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"I can't believe I actually let you talk me into this," Megumi muttered under his breath as he stopped in the middle of a clearing to readjust his backpack. The surrounding forest was dense, its canopy keeping most of the sunlight at bay. "We're supposed to be hunting down a cursed spirit, not taking a vacation."
Yet, there Megumi was, in the middle of the forest, lugging around a backpack full of camping gear, a few changes of clothes, and a sleeping bag like some Boy Scout. Within the first few kilometers of the hike out there, Megumi had made up his mind—he was going to kill Gojo once they made it back to civilization. Assuming Megumi could hold off for that long.
"We are!" Gojo argued as he emerged from the tree line, his usual blindfold gone in favor of those ridiculously large shades. Megumi wasn't sure what looked more ridiculous, those or the brown flannel shirt Gojo wore. "You heard what Yaga said; the curse has been attacking people who camp out in these woods! What better way to lure it out than to play the part!"
Megumi didn't believe Gojo's bullshit excuse for a second. With his six eyes, simply finding and exercising the curse would have been much quicker and more efficient. Gojo had no intention of making things easy. The moment the word camping left Principal Yaga's mouth, Gojo had started packing their bags. Why in the world Gojo would find camping, of all things, enjoyable was beyond Megumi. As far as Megumi knew, Gojo had never gone camping before. Hell, the man slept on the most expensive silk sheets money could buy.
Had Megumi not heard the report from Principal Yaga himself, he might have believed that Gojo made the entire thing up to get Megumi to go camping with him. It was still a possibility. Megumi wouldn't put it past Gojo to have bribed Yaga to go along with it—make it look official.
"Don't be so pouty! Consider this a fun bonding experience!" Gojo said, shrugging off his backpack and setting it down. Compared to Megumi's, his backpack had much more gear strapped to it, including the single tent they'd be sharing. "I told Yaga we'd be gone for a couple of days!"
Megumi sighed as he sat on a nearby log. "Of course you did."
Technically speaking, Megumi wasn't even a jujutsu sorcerer yet—at least, not officially. He was set to start his first day at Jujutsu Tech in a little under a month, at which point he'd been told he'd start getting assigned his own missions—missions without Gojo breathing down his neck. Don't get him wrong, Megumi was thankful for Gojo's training, but when it came to Megumi and cursed spirits, Gojo could be a bit much. If Gojo had been training him to ride a bike instead, Megumi would be a fifteen-year-old with training wheels.
"What do you say, Megumi?" Gojo asked, gaining Megumi's attention. "Look like a good place to set up camp?"
Regardless of how hard Megumi tried, he couldn't sense any cursed energy besides Gojo's. Still, it was a good spot, with enough space to comfortably fit their tent and a fireplace. Besides, assuming they had stayed on course, it shouldn't have been that far off from where one of the first attacks occurred. Knowing Gojo was hell-bent on going through with this, Megumi would only be shooting himself in the foot if he didn't say yes, so—
"It's fine."
"Great!" Gojo clapped his hands together and grinned like an idiot. "Be a dear and fetch us some firewood while I set up the tent!"
Scowling, Megumi slipped off his backpack and set it down beside the log before heading out. The moment he set foot back into the tree line, Megumi summoned Shiro and Kuro, his divine dogs. While he collected sticks and chunks of wood from fallen over trees, Shiro and Kuro scouted the surrounding area for any hint of the curse.
Kuro picked up a faint trail—far too faint to actually follow. It was a good sign, however, as it meant the curse had been through that area recently enough. Assuming Principal Yaga's report was right, hanging around the area had a high probability of attracting the curse back. All Megumi could do was sit back and wait. With a resigned sigh, Megumi returned to the clearing with Shiro and Kuro in tow, both shikigami carrying a few sticks in their mouths. Shiro was especially pleased to be of help, his tail wagging excitedly.
Gojo had made quick work of setting up the tent, his and Megumi's sleeping bags already tucked away inside. When Gojo caught sight of the three of them, he let out an amused chuckle.
"You know, sometimes I wish I had shikigami like you," Gojo said as he made a show of bending over backward, his back cracking in several places. "Imagine all the things I didn't have to do on my own!"
Megumi snorted as he dropped the sticks in the middle of the clearing. "I didn't summon them just to collect sticks. Kuro picked up the curse's scent nearby. It was faint, but—"
"Seriously?" Gojo complained, sounding more like a whiny little kid than someone who was going to be Megumi's sensei in just a few weeks. Megumi barely resisted rolling his eyes. "Learn to relax a little, kiddo! Give it time, and they'll come right to us. You'll see!"
