Sukuna was once again a known figure in his life.
“I didn’t think being Sukuna’s vessel was terrifying.” Knotweed Yuji offered his perspective. “But then again, I knew what I was getting into when reuniting with my husband. We were always meant to be. Literally. Mother mentioned something about a causal time loop? Now I know by meeting you all that it's much bigger than that.”
RYOMEN SUKUNA—THE KING OF CURSES—WAS THAT YUJI’S HUSBAND!?
“I was wondering who the husband was!” Alien Yuji exclaimed on behalf of the chirping Mermaid he translated for, experiencing none of the vertigo that the observing Yuji had been afflicted with.
The observing Yuji’s head spun, ached, and continued to flip over and over at the thought. It was not enough for some of these Yujis to possess amicable relationships with their version of Ryomen Sukuna, but romantic ones as well. How? Was Ryomen Sukuna that much different in their worlds? Had his personality become tolerable? His words devoid of insults? His desire for combat and bloodlust satiated? The title ‘King of Curses’ appeared to remain intact, so a part of his destructive history had to exist. The sickness that had overtaken him left the observing Yuji holding his stomach. Disgust nor horror was to blame. His consistent confusion was certainly present, but a shameful degree of envy had threatened to choke him should he continue feeding into it.
It was not a romance that he craved, nor even friendship. Proof that an alternative existed, a world where coexistence was possible, a world where not everything he had endured had to be, brought out a rage in need of quelling before it was displaced.
“I wasn’t, it’s obvious we all share a connection to Ryomen Sukuna in one way or another. No one was confused when hearing his name, and I can sense how his being permeates the air despite not being here.” Kami Yuji uncharacteristically snapped in the other Yuji's direction. His face then softened, and so did his words. “I was not expecting to court the King of Curses, but it was he who restored my shrine and he who has made the land surrounding it flourish by driving off any who would otherwise arrive with ill intent.”
“Like a guard dog.” The youngest Yuji pointed out.
“A bit more than a guard dog, but you are correct. I shall be using that description in the future. It pairs so nicely with the command to heel.”
“Isn’t that weird that some of our Sukunas aren’t here with us?” Bound Yuji placed his hand on his chest. “I’m still his vessel; he should be within me, and he isn’t. I feel weird. Not empty, but… torn? Or rung out? Like I've been stretched a bit too far.”
“It is likely a side effect of whatever power at play brought us here? We’re all Yujis in one way or another. No one else is allowed.” Sensei Yuji thought about it a bit more. “I was about to chalk it all up to a weird cursed technique, but I was in my classroom before arriving here. The fact that not everyone here engages with sorcery means that anything is possible.”
“Can we go back to the mention of mother dearest?” The Yuji with cursed tools raised his hand. “Because if it is who I think it is…”
“The body-snatching brain known as Kenjaku? Sukuna and I only tolerate him because of an old vow. And Kenjaku is the reason my brothers were freed from the school’s vault. Beyond that, we don’t really talk?” Knotweed Yuji shivered. “Uraume refuses to look at him, and Kenjaku gives me the creeps. Doesn’t matter what face he wears.”
“But you are still allies?”
“Temporary allies. Once Sukuna is freed from what he owes Kenjaku, we’re cutting ties and going on a proper honeymoon.”
“And the Shibuya Incident hasn’t happened yet? Or the Culling Games?”
“I heard some of you talking about it, but I don’t know what those are.”
“Events that can’t happen no matter what.” The observing Yuji hissed. The words had left his mouth before he had even realized it, causing him to tug on his hood as attention turned to his direction. “If your Sukuna truly loves you as you claim, he would agree.”
“Or twist that feeling to get away with whatever he thinks is best.” The Yuji with the cursed tools added, certainly speaking from experience. He then made the unilateral decision to keep sharing information, undeterred as the world around them remained stable and no one appeared to be at any causal risk from knowing what they otherwise should not. “Since we're past the point of avoiding spoilers, if any of you have died and come back during the detention center mission, you made a vow you won’t remember that grants Sukuna control over your body for a minute. He used the vow in my world to make Fushiguro Megumi his new vessel and will likely do it in yours.”
“He… does that?” The youngest Yuji looked around, eyes wide as both Sensei Yuji and the observing Yuji nodded in agreement.
“My Sukuna has shown an interest in him, but we’ve never made a vow like that.” Knotweed Yuji clenched his fists and stomped on the ground. “I may not have been taught by Gojo or gotten close with his students, but I would never want them to get hurt. Sukuna wouldn’t—He won’t.”
