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Chapter Text

Sometime in the Heian Era 

It is a cold, dark night in the forest. Curses litter around it as if they’re guarding it, specifically from someone. Suddenly, a bright, unnatural green lights the sky, illuminating the surrounding forest. The laughter of a madman can be heard for miles, attracting the attention of a specific someone. 

A thirty-year-old black haired swordsman cuts down multiple curses with ease as he runs towards his objective, the center of the forest. “I can’t be too late,” the man thinks as he runs as fast as he can. The man spots a Special Grade curse charge directly at him, “not now,” he grumbles as he sheaths his katana, “Shadow Style: Fast Simple Domain!” He says before he stops in his tracks as a blue bubble surrounds him. The curse rushes to him regardless but it doesn’t matter: the swordsman kills it with a single *SLICE*. “Which one was that?” The swordsman asks the forest. 

“Tetsu,” a sly voice replies, “the nail curse, specifically.” The swordsman looks around, trying to find where the voice is coming from, but it feels like the whole forest itself is talking to him! “It’s odd how humans are so scared of nails, to the point that its curse is a Special Grade. Do you ever wonder what happened?” The voice asks the swordsman. 

“Maybe we can’t understand,” the swordsman says as he rushes back towards his objective, “maybe we’re not supposed to.” He thinks to himself. He continues his run, doing all that he can to increase his speed. “I can move faster as long as my feet stay in their Simple Domains. Their Simple Domains move with them, but in return I must keep my Cursed Energy levels at 80%.” With that Binding Vow, the swordsman’s feet are wrapped around their own domains, with the swordsman moving much faster than before! 

Finally, the swordsman reaches his objective and sees what he’s feared would happen the most: hundreds of sorcerers gather amongst a large shrine, with a single sorcerer in it. He is controlling the ritual, and the swordsman can see him operating on a woman lying down on the shrine, the unnatural green light reflecting across her effervescent blue hair. 

“KENJAKU!” The swordsman yells at the top sorcerer, “GET AWAY FROM HER!” 

The sorcerer in question turns around, his shadow hiding his identity. “Come now,” he chuckles, like one would chuckle to a familiar friend, “don’t act like you’re so innocent.” 

The swordsman pulls his sword out, pointing it at Kenjaku, “If you don’t step away from that shrine right now, I will make you regret the day we met.” 

Despite his eyes being covered in shadows, the swordsman can feel Kenjaku looking down at him with disappointment. “Here I thought you’d be thanking me…” Kenjaku says, “No.” 

With that, the swordsman charges directly towards Kenjaku. With a *snap* of his fingers, Kenjaku commands all the sorcerers around him to charge at the man. The man growls. This will be a long night…

A young black-haired girl, no more than 13, wakes up in a dimly-lit room. Drearily, she looks around. There is nothing in it except a table and a door. She goes to open the door but finds there’s no handle. She tries to push the door open in several directions but to no avail. She growls before looking around the room again. 

She looks at the table and finds two objects on it; a hammer and a nail. She looks around the room again, “Can I take both?” She asks into the void. It doesn’t answer. Frustrated, she chooses to take both and goes to open the door. 

Yet again, it refuses to budge. The girl gets the sneaking suspicion that she can only pick one. She looks down at her hands, the hammer in her right hand, the nail in her left. She puts the nail back on the table and goes to the door. It opens, and the girl is slowly blinded by the light emanating out of it. Just as it fully engulfs her…

Kasumi Miwa wakes up in her room. She feels a moist warmth around her head, and she realizes she’s sweating, “What was that dream,” she thinks to herself as she sees the sun slowly shining into view, “and what time is it?” She checks her phone. 

Kyoto Tech, Wednesday, October 31st, 2018, 7:35 am 

“WAIT, WHAT?” Miwa shouts, accidentally waking up her fellow students who haven’t woken up already. After all, classes are in 25 minutes, “CRAP!” With that, she immediately gets up, hastily trying to get dressed. 

Underwear? Check. Pants? Check. Socks? Check. Bra that she can’t believe she forgot to put on before her pants and socks? Check. Undershirt? Check. Tie? Check. Suit? Check. “What am I forgetting?” Miwa asks herself as she looks around her room. “Crap, I don’t have any time to think about that.” She hastily says out loud before she rushes into her bathroom. 

“No, no, no, no,” she says in despair as she looks in the mirror, noticing how messy her hair is, “OH, COME ON!” She yells in despair again. She frantically gets all her hair-care products and quickly tries to put her hair back into place. 

“How can this day possibly get any worse?” She thinks to herself.

A young pink-haired boy, no more than 12, wakes up in a dimly-lit room. Drearily, he looks around. There is nothing in it except a table and a door. He goes to open the door but finds there’s no handle. He tries to push the door open in several directions but to no avail. He growls before looking around the room again. 

He looks at the table and finds two objects on it; a hammer and a nail. He looks around the room again, “Can I take both?” He asks into the void. It doesn’t answer. Frustrated, he chooses to take both and goes to open the door. 

Yet again, it refuses to budge. The boy gets the sneaking suspicion that he can only pick one. He looks down at his hands, the hammer in his right hand, the nail in his left. He puts the hammer back on the table and goes to the door. It opens, and the boy is slowly blinded by the light emanating out of it. Just as it fully engulfs him…

Yuji Itadori wakes up in his room to his beeping clock. He proceeds to slap its top, careful not to break it with his immense strength. “Five… more… minutes…” he whines as he attempts to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, the alarm clock is effective at its job (it wouldn’t be a household item otherwise) and Yuji cannot go back to sweet, sweet Neverland. 

“Oh, come on,” he sighs. Taking in his last moments with his beloved bed, he gets up and drearily looks at his alarm clock, the only thing lighting up his otherwise dark room. 