"Whatever."
Megumi silently sent Shiro and Kuro back into the woods before helping Gojo finish setting up camp. By the time the sun began to set behind the trees, Megumi sat nestled in a far too fancy camping chair beside a crackling campfire, book in hand. The damn chair was capable of reclining back, a little foot rest popping out. Megumi chose to sit upright, the fire providing enough light for him to read. Gojo, on the other hand, went full horizontal, a puffy little pillow wedged underneath his head. Even with the sun slowly disappearing, Gojo continued to wear those ridiculous shades. About an hour into relaxing, Gojo suddenly shot up, startling Megumi, who nearly dropped his book.
"I almost forgot!" Rummaging through his backpack, Gojo grinned as he pulled out and held up his prize. "I brought marshmallows!"
Right, and this is totally not a vacation, Megumi thought.
After a bit more rummaging, Gojo pulled out two retractable sticks, offering one to Megumi, who politely declined. He went back to reading while Gojo proceeded to roast and eat about half the bag. Megumi only looked up when Gojo accidentally caught two marshmallows on fire, consequently burning them both to a crisp. The look of absolute disgust on Gojo's face when he still tried eating one made Megumi smile—just a tiny thing that disappeared as fast as it had appeared.
"You know you can't keep it up all night," Gojo said as he carefully roasted a fresh pair of marshmallows over the flames, his focus on them as he spoke. "Besides, those dogs of yours are gonna scare the curse away the second it gets a whiff of their cursed energy. It's only a grade four, after all—thing's practically a baby!"
"So what you're saying is you and I are here to exorcise a baby?"
"Well, when you say it like that—exactly!" Gojo chuckled. "My point is, you're wasting far too much energy for no good reason. Once you start going out on your own, you'll have to know when to reserve your energy versus when to use it. If it doesn't make any noticeable difference, then you're just wasting it."
As much as Megumi hated to admit it, Gojo was right. Since sending them back out, neither Shiro nor Kuro had managed to pick up any more of the curse's scent—the trail having gone cold. However, rather than acknowledging Gojo, Megumi went back to reading, silently releasing his shikigami back into his shadow. Still, Megumi noticed Gojo grin out of the corner of his eye, undoubtedly sensing the moment Megumi released them. Gojo's six eyes were as annoying as they were useful.
By the time Megumi finished his book, the moon was at its highest point, the fire having burnt through most of the wood. Crickets were out in droves, their songs filling the night air. Gojo had returned to his reclined position, eyes closed and one hand thrown over his head. He hadn't moved in well over half an hour, leaving Megumi to believe he'd fallen asleep—likely in a marshmallow-induced coma. Glancing toward the treeline, Megumi frowned.
It was late, and still no sign of the curse. They were in the right area—of that, Megumi was certain—but now it was a question of how long till it appeared again. According to the report, it had attacked multiple times over the past few months, always sticking within a certain diameter. If it didn't find them first, then searching out where the thing hunkered down in between hunts was their next best move.
"Hey, Kiddo—"
Gojo's voice so close to his ear nearly gave Megumi a heart attack. While his heart was racing, Gojo seemed none the wiser, letting out a big yawn as he stretched out his back like a cat. It was terrifying just how silent Gojo could be. Megumi hadn't even heard him reposition his chair before walking over.
"—it's about time we call it quits, yeah?"
"But the curse—"
"Isn't coming," Gojo cut him off, waving his hand around like he was trying to bat away an annoying fly. "No point in waiting around for nothing. Besides, we've got a big day tomorrow. You need your rest if you're gonna keep up with me!"
Big day, huh?
Megumi didn't bother asking what Gojo meant by that, assuming he wouldn't have liked the answer anyway. Knowing Gojo, it would hardly have anything to do with the curse—you know, the entire reason they were supposedly there in the first place.
"Hurry up," Gojo whined when Megumi hadn't moved. "It's gonna be sunrise by the time we make it to the tent!"
"No one said you have to wait for me," Megumi grumbled as he stood.
He stretched out his own back—which had grown stiff from being still too long—while Gojo took a cup of water and doused the rest of the fire. Megumi gave the forest one final glance before following Gojo inside the tent, leaving his dirt-covered shoes outside. Despite being a single tent, the interior was pretty spacious, with a divider that could be set up between the two sides. Megumi thought about it for a second before deciding it wasn't worth the effort. The hike up there, as well as using his shikigami for so long, had left Megumi pretty tuckered out.