“My Sukuna only takes over my body when I let him. He’s also vowed to never leave me… This is the longest I’ve been alone with my own thoughts in almost two years.” Bound Yuji, still unsettled by the news, shook his head. “I can’t believe that my Sukuna would go against my trust and go back to his old ways, but I do believe in Kenjaku being the absolute worst. Anything involving him can’t end well.”
Sensei Yuji clapped his hands together to focus everyone’s attention. The tension that could be felt was unwelcome.
“No one is accusing you or your Sukunas of ill intent. It is just a… quirk of his that is a trend between our own experiences.”
“I’ve tried to steer mine in a more positive and worldly direction…” Byakko Yuji hummed.
“Not much luck?” The Yuji with the cursed tools asked.
“What can I say? I ask him to take part in the world, and he gifts me the world in turn. What about yours?” His chuckle was short-lived as the implications of what a statement like that held were numerous. Yet, the Byakko did not seem too bothered by the possible judgment of others. If anything, he made it a point to share so that the shades of gray were all the more apparent.
“Mine is a work in progress.” Sensei Yuji admitted, reigniting Byakko Yuji’s amusement by bringing a smirk to his face.
“Oh my.”
“Mine is my twin brother!” Alien Yuji stood up and rushed out onto the snow. With no roof to impede his view, he gestured to the sky with both hands high above his head. “We’re actually named after our ancestors, who met approximately one thousand Earth years ago when the Starborne Prince crashed to your planet and met a powerful warrior who would help him retake the throne and repair our fractured homeworlds. I was on my way to visit Earth in secret with Sukuna when I ended up here.”
Alien Yuji then cleared his throat to collect himself before admitting the similarities his twin shared with his namesake. It made sense, considering the Yuji standing with them still possessed an aura of camaraderie with the others, whether he was his world’s true Yuji counterpart or not. Perhaps he and his ancestor were both Yuji, and this was an example of reincarnation? The observing Yuji did not think too hard about it.
“He… will probably threaten a whole lot of people if I’m not there with him when we land.”
“Your ancestor alien-abducted Ryomen Sukuna!?” The last comment went ignored as Bound Yuji kicked his feet. “R-R-Ryomen fucking Sukuna ended up in space and en-en-ended up ruling over an empire!? I want to see the Ancient Aliens episode on that!”
“I don’t think they made an episode, but my collection of Earth media is far from complete. If they do tell my ancestor’s story, it is important to mention how they fell in love and traveled the stars together!” Alien Yuji’s antennae wiggled back and forth in excitement. “Also, two planets and a moon are hardly an empire…”
“We humans can’t even get one planet to work.”
“I think you humans are cooler that way. So diverse and scary. I don’t know how you guys survive with all the otherworld invasions, giant battle robots, and kaiju threats roaming around on top of those cursed spirits you’ve mentioned!”
Bound Yuji lowered his head as he placed a hand on Alien Yuji’s shoulder.
“Aw, you think that those are—” Before he could finish, Sensei Yuji hushed Bound Yuji into silence. His glare implied that he would do more if Bound Yuji attempted to ruin the alien’s whimsy a second time.
“Are you good over there?” Knotweed Yuji noticed that the youngest Yuji’s distress had grown considerably.
“No? I learned so many bad things… I knew Sukuna was bad. Awful. I died to keep him from killing Fushiguro, but… Is it weird that I want him now? I need him to tell me you’re wrong, that he won’t…” Ah, shit. With the way his shoulders were spasming along with the snot coming out of his nose, the youngest Yuji looked like he was about to cry.
“Come here, there’s enough of this blanket for the both of us.” Bound Yuji escorted the other Yuji over to the house’s back steps. There they could sit together with the blanket draped across both sets of shoulders as a means of comfort. “Let it all out of your system. It’s good for the soul.”
“At first I was having fun, but can I be done with today now?” The youngest Yuji knocked his head back and groaned. He took his time to breathe in deep, centering himself as best he could before something odd caused him to still. Without warning, he leaned in close to sniff around Bound Yuji’s neck. If that wasn’t already weird enough, his nose crinkled a bit, and the younger Yuji’s lips tightened in displeasure.
“Do I smell?” Bound Yuji sniffed under his arms, finding nothing abhorrent to his nose.
“No. None of you do, and that’s the problem. At least, not like I’m used to. Anyone who isn’t human has something off about them, but there’s no depth… Are all of you betas?”
“Now, see, that feels like a slur.” Naga Yuji said half-jokingly.
“It’s not, and I’m not trying to insult anyone! Most people are betas, I’m just surprised that in a room full of myself, I’m the only omega here.”