Tokyo Jujutsu Tech, Wednesday, October 31st, 2018, 6:50 am 

“All right,” Yuji says as his tired expression slowly fades away into one of glee, “I actually got up in time for once.” With that, he turns on his nightlight, getting out of his pajamas and into his school uniform. 

Proceeding into his bathroom, he puts toothpaste on his toothbrush and proceeds to brush his teeth, humming a nonsensical tune to himself. “‘Ey, ‘Ukuna?” He asks in the middle of his brushing, “Wha’dya t’ink we sh’uld cook t’day?” 

“Charred flesh.” The demon says as a mouth pops up on Yuji’s face. Its mouth is viciously vile while its single eye is that of a predator’s. Yuji gargles his toothpaste in his mouth as he thinks about it before turning the sink back on, spitting the remnants out. 

“Not sure if we have any meat. Or any breakfast meat, at least. Screw it, I’m gonna go make tater tots and eggs.” Yuji simply says as he exits the bathroom. The sun is just about to break through the school’s treeline. Yuji can’t help but admit that it looks beautiful, especially to a dead man like him. “Gojo-sensei can say whatever he wants, I’m going to die soon,” Yuji solemnly thinks to himself, “I definitely am going to enjoy whatever life has left though, every beautiful thing about it!” 

Chapter Text

Shibuya, Japan. November 1st, 2018. 4:30 am

~4 hours after the Culling Games began 

The dark, stormy alleyways of the curse-infested city are cold and miserable as the moon shines down on the ruined metropolis *CLAP*. Curses coalesce within and around the city, the overall negativity making it a paradise for the average curse *CLAP*. Of course, not many strong Cursed Spirits remain in Shibuya, they all moved onto the greener pastures that the Culling Games offered them *CLAP*. Warmer or cooler temperatures (depending on the curse) *CLAP*, a human-populated city that hasn’t already been destroyed by the greatest act of Jujutsu terror *CLAP*, and of course *CLAP*, you could never forget the delicious humans just ripe for killing *CLAP*. 

“And it’s all my fault. If I didn’t lose to Choso, if I hadn’t let Sukuna take control, if I even woke up earlier, all of this, ALL OF THIS WOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED IF I JUST DID MY JOB!” Yuji Itadori thinks with a final *CLAP* before he senses them coming. He looks around the bridge he's on, trying to find which way the curses could attack him. 

“I’m not sure I can ever atone. Not alive, at least,” he thinks as he rolls up his sleeves and prepares himself, “but that doesn’t mean I can’t stop trying. I don’t have that luxury,” he senses the curse looming over him, dwarfing the bridge he’s on. 

“I don’t DESERVE that luxury.” He turns around in the process of jumping, launching himself with a spin to disorient the half-submerged curse. As it attempts to track Yuji, he spinkicks the curse at the joint of its arm, *CLEAVING* it off through what Yuji believes to be sheer force alone. The curse cries, thrashing as it attempts to get the Boy Wonder off its body. 

Yuji immediately scurries around the massive body, punching holes throughout the large curse’s back. However, that pain caused the curse to find where Yuji was and where he wasn’t. The curse tilts itself towards water, intending to crush Yuji within its homefield advantage. A budget Domain Expansion if there ever was one. It seemingly takes Yuji underwater, satisfied with its victory. Unfortunately for the curse, Yuji had punched one too many holes into its back. As the curse tries to find where Yuji is under the cold depths, it feels a large pulse across its chest. Before the curse could realize what had happened, Yuji punches a hole the size of an elephant’s heart through the curse, exorcising it instantly. 

After getting out of the water, Yuji takes off his soaked jacket to dry out, “Another one down,” he says with an air of melancholy, “I’m too far gone if I think punching straight through a curse underwater until either of us die is a good idea. I’m beginning to think more and more like Sukuna.” Yuji says, looking down at his reflection in the water, seeing the devil smiling back. “GET LOST!” Yuji yells with a *CRASHING* punch downstream, the reflection turning back to him. 

*AHHH* Yuji hears from above. He notices a girl falling flat on her side across the river, somehow taking the fall with little to no injury. Her dark, professional suit blends well with the cursed city while her matching tie is damaged and sloppily done, as if the girl had attempted to take it off but gave up halfway through. What Yuji noticed most about her is her blue, almost celestial hair. He’d recognize that from anywhere. 

“MIWA-SENPAI!” Yuji yells as he swims across the river, getting to the other side in less than a minute, “What happened to you? Wait,” Yuji asks as he notices something off about her, “where’s your sword?”

“Nn… need to…” 

“Need to what?” He asks before sensing an incredible cursed aura above him. “What the hell is that?” He thinks before it rushes towards him. Yuji jumps away, startledly carrying Miwa by her ankle. That leaves her open to the curse though, and as it rushes to Miwa, Yuji uses all of his strength to pull Miwa up. “Come on, Yuji,” he growls. But then… 

*WARP* 

The duo are back on the ground with the curse above them, glaring at the two with rage, especially at Miwa. “W-what?” Yuji says out loud, not comprehending what just happened. That being said, Yuji turns around, getting a look at the powerful curse and realizing the hopelessness of his situation. 

Its head is massive, especially so up close to Yuji, so he couldn’t get too good of a look and truly comprehend the curse, at least aside from its burning red eyes. Regardless, he could see its teeth(?) pierce out of its cheeks, although they are relatively small compared to its gargantuan size as it crawls towards the pair on all fours- no, all sixes since it has four hands and two legs. Although Yuji could hardly look away from its striking red eyes, he could see the beginnings of a crown forming atop the curse’s head, not that he couldn’t look anywhere else anyways, let alone move. The curse is clearly a Special Grade, its malicious aura emanating and intoxicating anything and everything in its way with fear. 