"Night, Gumi!"
Megumi rolled his eyes at the childish nickname. "Night."
- - -
As it turned out, their big day involved a lot of hiking. After a light breakfast, Gojo proceeded to drag Megumi all over the forest, claiming to be searching for signs of the curse or its home. To be fair, they did stop by a few of the sites where campers had been attacked, including the site of the most recent attack. By then, there wasn't much left—any traces of the curse's energy long gone. According to the reports, the attacks themselves weren't violent, with little blood left behind. Most of the victims were discovered a few kilometers away from their campsites, their bodies half eaten and left to rot.
With none of the sites providing any leads, the pair trekked along through the forest, with Gojo treating it like some leisurely stroll while Megumi kept both an eye and an ear out for anything off. The birds were chirping and flying overhead, unbothered by their presence. It was a good sign, as was the steady buzzing of bugs flying about. One thing Megumi picked up on rather early was how animals seemed rather attuned to cursed spirits, often reacting as they would to a normal predator when they were around.
"Careful," Gojo warned as he hopped over a small brook, Megumi easily stepping over it. "We're almost there, then we can head back to camp, get dinner started."
"Where even is there, anyway?"
"You'll see!"
It took them another ten minutes before they finally reached what Gojo was talking about. There turned out to be a small, spring-fed waterfall whose clear water continued to flow through multiple brooks, providing water to all manner of life. Dragonflies hovered all around the water, frogs leaping from their rocky perches as Megumi and Gojo stepped too close. A light breeze sent up sprays of water that felt heavenly after a day of hiking. Taking in the scenery, Megumi found a decent rock to sit on and enjoy the cool spray while Gojo went and snatched up a sizable toad who didn't seem too keen on being bothered.
"Look at this little guy, Megumi!" Gojo grinned as he held up the croaking toad. "He's so fat!"
"What are you, five?" Megumi sighed. "Stop harassing the wildlife."
"Buzzkill." Gojo set the toad free, watching it hop away before turning his full attention to Megumi. "Now's a good time as any—summon your divine dogs, let them have a sniff."
Megumi raised a brow at that, but did as Gojo requested. Shiro, with all the curiosity of a young wolf, began sniffing around the frogs, letting out a low whine when they inevitably hopped away from him. Kuro, on the other hand, focused on the area surrounding the waterfall, sniffing around the rocks and trees. It was when Kuro made it to the farthest side of the waterfall that he picked up on something, his ears perking up and body going stiff. He looked back at Megumi expectantly, who barely had time to stand before Gojo stopped him with a firm grip on his shoulder.
"Don't bother. It merely shed its skin," Gojo explained. "The curse itself is long gone."
"How do you know that?"
Gojo pointed to his eyes, smirking when Megumi rolled his own.
"If you already knew it was a dead end, why bother having them sniff it out in the first place?"
"Practice."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously!" Gojo chuckled. "We already know they're fantastic sniffers—" Gojo scratched Shiro's chin, grinning when the shikigami's tongue lolled out happily. "—but those have all been living curses and sorcerers. I wanted to test them—see if they could pick up on discarded pieces. Now you know what they're sniffing out might not always be the curse itself, but rather something it left behind. It's good info to remember—keep you aware and ensure you don't go letting your guard down."
Megumi had to admit, he could see Gojo's point. The higher grade a curse was, the more intelligent they became. It wouldn't be wrong to assume that one with enough intelligence could plan a trap that would involve luring Megumi and his shikigami in. Kuro let out a heavy sigh as he returned to Megumi's side. Reaching down, Megumi scratched behind one of Kuro's ears, earning a faint tail wag in return.
"Ready to head back?"
"Sure."
The walk back to camp was about as uneventful as the rest of the day. Megumi kept Shiro and Kuro summoned for a little while, letting them wander around and investigate things. Kuro mainly stayed by Megumi's side, occasionally sniffing the air for any residual energy. Shiro roamed around, sniffing out a few more frogs and one very talkative stoat. When he wasn't busy disturbing the wildlife, Shiro walked alongside Gojo, who was more than happy to give the shikigami as many pets as he desired. Megumi never quite understood why Shiro had taken a particular liking to Gojo, but the shikigami had always been fond of him since he was a kid.