A couple of the modern era Yuji’s choked, gasped, or snorted at the word that the youngest Yuji had described himself with. Even the observing Yuji covered his mouth, unsure if his ears had heard it right, but it only made sense since the use of the term ‘beta’ had come before it.
God, out of all the times for this subject to come up in any conversation, a discussion between alternative versions of himself was not his first guess.
“Hold up—Omega? Like with the heats and secondary gender stuff?” The Yuji with the cursed tools struggled to keep a straight face.
“Yes! Why are the rest of you confused? Is it not… normal…?”
“I think that’s just a… unique trait of your world.” Sensei Yuji said, head turned to hide the blush on his cheeks. Revealing that he knew meant that the other Yujis aware of the subject could easily guess how he knew. Of course, it would be the omegaverse—Omega for simplicity’s sake—Yuji who would demand an answer as to how.
“Then how do you know about it?”
Bound Yuji was the first to raise his head and answer. Sensei Yuji then muttered an addition, to which the Yuji with the cursed tools made his own addendum right after.
“Porn sites. Fanfiction, specifically—”
“—and there was that one manga!”
“There was more than one manga. In my defense, the tropes are really hot—”
“Shut up!” Omega Yuji tears the blanket away and pulls it over him completely. He shrieked loudly into what he could bundle over his mouth, sobbing for a whole new reason he did not deserve. No one really blamed him. Since Bound Yuji was the closest, he continued taking on the responsibility of helping him settle down.
“Don’t get embarrassed, we’re all Yuji’s here… Does that mean Sukuna is your alpha—”
Omega Yuji headbutted Bound Yuji through the blanket with commendable accuracy. The force behind his attack not only tackled the other Yuji to the ground, but sent him skidding across the surface farther than one would have expected. Landing on the snow sent a shock through Bound Yuji’s system.
“It w-was a medical event and n-nothing more!”
“Don’t dodge the question!”
Bickering soon fell into nonsensical arguing as the pair began shouting. What should have been a productive group meeting had devolved into a splintered mess as an unofficial break was declared while Sensei Yuji attempted mediation. The observing Yuji kept out of it, deciding to keep his disappointment over being an omega over alpha in the one universe where it was reality.
With a moment to break away from it all, the observing Yuji glanced over his shoulder to the thicket of trees behind him. The wall of vegetation surrounded the clearing they stood within on all sides, with a dense fog obscuring any view past one hundred or so meters. No discernible path would assist them in navigating what was beyond this odd space. Kami Yuji had offered the first theory, describing the world as a place between. A place that was never meant to be observed, thus it was forced to make up a space for the group to inhabit comfortably. One that worked within the bounds of their combined minds and senses. While it all sounded nice, the theory offered little in creating their exit.
“What do you think, Quiet Yuji?”
The observing Yuji raised his eyebrow, unaware that Star Plasma Yuji had retreated to his side. He kept his hands on the brim of his hat, keeping his face covered in shadow much like the other did with his hood.
“Quiet Yuji?”
“You’ve spoken less than I have. I did not want to assume anything else.”
That was understandable.
“I’m just taking this all in.”
“It is a lot.”
“Yeah.” Thirteen Yujis. Thirteen worlds. One could assume that thirteen was all there was, or there could be infinite possibilities, and this chance meeting was just a snapshot of it all. Or this still was a very creative and introspective dream. Not one of them knew the answer, and by the looks of things, they were nowhere closer to figuring anything out since the first Yujis arrival. “I know it was already said, but it's strange how tied we are to Sukuna. Even if we’re not related, not even human, it’s always him. I was hoping there would at least be one world where that wasn’t the case. Actually, strange isn’t the word I want to use. Disturbing? Annoying? I didn’t exactly get along with mine, so I don’t know how to feel.”
‘Didn’t exactly get along’ was putting it mildly.
“Me neither. I had just recently crossed paths with the Ryomen Sukuna of my world. Current circumstances have led us traveling together. I know he is dangerous, but a part of me keeps searching for something beyond that.”
“Does he let you?”
“No, but I’m pretty stubborn.” Star Plasma Yuji smiled. It looked a little forced, but the effort was still appreciated. “Maybe what you are feeling is best described as something, something, fate has a terrible sense of humor?”
“Something, something, fate has a terrible sense of humor indeed.”
The pair sighed in unison just as Star Plasma Yuji worked up the confidence to wave over the Yuji with the cursed tools to join them.
“You don’t have a name yet.”
“You’re right.” He looked over to the newly dubbed Quiet Yuji. “The Culling Games haven’t ended yet in my world. Is that the same for yours?”
“No, it’s… It’s over. The battle in Shinjuku was… We’re rebuilding now.” They would be rebuilding for decades, if not longer. So much had been exposed, the world was changing fast, and sometimes it was difficult to keep up.