“We have to run!” Yuji hurriedly thinks as he grabs Miwa and makes a hole in the bridge above. That punch Yuji pulled was powerful though, strong enough to crack open the water for a brief moment and cause the area around them to shake, which no doubt showed everyone in Yuji’s vicinity where he was and (roughly) how strong he was. And so, the Beasts of Shibuya come out to feed. 

As Yuji carries Miwa bridal style, he has to kick away any curses, haphazardly charging his moves with Cursed Energy as he tries to pick out any one target in the mass surrounding them, a few of them managing to pierce his aura and scratch his left ankle before Yuji swiftly kicks them and exorcises them, “CHOSO,” Yuji calls out to his big brother, “I COULD USE SOME HELP OVER HERE!” 

Yet nobody comes, aside from the curses spawning from all around Yuji, almost teleporting directly behind him! “C’mon, c’mon, where are you Choso?” Yet still, nobody comes aside from the ever-present cursed herd. 

Frustrated, Yuji bolts when he sees an opening in the herd, “Okay Yuji, think. Choso isn’t here yet so he’s either not really my brother (no surprise) or he’s caught up in something. I can’t fight them all, not while carrying Miwa-senpai and definitely not while that Special Grade is still around,” Yuji tries to think as he runs aimlessly while dodging any strikes. However, just as he thinks he got away from the curses, especially the Special Grade, he feels himself *WARP*. 

Yuji and Miwa somehow end up in the sky with the Special Grade right behind them, its red eyes glowing ever so brightly and fiercely. It was clear that Yuji had angered the beast, and as he looks below, he gulps, realizing just how high they truly are. The three are floating high enough that the curses that had previously surrounded him are mere specks against the view in front of him. 

Watching Shibuya from high above with your own eyes is a luxury few get to enjoy, especially at night when you could see all the lights shine the city, making it seem like its own work of art. Of course, that is the view one would expect just yesterday, but after the Shibuya Incident, that view is nothing but a dream. The reality of yesterday sets in, and Yuji looks upon his mistake. Where there were once lights illuminating the artistic city, there is now cold, empty darkness, as if a void replaced what was there previously. The old Shibuya was the Japanese City That Never Sleeps, but just as everything dies, the Sleeping City now has two holes in its center, aftermath of Special Grades fighting for the sake of fighting. 

“No, that’s a lie,” Yuji thinks, “If I didn’t lose, none of this would’ve happened. If I hadn’t chosen to eat the finger that day,” He looks to Miwa apologetically, “I killed you. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.” He whispers as he braces for death. 

*THUD*

The first thing Yuji feels is his head ringing, his ears too. Regardless, he begins to make out someone talking, specifically a woman, “-ri? …dori? ITADORI!?” With that last shout, Yuji finally begins to wake up despite the pain emaciating throughout his entire body. Finally, he opens his eyes and sees a blue-haired girl looking down at him. 

“... Miwa-senpai?” He groggily says as he tries to get up before the pain once again sparks. 

“Careful! I’m not that good at medicine or first-aid, plus I didn’t have many tools to begin with, so I couldn’t patch up anything for you,” she worriedly clarifies before hastily adding, “er, sorry.” 

Yuji pats his chest and feels string and plastic stitched together. He looks over Miwa's form again and sees that one of her forearms is missing half its sleeve. "She used her own suit..." Yuji realizes, “It’s *AARGH* it’s fine, I’m just glad we survived in the first place. I didn’t think we’d survive that drop.” The boy says as he pushes through the pain. 

“D-drop? What drop? I just carried you out of the river after you killed that lobster curse.” Miwa says, confusion dawning her face 

Yuji first looks at her with a flabbergasted expression before looking around to see his surroundings. Lo and behold, the two were in a sewer tunnel connected to the nearby bridge where he fought the aforementioned lobster-like curse. “But…” Yuji attempts to put it into words, “I felt it. I felt them…” He reaches to his ankle. 

“Itadori, it was just a dream,” Miwa says, stopping Yuji’s train of thought as she asks him, “when was the last time you slept?” 

Yuji drowsily looks at Miwa confused, “A minute ago?” 

“I-” Miwa stops herself before smacking herself on the head. Yuji could swear he hears Miwa call herself stupid, “Sorry, Itadori, that was a dumb question anyways. Like everything else I’ve done nowadays.” 

Yuji pretends to not hear that last bit “Uh, no prob, Miwa-senpai.” 

“Uh, you don’t…” Miwa trails off into mumbles. Yuji looks at her, not understanding what she just said. Miwa realizes her mistake and immediately repeats herself, louder yet still somewhat quiet, “you don’t have to call me ‘senpai.’ If anything, you’re the better one here…” Miwa solemnly says. 

“Oh. Uh… Thanks?” Yuji says as he looks over the girl, specifically her Cursed Energy. Yuji will be the first to admit that his sensing isn’t the best, but even he can judge when someone is strong or weak. “Her Cursed Energy is coming off like crazy, especially compared to how she was in the Cultural Exchange Festival. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was a Grade 2 or even a Semi-Grade 1 by Cursed Energy alone!” 

“Hey,” Yuji asks the girl as he stands up, reaching his hand out to her, “I gotta find my brother. I know you have your word, but I still don’t know if you’re gonna be safe or not. You wanna come with me?” 

Miwa looks at his hand for a long moment. She eventually takes his hand, her sword in her other hand. They walk out of the sewers, into the dark, cold early morning.  

Chapter Text

Shibuya, Japan. November 1st, 2018. 5:00 am

The pair of young sorcerers have been searching for Yuji’s brother for thirty minutes, and despite the sun arising in its full fury, the fall chill still burns the two sorcerers. Yuji and Miwa chose to go to a clothes store and pick up anything warm that fits their size. Yuji protested at first, but after feeling the fall’s chill one too many times, he took a black trenchcoat and some black, string gloves. Miwa chose the same brand, only for hers she took the women’s version. 