Upon making it back, Megumi released Shiro and Kuro after confirming that the curse hadn't gone back through that area since they left. Gojo got started on dinner, assigning Megumi the task of chopping up the vegetables. He tossed out the red bell pepper when Gojo wasn't looking and played dumb when questioned about it, despite knowing damn well that Gojo knew what he'd done. It was Gojo's fault for including it in the first place. Megumi had always despised red bell peppers, a fact Gojo knew all too well from all the times Megumi refused to eat anything containing the horrid vegetable.
"I still can't believe you haven't gotten over that yet," Gojo said as he tossed the veggies into the pan with the meat, giving everything a good toss before setting it over the fire to cook. "How wasteful!"
Megumi snorted humorlessly as he flopped down into his chair. "Stop buying them."
"I like them. Not everything's about you, y'know!" Gojo stuck his tongue out at him before adding, "Besides, you could attract a bear with that—what then?"
Megumi blinked slowly, his gaze drifting toward the discarded bell pepper lying in the dirt not far from their tent. Clasping his hands together, Megumi summoned Toad, whose tongue immediately shot out like a whip, plucking the bell pepper off the ground and disposing of it inside his belly. The shikigami let out a content croak before disappearing. Gojo and Megumi's eyes met, the pair staring at each other in silence before Gojo burst into a fit of laughter. Scowling, Megumi sank down in his seat, hiding part of his face behind the collar of his jacket.
Dinner came and went, Megumi taking care of the dishes while Gojo refueled the fire. With the sun once again setting behind the treeline, Megumi settled comfortably into his chair, watching embers dance around the fire while Gojo roasted a few more marshmallows. Despite being unable to sense its cursed energy, Megumi was almost certain that the curse was around. The crickets were quieter than the night before, the once boisterous chorus now only a handful of chirps here and there.
"Want to hear a real ghost story?"
Megumi looked at Gojo, his brows furrowed. "What?"
"A real ghost story—" Gojo repeated. "—Kuchisake-onna, want to hear it?"
Kuchisake-onna, it sounded vaguely familiar. Megumi probably heard it mentioned once during school. Young kids were especially gullible, always believing the lies and stories adults told them. Megumi had heard his fair share of ghost stories growing up—stories meant as nothing more than ways to scare children into behaving. After all, what worked better than the fear of meeting a horrible demise at the hands of a malevolent spirit?
"Why not?"
It wasn't like he had anything better to do.
"Well, according to the legend, Kuchisake-onna was this beautiful woman—I'm talking drop-dead gorgeous. Knowing how most men are, she must have been drowning in their attention, which made one woman exceptionally jealous. Some people say it was her own sister, but who knows." Gojo shrugged, popping one of his toasted marshmallows in his mouth before continuing. "Either way, this other woman was so jealous that she decided to take matters into her own hands.
"As the story goes, she took a pair of scissors and slit Kuchisake-onna's mouth from ear to ear, leaving her permanently disfigured. She was forced to wear a surgical mask to hide her scarred face. When she died, all that pain and anger caused her to become a malevolent spirit. Now she wanders the streets at night in search of her next victim." Gojo grinned playfully. "You know how she picks them out?"
"They look like her sister?" Megumi asked, resting his head in his hand.
He had heard plenty of stories about vengeful spirits searching out and killing those who looked like the people who wronged them in life. Didn't matter whether there was any relation at all. At times, all it came down to was having the same hair color, which was a clear sign to Megumi just how bullshit the stories actually were. They may have been painted as vengeful, but they were always vague enough to scare most of the children into believing they could be next if they weren't careful.
"Wrong!" Gojo pointed his stick at Megumi, who plucked the other marshmallow right off and ate it. "If you're unlucky enough to run into her, she'll ask you one simple question—am I pretty?"
"Right, and presumably answering no means death while yes is safe."
Knowing how these kinds of stories usually work, Megumi assumed it was meant to teach little kids to be respectful. Telling someone that yes, they are pretty, when asked, even if you don't actually believe so, would be considered the polite thing to do.
"Not exactly."
Megumi blinked. "What do you mean?"
"You're half right. No would mean certain death, but answering yes doesn't mean you're safe. Once you do that, she'll take her mask off, showing you her mutilated face, and ask the same question. Answer no, and—you guessed it—still death. Answer yes, however, and well—" Gojo's eyes sparkled with amusement. "reportedly, she uses the very same scissors that were used on her to mutilate her victims, giving them the same ear-to-ear smile."