“I’m sorry, and, uh, congratulations on surviving. I guess I can go by Culling Games Yuji then.” As clunky as his words were, Quiet Yuji accepted them gracefully.
“Thank you.” Quiet Yuji debated on what he should say next. This Yuji had been open about warning of events to come; it felt only fair to disclose what he knew in return. How that information would be delivered, well… Quiet Yuji began with the most important news he could think of. It was something positive in the wake of everything else. “I managed to free Fushiguro. You’ll be able to do it too.”
“You did! That’s wonderful.” A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Culling Games Yuji’s face. The awkward air returned, and after a bit of hum and haw, he rubbed the back of his neck and explained himself. “I… I actually managed to get Sukuna to let Fushiguro go and return to using me as a vessel not that long ago.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t beat yourself up over it!” He quickly flailed his hands, hoping to dash away any unwanted guilt that was prone to appearing. “Unless you got struck with a curse that turned you into a child which caused a lot of emotions to surface, it’s probably not a universal event that you missed out on. Like the Yuji who was sealed, you know? And we haven’t ‘saved the day’ yet either.” Culling Games Yuji then took a step back and composed himself. “Soon, though. It will all be over soon.”
Despite the hope his words held, there was something heavy about the lack of clarity in what saving the day would mean. Quiet Yuji did not dare press him on it. Instead, he offered his hand, wishing his alternate self well.
“I hope it all works out.”
“Me too.” They shook hands. Culling Games Yuji then offered a hand to Star Plasma Yuji, who awkwardly mirrored the act instead of using his other hand for a proper handshake. “And good luck with the Star Plasma Vessel stuff. Sorry we can’t be more helpful.”
“Don’t apologize! Hearing about all these events in the future means that the merger of my era was successful in many worlds. It brings me hope.”
Meanwhile, on the other side of the clearing, whatever teasing transpired was now directed toward the appointed Sensei of the group. His title was being called into question. More accurately, the previous mention of his classroom had left some of the group surprised that the descriptor offered had been accurate.
“You’re actually a teacher?” Naga Yuji asked. He lay on his back, sprawled out over one of the boulders that defined the hot spring’s edge.
“Yes. And my Sukuna is my nephew and student.”
Bound Yuji used what air remained in his lungs to let out a mocking gasp. It would be difficult to obtain more with Omega Yuji sitting on top of him, but that would change after Omega Yuji took the opportunity to get revenge against the older Yuji.
“Scandalous.”
“We are entirely platonic, you little pervert.”
“I said nothing. If your mind is the one implying nasty things—” And just like that, Omega Yuji rolled out of the way just in time to avoid getting grabbed by Sensei Yuji. He continued to get chased around the area, narrowly avoiding close calls by jumping, ducking, and even crawling in every direction. All the while, Alien Yuji used his powers to hover high into the air to avoid being caught in the middle. More Yujis would have been in awe of the feat if Omega Yuji hadn’t launched himself into the hot spring, deciding to use the other Yujis present as willing shields.
“I envy their youthful energy.” Byakko Yuji yawned. He had long since snuck under the kotatsu, fortunate that its size allowed him to curl up entirely underneath it, save for his head sticking out by Warlock Yuji’s side.
“I might be able to fix this!” Warlock Yuji flew out of his seat, kicking the table as he fought his own excitement to stand on both feet. “I know I said that I’m not a wizard, but this tome should be similar to a spell scroll. I was supposed to have retrieved this for a client interested in the multiverse, but hey, I’m sure they won’t mind if I get to test it out and make sure the knowledge is legit. This spell here is supposed to send people back to their plane of origin. Planes, worlds, timelines, etc. It’s all the same.”
“Is it?” One could practically see the question mark that appeared over Knotweed Yuji’s head.
“Probably.”
“It seems a bit rash to jump into this so quickly.” Byakko Yuji yawned again. Quiet Yuji wondered if he actually purred as the gentle hum of his voice hinted at. “We should all take a nice nap and sleep on our next move…”
“And isn’t this a bit anti-climactic?” With one hand on Naga Yuji’s tail to guide him, Omega Yuji continued to rub the water from his eyes as he joined in with his concerns. “A bit too easy?”
“Who cares? The longer we stay here, the longer the people in our worlds will start to notice our absence, and some might start to worry.” Culling Game Yuji crossed his arms, allowing the implication of whose worry and what that would entail be left up to individual imagination. “And unless any of us have power over time, it isn’t exactly limitless, now is it?”
Kami Yuji agreed with him.
“I really hope no time has passed at all. My absence would be noticed, and I already have a feeling that there will be trouble upon my return. I hope no one scolds me.”