Regardless, an awkward silence has befallen the two sorcerers as they walk through Shibuya, Yuji primarily killing any of the curses that get in their way. Better for Yuji, who's currently wrapped in his thoughts, “Was I really dreaming?” Yuji asks himself, “It felt so real. I remember the pain, I remember fighting that lobster curse, I remember falling down. I remember apologizing to Miwa and then…” Yuji frowns at the thought that he died, “But it felt so real! Then again, Miwa was missing her sword, but she somehow got it after that? I suppose it was a dream…” Yuji concludes, despite how that theory rubbed him the wrong way. 

“DAMMIT!” Yuji accidentally yells out loud as he slams his fist into a nearby wall. 

“Woah, you okay Itadori?” She asks as she passes a bridge. 

“Uh… yeah.” Miwa gives him a look and Yuji sighs, “No. It’s just…” Yuji trails off, “How do I even tell her?” He thinks about the “dream.” Yuji sighs, “are you sure all that happened was that I passed out after killing that lobster curse?” 

“Yeah,” Miwa casually says, “you weren’t asleep for long, but I could hear you mumbling. Something about Junpei and Kugisaki?” She is almost afraid to ask. 

Yuji gulps, looking at the crater his hand made. “I guess it was just a dream…” He decides. 

Miwa knows that look on his face and decides not to get into it, “So, where was this brother of yours?” She asks, changing the subject. 

Yuji looks at her weirdly, before it dawns on him, “Oh, I never told you? We decided that if we ever got separated, we’d meet up at the train station by 31.” 

“Oh, I know a shortcut to that one!” Miwa says. 

“For real?” Yuji asks with slight optimism. 

“For real! I used to live in Tokyo, you know? I know my way around this place.” Miwa says with a bit of enthusiasm and pride. 

“Oh? Then I suppose you could help me look for Megumi as well.” 

“Fushiguro? But I thought he wasn’t…” Miwa realizes that it wasn't Yuji who just spoke. 

Yuji and Miwa immediately look up and see a man standing above them on the railing of the bridge. From what Yuji can tell, he is about as old as Gojo, so mid to late twenties. He has dirty blonde hair with dark tips, and he’s wearing clean, ceremonial robes, as if he was plucked straight out of feudal Japan. The man looks down at them with a sinister grin, his eyes glistening as the predator spots his prey. Yuji slowly gets into a fighting position while Miwa slowly backs away from the man, his aura scaring her despite their distance. The man grins before vanishing. The pair look confused, before Miwa feels a *rush* of wind behind her. She turns around and sees the man sitting down on a nearby car, completely relaxed as Miwa immediately backs away from him. He grins wickedly, enjoying the way she squirms before him. 

“Miwa, do you know this guy?” Yuji asks the terrified girl. 

The mystery man frowns at that, “Oi, oi, no need to ask the woman,” the man growls at the word as he looks at Miwa with disdain, “I was going to introduce myself to you anyways. The name’s Zenin. Naoya Zenin. You know where Megumi is?” 

Yuji is nervous, especially with the way Miwa is acting. “Why do you want Fushiguro?” 

Naoya grins, “Oh you know, catch up on some family stuff, grab some street food, kill some curses, kill him and take my rightful place as Zenin leader,” he casually says before disappearing again. He reappears to Yuji’s behind, leaning on a nearby pole, “the usual stuff.” 

Yuji turns to face him, “I wouldn’t tell you even if I knew.” He says truthfully. 

“Seriously?” Naoya makes an annoyed expression, “why are you even defending him? You don’t have long to live anyways.” 

Yuji slightly perks up at that, “What do you mean?” He cautiously asks the Zenin. 

Naoya laughs, “Seriously? You haven’t heard? Satoru Gojo is gone, and that goes with his support too.” Naoya answers as Yuji realizes what he’s implying. “Now you’re getting it. Your execution is back on. In fact,” Naoya looks towards Miwa, “that woman over there is probably after you for the same reason.” Naoya says with an almost respecting tone. Almost. 

Naoya teleports to Yuji, sucker punching him in the face and then hitting him with a quick hit to the arm. Yuji rebounds though and tries to counter with a punch of his own. Naoya teleports again, kneeing him in the back. “First,” Naoya says as he dodges one of Yuji’s punches, “I’m going to break your legs. Stop you from going anywhere. It’ll make you pretty good bait for Megumi. Then after killing Megumi, I present you to the higher ups. Now THAT’S a way to make an introduction.” Naoya says with sadistic glee. He feels a *thump* at the back of his head. He turns around and sees Miwa enter her Simple Domain. “Really, woman? You think a Simple Domain can beat me?” Naoya teleports right in front of her, “go on, try.” 

Naoya grins maniacally at the way Miwa shrinks under his gaze. Oh, how he loves the way ants act around elephants. How they wish they could just disappear and pretend the elephants never noticed them, only for them to get stepped on regardless. It’s one of the many things that Naoya loves about Jujutsu: the strong crush the weak and the weak let the strong control their destinies. The hammer and the nail. “Like how that one song father liked goes,” Naoya attempts to remember, “You got a choice: the hammer or the nail.” 

While Naoya towers above Miwa, a *SPLASH* hits him in the head, knocking him away from the girl and into a nearby car. “GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!” Choso screams to the delight of Yuji, confusion of Naoya, and relief for Miwa. 

Yuji is also relieved, getting close to Choso. “Who’s she?” Choso asks his brother, pointing to Miwa. 

“A friend.” Yuji says, focused on Naoya. 