That doesn't make any sense, Megumi thought. "So if you run into her, you're screwed, regardless?"
"There are a few ways people have come up with to avoid death, like throwing bekkō ame at her!"
"Bekkō ame?" Megumi asked. "You can't be serious."
"Hey, don't look at me—I didn't make the rules!" Gojo chuckled. "She was real, though. I saw her a few times myself back when I was still a student. As a matter of fact, I was one of the lucky sorcerers assigned to her case!"
Ah, so that was the catch. There was no ghost, at least, not in the traditional sense. She was just another cursed spirit born from a person's anger and hatred. To gain such a reputation, Megumi couldn't help but wonder how many people actually tried throwing bekkō ame at her, only to learn the hard way that a cursed spirit can't be driven back by something so simple.
"So you saw her, huh? Was she pretty?"
Gojo made a face, his nose scrunching up. "Hell no!"
Megumi shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. "I bet she loved running into you."
"I can't help what I like!" Gojo defended himself. "Besides, she was more Suguru's type!"
"Suguru?"
Gojo rarely talked about his time as a student—always changing the subject when it came up—and as a little kid, Megumi knew better than to pry. Still, Megumi had heard the name Suguru a few times after overhearing Gojo and Ieiri talk. It didn't take a genius to piece together the fact that Suguru had been another student—presumably one of Gojo's friends. Based on how quickly Gojo shot those conversations down, it was clear that whatever happened between them was bad. It was also clear that Gojo hadn't meant to mention him, his expression turning guarded.
"Would you look at that, it's getting pretty late. I think I'm gonna hit the hay early!"
It was a bullshit excuse, Megumi knew that. The sun had barely set less than an hour ago—the night was still plenty young. Not that Megumi had any intention of calling him out for it. How many times had Megumi made up excuses to be alone after Tsumiki had been cursed? Gojo always respected his need for space and privacy, so extending him that same courtesy was the least Megumi could do.
"I'm leaving you in charge of holding down the fort," Gojo said as he stood and headed for the tent, throwing up a hand in Megumi's direction. "Wake me if you need anything!"
"Sure."
As Gojo settled into the tent, the night fell silent save for the crackling of the fire. The crickets had long since gone quiet, the forest eerily still. Megumi watched the treeline as he kept an ear out for any movement behind him. Ten minutes turned into twenty, then thirty, eventually stretching well past an hour. The forest remained silent as the fire gradually burned through the woodpile. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Megumi closed his eyes for a moment—just a moment…
The sharp snap of a twig nearby startled Megumi awake. Blinking slowly, Megumi stared at the smoldering fire, confused, before another loud snap rang out. Megumi's head whipped in the direction the sound had come from. He couldn't make anything out in the dark—the thick canopy blocking out most of the moonlight—but if he concentrated, Megumi could feel tendrils of cursed energy floating in the air. They didn't quite reach the clearing, remaining just out of reach and trailing deeper into the forest. The curse had come close enough to sense their energy before retreating.
If he acted quickly, Megumi could catch up to it.
Springing out of his seat, Megumi darted into the forest before summoning his divine dogs, who quickly picked up the trail. Shiro ran ahead while Kuro kept pace with Megumi, guiding him over logs and through the thick underbrush. Megumi could tell they were getting closer, the cursed energy growing stronger—thicker. Kuro suddenly darted right, and Megumi followed him down a small, rocky cliff, where he spotted Shiro standing guard outside what appeared to be the entrance of a cave.
Crouching next to Shiro, Megumi pulled out his phone and used the flashlight feature to get a better look. The entrance was narrow, with a steep drop that made it impossible to gauge just how big the rest of the cave was. At the very least, he could feel a slight breeze blowing up from within, meaning there was likely another way in and out. Megumi sent Kuro to find and guard the other entrance while Shiro stayed by his side, alert and keeping watch over the surrounding forest.
Remembering what Gojo had taught him earlier that day, Megumi clasped his hands together and summoned a handful of rabbit shikigami. He sent them down into the cave first. A minute passed before Megumi felt it—one of his rabbits' cursed energy disappeared in the blink of an eye. What Shiro had sniffed out wasn't merely a piece of the curse. It was down there, hiding underground, where most people wouldn't dare to venture so late at night. It was the perfect hiding place.
Megumi waited until he heard Kuro's howl break the silence. "Let's go."