Whose scolding was that Kami worried about?
Mermaid Yuji chirped in apparent agreement as well, with Alien Yuji now sitting beside him to translate.
“He wants to get home as soon as possible too! And same here. My Sukuna is probably freaking out that his co-pilot went poof!”
“My Sukuna is probably throwing a fit as well.” Bound Yuji gulped. “Third time’s the charm when it comes to stretching his patience.”
“Don’t remind me.” Sensei Yuji let out an exhausted sigh. “My only other solution would be multiple people using Domain Expansion at the same time to brute force a break in reality. But, not only would that be volatile, there would be no way to steer it in any direction, let alone thirteen different ways to get everyone home.”
Quiet Yuji thought of his own world. He had just reached the cafe where he was to meet Fushiguro and Kugisaki. He had even arrived early. Everyone had been so busy with their own responsibilities that it had been difficult to schedule time together that did not involve cursed spirits, Jujutsu sorcery, Jujutsu sorcery politics, and whatever else life had managed to throw at them after graduation. Considering his own luck, or lack thereof, it made sense for his rare moment of peace to get interrupted. If he could get back before either of his friends realized something was wrong, Quiet Yuji would take whatever solution he could get.
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try the book’s solution since it looks like we have places to be.” Naga Yuji threw up a peace sign to get the rest on board. “Who knows? Maybe Warlock Yuji touching that book got us into this mess in the first place?”
“Try nothing. It’s do or die, and I’m certainly not dying anytime soon. Literally. It’s part of my pact.” Warlock Yuji winked, inviting a sour taste in Quiet Yuji’s mouth. “Let’s gather everyone around in a circle by the hot spring so no one has to carry the merfolk out. I wish I could stay longer.”
Everyone followed Warlock Yuji’s directions… Almost everyone. Bound Yuji held back from joining them as something weighed on his mind.
“Before we go, can we all do this one thing? It will be super quick, I swear.”
“What is it?” Sensei Yuji asked.
“Point to two other Yujis at random with a shocked look on your face.” Bound Yuji demonstrated his request, taking on a series of dramatic poses as he switched from one pair of Yujis to the next. There was something familiar about it, but Quiet Yuji couldn’t place his finger on it until Omega Yuji perked up with recognition.
“Oh, you’re doing the Spiderman meme!”
“The spider-what?” Star Plasma Yuji was understandably confused.
“It’s a silly thing from our time period. No need to think about it too hard.” Culling Game Yuji explained as he joined in, prompting the others to follow. “It references a situation kinda similar where a person sees two other versions of themselves.”
“I want to hold this image in my memory because it brings a smile to my face. I hope it will bring a smile to the rest of you when you need it.” Bound Yuji beamed with an infectious grin. “We Yujis gotta support each other the best we can!”
“Aw, that’s so sweet.” Behind Alien Yuji was Mermaid Yuji making a heart with his hands.
“No matter what happens, know that I will be wishing you all the best.” Byakko Yuji bowed with Quiet Yuji adding a final thought of his own.
“I’ll do the same if I don’t mistake this for one hell of a dream.”
“Safe travels, everyone.” Kami Yuji was the last to speak before conceding attention over to Warlock Yuji so that he may chant his spell uninterrupted.
The ritual began innocently enough.
Energy filled the air as it was called upon, tugging on each participant as Warlock Yuji got to work weaving arcane threads to guide them each to where they belonged. Initial hesitation gave rise to confidence as he continued to read the spell aloud, but that was the only kindness that could be said. He spoke a language no one knew. Distorted and full of wear upon the ears with each unsettling note. Chaotic and incomprehensible, there was nothing to grasp, nothing to ease the growing fear as the surrounding wind picked up speed.
A maelstrom of power swathed over the group, and suddenly, Sensei Yuji’s suggestion of multiple Domain Expansions sounded preferable to whatever this was. At least that would have involved a power and magic system that Quiet Yuji was familiar with.
Only after the wind began to howl did an objection arise, but it was impossible to tell from which direction it came. Snow kicked up by the air blinded the group. A hand took hold of Quiet Yuji’s wrist, anchoring them together only for the summoned might of Warlock Yuji’s spell to tear them apart. Panic arose as another outburst of energy sought to end the ritual prematurely, yet before a clash could occur, the ground beneath their feet split open.
The world between worlds had been torn asunder.
Each Yuji present had been cast far and wide, left to tumble alone in a seemingly endless void. Silence fell as darkness swept in, leaving no trace of where they had stood nor where they would eventually land.
Surely, they were heading home as promised.
But would that home be the right one?