Naoya gets into a running position, “This is starting to become annoying.” He thinks to himself. He then grins, “Hey, you know that girl is probably going to betray you, right?” He asks Yuji. 

“She just distracted you for me.” Yuji replies, completely serious. Choso gives Miwa a second glance, and narrows his eyes. 

“Ah yes, a perfect way to gain your trust. Join the fight, do just enough to make you not worry about her, and then she kills you when you aren’t expecting it.” Yuji looks at Miwa. 

“He-he’s obviously trying to get in your head!” She says in her defense. Choso notes that it wasn’t a no, but he still readies his Piercing Blood. Yuji and Naoya get into fighting positions and Miwa shakily gets up. 

Unbeknownst to any of the four, another sorcerer is watching the battle. His grip around his sheathed sword tightens as his Cursed Energy slowly starts to spike. He notices an odd man, or woman, out. “Miwa?”

Chapter Text

Naoya teleports right between Yuji and Choso, slapping both of their arms before teleporting away again. “What the-” Yuji asks as he looks around before he turns into a glass pane. “Huh?” He asks himself as he watches Choso become a glass pane too. After a second, he feels Naoya deliver a punch straight into his back. Yuji feels himself get knocked out of the pane and knocked onto the floor. “What was that Cursed Technique?” Yuji asks no one in particular. 

“Um-” Miwa starts to say as she’s lying down, scared Naoya might hit her. “I think it’s frame generation?” She more so asks than answers, but she still pauses all three parties involved. “You know, he put you in those frames, plus it would explain how he’s teleporting. He’s just running at 24 frames per second, so it only looks like he’s teleporting.” All three boys stare at her in disbelief, but Yuji and Choso catch Naoya’s “are you fucking kidding me?” expression. Miwa is right on the money! 

“Uh, Miwa,” Yuji asks the girl as Naoya stays stunned, “how’d you know?” 

“Oh, you know… It just… Came up. It made sense, y’know?” Miwa makes a “mindblow” gesture as she leans back on the car behind her, clearly tired. 

“LUCK?” Naoya inwardly rages, “She just discovered my technique through sheer luck? NO!” Naoya immediately beelines towards Miwa, “I REFUSE TO LOSE TO THIS LUCKY LOSER! THIS WOMAN!” 

Naoya gut punches Miwa, creating a crater in the car she was leaning on. When Miwa hits the floor, Naoya kicks her twice in the stomach while she’s down. Following that up, he *SLAMS* his ankle into Miwa’s skull. Surprisingly, this doesn’t do as much damage as Naoya expects. It’s as if she has some kind of armour protecting her aside from her Cursed Energy. Naoya hears Choso prepare a Piercing Blood and immediately activates his Cursed Technique, trying to hit him before he gets hit. Naoya trips though, as he sees Yuji’s leg sticking out in his path. “SHIT!” Naoya thinks as he tumbles, turning into a frame in the process. 

“Huh, you were right, Choso,” Yuji says as he goes towards Naoya’s still-frame, “this guy’s Cursed Technique is a two-way street. We can’t move from our path, but you can’t move from yours. Otherwise…” Yuji trails off, delivering a MEATY right hook to Naoya, *CRUSHING* him out of his frame and into a crater of cold concrete. 

“Dammit!” Naoya thinks as he feels the damage from Yuji’s right hook. “Get up! Don’t let this insect beat you! You are Naoya Zenin! Do not lose to this vessel and this…” Naoya growls as the last thing he sees is Miwa’s beaten and unconscious form, “Woman…” he curses as he forces himself conscious. His Cursed Energy spikes as his negativity and hate surges. Yuji and Choso prepare themselves for yet another fight, only for another surge to come from behind them. 

Yuji feels a chill down his spine as he feels the Cursed Energy emanating. “Gojo-sensei?” Yuji mistakes but quickly corrects, “No, not him, something creepier…” His thoughts trail off as he looks behind him, almost terrified to do so as he feels the approaching energy. There stood a black-haired boy the same age as Miwa, wearing a white shirt with black pants, his sword unsheathed as he looks over the current battlefield. His eyes narrow in on the unconscious girl, and he jumps down, not flinching a moment and effortlessly landing with no damage, at least to himself. The car he landed on is completely wrecked, however. The show of power intimidates Yuji and Choso. 

The boy goes to Miwa, “Miwa?” He asks as he reaches towards her. He checks her pulse, and he feels a little more relieved. After that, he conjures Cursed Energy into his hand and places it over the unconscious girl. “It’s alright,” he softly says, “just rest. I’ll handle it from here.” With that, he turns around, facing the three men. “Who’s that beside Itadori?” He says out loud as he prepares to fight. 

“You must be his executioner…” Choso growls. Before he could aim a Piercing Blood at him, Naoya gets in between them. 

“Woah there,” Naoya says to the mystery boy, “I’m on your side here. Okkotsu, right?” 

“Who are you?” The boy, now Okkotsu, asks Naoya. Yuji’s eyes widen as he recognizes that name: the name of the other Special Grade Sorcerer besides Satoru Gojo, Yuta Okkotsu. Choso comes to him, whispering a plan to him. 

“I figure that Itadori here,” Naoya points to Yuji, “can get me to someone I’m after. Would you mind if I use him as bait first before killing him?” 

Yuta looks over Naoya. “Fine,” he says indifferently as Naoya smiles, “but you take on the other one first.” 

Before Naoya could reply, Yuji immediately makes a bolt for it, Choso shooting Naoya with a wave of blood. Choso feels himself get knee’d in the stomach as Naoya wraps one of his arms around Choso’s, preventing him from making Piercing Blood. Choso *BARFS* blood out of his mouth, catching Naoya by surprise with his Blood Bile and forcing him to get away from Choso. 