Shiro climbed down first, Megumi crawling in after him. The inside of the cave was a little more spacious, providing Megumi enough room to stand without hitting his head. There was a single tunnel that curved further up ahead. One of his rabbits sat right before the curve, ears at attention and beady eyes trained on something Megumi couldn't see. Shiro gave the air a sniff, his teeth bared as he caught a whiff of the curse's energy. Taking a deep breath, Megumi moved with caution, Shiro flanking his right side.
The curse was only grade four—a baby, as Gojo had put it. Megumi was set to become a grade two upon enrollment at Jujutsu Tech, meaning that, for someone of his skill level, a grade four was nothing. His divine dogs could easily tear it to pieces in seconds. They've done so countless times with other low-grade curses. Yet, for reasons Megumi couldn't explain, something about that one felt off. He tried to rationalize that it was just the location making him anxious. After all, Megumi had never gone after a curse in such a confined space before.
Steeling himself, Megumi rounded the corner, Shiro growling as the curse came into view. It was larger than Megumi expected, about three hundred centimeters long. Thanks to Gojo's comment about it having shed its skin, Megumi had imagined something akin to a snake or lizard, but the curse almost resembled a caterpillar, covered from head to toe in slimy brown-and-green moss. Its movements were sluggish, its feet dragging and scraping along the rocks like sandpaper. What Megumi could only assume was the head turned to look at him, a shrill cry echoing through the cave.
A few of Megumi's rabbits remained, encircling the curse but keeping their distance. Megumi hadn't noticed before that two more of his shikigami had been killed. Despite its appearance, the curse was obviously fast enough to keep up with his rabbits. Not wanting to give it the chance to attack first, Megumi sent one of his remaining rabbits after it, instructing them to aim for the curse's head. As predicted, the curse whipped around with lightning-fast reflexes and caught the rabbit with vine-like appendages that shot out from underneath the moss.
In that same instance, Shiro dashed forward, reaching the curse before it had time to react. As Shiro sank his teeth into the curse, a strange hissing sound began emanating from the curse's body, growing louder by the second. Shiro immediately backed off, his hackles raised and ears flat against his head. Not even a second later, a bright, purple mist erupted from the curse, rolling off its body in thick waves. Shiro let out a howl as the mist quickly filled the cave, Kuro answering back in alarm. Megumi's eyes stung as he desperately tried to cover his mouth and nose.
It was too late.
Megumi's vision swam in and out of focus as his legs gave out, bringing him to his knees. Shiro disappeared back into Megumi's shadow, the rabbits following soon after. Megumi was growing more and more lightheaded by the second, the thick mist making it hard to breathe. He struggled to keep his eyes open even as the curse moved in on him. Unable to lift a finger, Megumi couldn't even attempt to summon one of his shikigami to defend himself.
The curse inched closer, letting out another shrill cry as Megumi fell facedown onto the cave floor. It slowly peeled back layers of moss to reveal a long, vertical mouth full of needle-like teeth. It was the last thing Megumi saw before everything faded to black.
- - -
The faint crackling of a nearby fire greeted Megumi as he cracked his eyes open. Early-morning sunlight streamed through the tent, muted, yet still bright enough to make Megumi's eyes water. Then again, it may have been the insistent throbbing in his skull that was to blame. With an irritated groan, Megumi screwed his eyes shut. His memories of the night before were shrouded in a layer of fog. He couldn't recall going to bed, yet there he lay, nestled comfortably inside his sleeping bag.
Peeking his eyes open, Megumi glanced across the tent, unsurprised to see Gojo's sleeping bag neatly folded. Gojo had always been an early riser, assuming he actually went to bed in the first place. How he could function so well with so little sleep was beyond Megumi's comprehension. Although the more he thought about it, Gojo had gone to bed early that night, leaving Megumi to tend to the fire. In hindsight, it might not have been the best idea.
Megumi slowly sat up, the pressure in his skull making him dizzy. He gave it a minute to pass before dragging himself up and out of the tent. The sun was starting to crest over the treeline, its warmth chasing away the morning dew. Birds sang and chirped as they flew about the forest in search of food. Gojo sat by the fire, cradling a cup of something warm in his lap, the steam rolling over the rim in gentle waves. There was something about it that made Megumi pause, his brows furrowing. Gojo, having likely sensed Megumi's presence, glanced over shortly after he paused.