Naoya notices how the blood erodes the cement it hit. “Best not to get hit by that,” he thinks to himself as he charges at Choso again, knocking him into the nearby tunnel, “so why not use that before? It probably has a few Binding Vows attached to it: a short range, no distinction between friend or foe, and/or a high Cursed Energy cost.” Naoya concludes as he appears in front of Choso, only to fake him out and hit him from behind. His punch sends Choso tumbling back into a pillar, but Choso blocked it with his Cursed Energy Reinforcement. “Considering it’s Blood Manipulation we’re talking about, I doubt it would have a high Cursed Energy cost. That’s like using a 4x weak Pokemon in the gym battle of its weakness.” 

Naoya continues laying hits into Choso, not giving him space to move. Soon enough, Choso starts to dodge Naoya’s fists, “Flowing Red Scale, eh?” He concludes as Choso starts counterattacking Naoya too, his punches nearly hitting Naoya before he speeds up and hits Choso in the back, “He’s faster, I’ll give him that, but he still can’t hit me!” 

Choso has noticed a pattern though: Naoya only pretends to hit him from the front. He never follows through, it’s always a feint. So, Choso hatches a plan, and slowly lets blood flow to the ground. 

Naoya fails to notice as he keeps weighing in, barely dodging Choso’s counterattacks . “He’s getting tougher,” Naoya thinks to himself, completely different to the overconfident persona he’s putting up in front of his enemy, “He’s using some kind of Blood Armour to soften the blows. If he can’t hit me, he can stall me. He’s getting used to my attacks and is learning when to counter them. That damn wrench,” Naoya thinks of Miwa, “if it weren’t for her, I’d still be crushing him! Now, he thinks he has a chance at beating me, and that’s making his reinforcement stronger.” 

“Well, that is probably enough.” Choso concludes as he lets go of his guard to form a hand sign. Before Naoya could even think, Choso grins, “Blood Manipulation: Blood Cage!” With that, all the blood that has been spread out on the floor *RISES* to the ceiling of the tunnel, trapping Naoya inside with Choso. 

Naoya’s heart stops, “A… Domain Expansion?” He asks, mortified. 

Choso grins, “Close, but not quite.” He says before *SNAPPING* his fingers, pointing one of them at Naoya. Immediately, blood surrounds Naoya and entraps him, tying his arms and legs into chains of blood. 

“I-I can’t move!” Naoya thinks as he struggles to break free from the chains. 

“Relax,” Choso says as he aims his hands, “part of this move’s Binding Vow is that I can’t kill anyone. At least, not while it’s active. It does make for good target practice though.” Choso says with a devious grin as Naoya realizes what’s about to happen, “Piercing Blood.” 

With a *SPLURT* Naoya is taken out of the Blood Cage, the waterfall of blood coating him as he crashes into the cement floor, the force from Choso’s Piercing Blood dragging the Zenin man into a nearby pillar, which his head *CRASHES* into. 

Choso deactivates Blood Cage, summoning his Blood Chakram to make the finishing blow. Just as he is about to kill Naoya… 

Choso feels a massive aura from behind him, he turns around and sees his worst nightmare: Yuta Okkotsu dragging a dead Yuji Itadori. Choso immediately rushes towards Yuta with anger, but Yuta *SMACKS* him away with a single hand, completely unbothered. 

“That looks pretty rough, Zenin. I can heal you, for a price.” The Special Grade boy says.

Chapter Text

Back then, while Choso fought Naoya 

“I figure that Itadori here,” Naoya points to Yuji, “can get me to someone I’m after. Would you mind if I use him as bait first before killing him?” 

Yuta looks over Naoya. “Fine,” he says indifferently as Naoya smiles, “but you take on the other one first.” 

Before Naoya could reply, Yuji immediately makes a bolt for it, Choso shooting Naoya with a wave of blood. Yuta ignores that fight though and makes a beeline to Yuji, catching up to him. “He’s fast,” Yuji thinks as he parkours through vehicles, trying to lose Yuta, “and I had a head start! He would’ve killed me if I didn’t run!” 

“He’s fast,” Yuta observes as he cuts through the vehicles Yuji jumped over, “I doubt I could hit him right now even if I caught up with him.” Knowing he needs to make an opening, Yuta *TEARS* one of the doors off a car and throws it at Yuji in midair. Yuji twists his body and punches it before it hit him, *SMASHING* it into the floor before he lands on a truck. Yuta stops in his tracks, “Did he just dodge in midair?” He asks no one in particular, “you really know how to pick them, Gojo-sensei.” He says with a slight smirk. 

While Yuta was talking to himself, Yuji went into a nearby building, *SMASHING* through the glass window and making a run for it as he navigates the office building. Yuji looks behind and sees that his executioner is not far behind, so he finds the stairs and jumps on the railing. Yuji takes a deep breath… and jumps as high as he can, latching onto the railing five floors above him. He pulls himself up, and immediately does the same thing, repeating until he reaches the top floor. 

Yuji opens the door to the roof, looking for any nearby rooftops. “Come on, come on,” growls to himself as he feels Yuta’s energy growing closer and closer. Finally, he finds one, and just as he jumps off the roof, he feels a thing crash into him. Yuji looks at the culprit and sees it’s Yuta! “Get off!” The boy says as he kicks his executioner off of him in midair. Yuta’s crash was enough to change his trajectory though, and Yuji crashes into one of the windows. 

“Ouch,” he growls as he struggles to get up. He reaches out to find Yuta, and sees he’s on the roof, a few floors above him. “Come on, Yuji,” he struggles to say as the wounds he received from the lobster curse come back in full swing, “get up, you coward.” 