"Morning, sleepy head!" Gojo greeted him with his usual smile and upbeat attitude.
"Mornin'," Megumi muttered as he went and sat in his chair.
Despite having gotten some sleep, Megumi still felt exhausted. Something happened last night—something that completely drained him of his cursed energy. Since he was about five years old, Megumi could feel his energy flowing steadily through his body like a stream. At that moment, it felt more like a trickle. He knew he needed to talk to Gojo to find out what happened, but between the splitting headache and the fog still clouding his memories, Megumi wasn't quite up for it yet. Maybe in a minute or two.
"Here." Gojo handed the cup over to Megumi. "Ginger tea—should help with the headache. On the bright side, it looks like your body finally flushed all of that shit out of your system. Aside from the nasty hangover, you should be right as rain in a few hours."
Megumi hummed in acknowledgment as he sipped the tea. He hadn't the faintest idea what Gojo was talking about—what that shit was—but it made a little bit of sense. Megumi had gotten sick once after an encounter with a cursed spirit on his way home from school. It was the worst Megumi had ever felt—full-body chills, a stomach that couldn't hold anything down, and a fever so high Gojo was worried it would melt Megumi's brain. According to Ieiri, it was all a result of his cursed energy fighting off whatever bug the curse had given him.
So Megumi had caught another bug, then.
"Still, we should probably head back as soon as you're able—have Shoko take a look, just in case."
"But the curse—"
"Dead," Gojo bluntly stated.
"You killed it?"
The look Gojo gave him made Megumi feel stupid for asking.
"Are you kidding?" Gojo laughed humorlessly. "You're damn right I killed it! Would you have preferred that I let that overgrown slug munch on you instead?"
Images flashed in Megumi's mind of a curse covered in moss. With it, bits and pieces of last night slowly came back. Megumi had gone after the curse, following it down into a cave. There was this purple mist, and then…nothing. Next thing Megumi knew, he was waking up back at camp, as if nothing had happened. Well, no—the headache and intense fatigue were clear signs otherwise. Besides, Gojo had clearly anticipated Megumi's headache. He should have been grateful, but at that moment, Megumi could only think about one thing.
"Caterpillar."
Gojo blinked, tilting his head like a curious puppy. "Eh?"
"The curse," Megumi clarified. "It was more of a caterpillar than a slug."
"Seriously?" Gojo snorted. "Shut up and drink your tea."
Megumi rolled his eyes before promptly regretting it when the motion caused a sharp, stinging pain behind his eyes. If Gojo noticed him wince, he didn't say anything. Megumi took his time drinking the tea as the fire gradually burned out. By the time he took that final sip, Megumi's headache had been reduced to a dull ache. He was still exhausted—his body already protesting the mere thought of having to walk all the way back to the pickup point—but the fog in his mind had lifted, leaving Megumi to remember everything.
Reflecting on what he'd done, Megumi could pinpoint every instance in which he made a terrible choice, starting with going after the curse alone. If it hadn't been for Gojo, Megumi would have become that curse's next meal. A grade four—just a baby. What a joke.
"Semi-grade one," Gojo said, as if reading Megumi's mind. "The curse—it was actually a semi-grade one. That purple mist was its cursed technique; it targets the victim's brain as well as their nervous system. Even if you were to regain consciousness shortly after, you'd be unable to fight back or run. That you found it hiding out in that cave was no mere coincidence. A cramp, closed-off cave was the perfect place for it to use its technique, meaning it likely lured you in there on purpose."
"But—" Megumi struggled to process what that meant. "—you would have known if it was stronger than a grade four." Megumi could feel his headache coming back as Gojo grinned sheepishly. "You knew?!"
"Don't be mad, Gumi!"
Oh, he was beyond mad.
"You're gonna be starting missions of your own soon—solo missions! I wanted to see if you could handle something like this. It's not like I would ever let anything happen to you—you should know that! Besides, it's not like I was expecting you to just run off in the middle of the night without me! Which, for the record, was pretty stupid."
"I thought it was a grade four!" Megumi argued. "You're the one who called it a damn baby!
"Consider it a lesson learned—don't always trust what you're told."
Megumi couldn't believe it. He was absolutely going to kill Gojo when they made it back home. Scratch that; if they made it back home. Megumi could just kill him right then and there—hide the body down in that cave. If anyone were to find him, he'd blame it on the curse. Something told him that Principal Yaga might just be willing to turn a blind eye should Megumi return alone.