Yuji feels Yuta coming closer and closer to him, so he decides to do the unthinkable: he crawls. Yuji crawls towards the window, slowly getting faster as he regains his strength. Yuta finally gets on his floor, but he’s too late. He sees Yuji, on both legs, jump out of the window. 

Yuji’s plan is simple: reinforce his limbs and bank on his durability to survive the fall. So, Yuji does just that: he enhances his arms and legs especially and braces himself for a world of hurt. “This is going to hurt.” He thinks as he closes his eyes. 

After more than a few seconds, Yuji opens his eyes and sees that he’s in one piece and… still in the air? Yuji looks down and finds that he’s being held (grabbed, to be precise) by a strange, white hand. Yuji looks up and sees what can be described as nothing else but a monster. Its pale skin shimmers in the moonlight as its pitch black hands hold onto Yuji before opening him up from his previous cannonball pose. It then floats back up to the building Yuji fell from, with Yuta Okkotsu waiting. 

“Here you are, Yuta~” the curse says with glee as it presents Yuji to the boy like a cat presents a dead bird to its owner. 

“Thanks, Rika.” Yuta simply says before plunging his sword into Yuji’s heart, killing him.

Meanwhile 

With a *SPLURT* Naoya is taken out of the Blood Cage, the waterfall of blood coating him as he crashes into the cement floor, the force from Choso’s Piercing Blood dragging the Zenin man into a nearby pillar, which his head *CRASHES* into. 

Choso deactivates Blood Cage, summoning his Blood Chakram to make the finishing blow. Just as he is about to kill Naoya… 

Choso feels a massive aura from behind him, he turns around and sees his worst nightmare: Yuta Okkotsu dragging a dead Yuji Itadori. Yuta summons his shikigami and holds the man down, “Don’t worry, I’ll let you go soon enough.” He coldly says without even looking at him. 

“That looks pretty rough, Zenin. I can heal you, for a price.” The Special Grade boy says. 

Naoya looks up at him, confused, “I told you to keep him alive!” He whines. 

“You did.” Yuta simply says as he lays Yuji down on a pillar. 

Naoya suddenly grins, “Well, now you’re dead. You just broke our Binding Vow-” 

“I never agreed to that deal.” Yuta coldly yet simply says. Naoya is clearly pissed off as Yuta walks up closer to him, ignoring Choso entirely. “At least, not the Binding Vow. The fact you couldn’t differentiate between the two is on you.” 

Naoya grits his teeth as he stares daggers into Yuta, the boy holding his hand out towards the man, Cursed Energy sparking from it. “Here’s the deal,” Yuta starts, “You tell the higher ups that Yuji Itadori is dead, and I’ll heal you and let you go. Otherwise, I will let your opponent finish what he was about to do.” 

Naoya grits his teeth. Yuta already knows his answer, but refuses to heal him until he hears it. Out of options, Naoya concedes defeat. “Fine.”

A young black-haired girl, no more than 13, wakes up in a dimly-lit room. Drearily, she looks around. “I know this place…”  she thinks to herself. There is nothing in it except a table and a door. She goes to open the door but finds there’s no handle. She tries to push the door open in several directions but to no avail. “Just like last time…” she says out loud. 

She looks at the table and finds two objects on it; a hammer and a nail. She tries to remember what happened after this, but she can’t. All she remembers is the room, the hammer, and the light. “Do I take the nail?” She asks herself as her hand hovers over it. She shakes her head, taking the hammer instead of the nail again, “hammers can do so much more than nails.” She thinks to herself as she heads over to the door.  

Like clockwork, the door opens, and the girl is slowly blinded by the light emanating out of it. Just as it fully engulfs her, it dims into that of the same brightness as the room’s. The girl uncovers her eyes to see a hallway of doors, each one grimy and grey and with dry, unwashed stains. At the end of the hallway sits a single, pearly white door. Whereas the others are so grey and grimy that they look just like the walls, this door is the exact opposite. It shines, almost too much, like it’s meant to be out of place, like it’s inviting the girl in. 

When she steps fully out of the room, she feels something behind her and turns around. Rather than seeing her room, she only sees grimy stone, making it look innocuous with the rest of the hallway. The girl gulps to herself before turning back, moving forward toward the end of the hallway. 

Just as she nears the first set of doors, they both *SLAM* open, catching the girl by surprise. She looks into the one on her right, and sees a room of wood. On her left, she sees a room of metal. By instinct alone, she goes through the right door and into the room of wood. When she fully enters, the door out *SLAMS* shut, locking her in.

Shibuya, Japan. November 1st, 2018. 6:30 am

Miwa stirs as she starts to wake up, “it’s that dream again,” she thinks to herself as she gets her bearings. She looks around and sees she’s in a camp, its fire lightly illuminating her form. Around her is the rubble of a destroyed building, but if it had been destroyed by a human or a curse was anyone’s guess. Beside her sleeps Yuji, and she attempts to remember what happened before she fell unconscious, “I was… With Itadori. Then we were…” Miwa immediately looks around for the attacker. 

“Don’t worry,” a familiar voice calls to her, “I made sure he won’t come back.” Miwa turns around to see Yuta Okkotsu, her fellow sorcerer and friend. He smiles at her in a kind, familial way, much different to Naoya’s predatory grin. “It’s good to see you again, Miwa.”

Chapter Text

A young pink-haired boy, no more than 12, wakes up in a dimly-lit room. Drearily, he looks around. “I know this place…”  he thinks to herself. There is nothing in it except a table and a door. He goes to open the door but finds there’s no handle. He tries to push the door open in several directions but to no avail. “Just like last time…” he says out loud. 

He looks at the table and finds two objects on it; a hammer and a nail. He tries to remember what happened after this, but he can’t. All he remembers is the room, the nail, and the light. “Do I take the hammer?” He asks himself as his hand hovers over it. He shakes his head, taking the nail instead of the hammer again, “hammers do more harm than good.” He thinks to himself as he heads over to the door.  

Like clockwork, the door opens, and the boy is slowly blinded by the light emanating out of it. Just as it fully engulfs him, it dims into that of the same brightness as the room’s. The boy uncovers his eyes to see a hallway of doors, each one grimy and grey and with dry, unwashed stains. At the end of the hallway sits a single, pearly white door. Whereas the others are so grey and grimy that they look just like the walls, this door is the exact opposite. It shines, almost too much, like it’s meant to be out of place, like it’s inviting the boy in. 

When he steps fully out of the room, he feels something behind him and turns around. Rather than seeing his room, he only sees grimy stone, making it look innocuous with the rest of the hallway. The boy gulps to himself before turning back, moving forward toward the end of the hallway. 

Just as he nears the first set of doors, they both *SLAM* open, catching the boy by surprise. He looks into the one on his right, and sees a room of wood. On his left, he sees a room of metal. By instinct alone, he goes through the left door and into the room of metal. When he fully enters, the door out *SLAMS* shut, locking him in.

Shibuya, Japan. November 1st, 2018. 7:00 am

Yuji stirs awake, the crackling and heat of the campfire waking him. “What… Where…” He thinks as he feels the concrete he’s sleeping on. He feels his senses slowly come back to life as he starts to fully wake up, and as a result, fully remember what happened before he died. “Wait, that’s right!” Yuji remembers as he jolts up, “I was fighting that Okkotsu guy and he stabbed me in the heart.” Yuji pats his chest, and he feels… completely normal? “But… I felt it…” 

“Relax, Itadori,” Yuji hears a voice behind him, and he feels hands latch onto his shoulders in a relaxing way. Yuji turns around and sees Miwa, completely unharmed even though he remembers the beating Naoya gave her, and her bloody head against the car. “You’re safe.” She says with a kind and reassuring smile. 

“Uh,” Yuji pauses, half-stunned by her disarming smile and still half-stunned by the fact she’s somehow perfectly fine. “How are you alive after what Zenin did to you?” He asks the blue-haired girl. Miwa simply points to someone behind Yuji. He turns around and sees Yuta Okkotsu tending to the fire. 

Yuta looks up at Yuji, and Yuji grimaces. This is his executioner, someone whose Cursed Energy is strong enough that Yuji mistook him for Satoru Gojo, and here he is, tending to the campfire keeping Yuji warm. Miwa feels the tension in the air and slowly starts to walk between the two of them. Yuji thinks about what to tell him, about whether he should run immediately or hear him out, but Yuta gets the first word in: laughter. “Thank god that worked!” 

Immediately, all the tension in the air ceases as Yuji is disarmed by Yuta’s friendly laugh and smile. “Gojo-sensei told me all about you. Believe it or not, I was once up for execution too, and Gojo-sensei saved me. But since he’s been sealed, the Higher-Ups thought they could carry out on executing you. Rather than let anyone else kill you, I entered the Binding Vow with the Higher-Ups and hoped this would work. Don’t worry,” Yuta says as Miwa slowly gets out of his way, “I’m on your side.” 

“But…” Yuji pats his fully healed chest, “I felt you stab me in the heart?” 

“Oh, that,” Yuta says as his laughter calms down, being replaced with a more laid back and calm demeanour, “I used Reverse Cursed Technique right when you died, and immediately healed everything I could. I thought that if you died then immediately came back, the Binding Vow would still count you as dead. It had a 50/50 chance of working, so thank god it did!” Yuta says, relieved. 

“Oh… Okay…” Yuji falls back to the ground, relieved to be alive. Miwa slowly goes to comfort him. 

“A-are you…” Miwa is scared to ask. 

“Am I…?” Miwa *gulps*

“Are you sure?” She quietly asks, “I mean, you died, so…” Yuji softly pats her shoulder. 

“Don’t worry,” he melancholily says, “it wasn’t the first time.” He whispers to himself. 

“Huh?” Miwa asks but she’s interrupted by Choso coming down from above. 

“Yuji!” He says in relief as he rushes towards and hugs his little brother. “I thought I lost you!” Yuji hugs Choso back, although he still doesn’t smile. 

“Uh, yeah, I’m… I’m pretty sure you did?” Yuji corrects him, “Where were you, anyways?” 

“Oh, I was keeping watch.” Choso says, breaking the hug. 

“No, I mean, before that?” Choso looks confused. 

“I was fighting that fast guy in the tunnel?” Yuji sighs. 

“I meant where were you from…” Yuji looks at Miwa. 

“4:30 to 5:30.” She correctly remembers. Yuji’s head *whips* back to Choso. 

“Yeah, what she said.” Choso thinks. 

“Well, when you dived in after that lobster curse, another curse snuck up on me. It separated me from you, so I couldn’t see the whole story. I just know that when I got back, you were gone.” 

“Huh,” Yuji says, his frown getting slightly smaller, “well at least you’re here now.” Choso nods as Yuji goes back to his own issues. 

“I’m sorry, little brother, but I can’t tell you the whole truth just yet.” Choso thinks as he glances over at Miwa, “Not with her around.” 

“So this is really it…” Yuji thinks before he laughs. “I can’t believe it… All those people…” Yuji covers his face, wiping his tears. Miwa goes to comfort him, but Choso beats her to it. Miwa sits back down, clenching her fist. 

“Itadori,” Yuta interrupts, staring directly into his eyes with pure resolve, “it wasn’t you who killed everyone. That was Sukuna controlling your body, not you.” Yuji takes Choso’s hand off his shoulder and stands up. 

“Like you’re one to talk, you weren’t even there!” Yuji winces at his words, “Shit, I’m sorry-” 

“No,” Yuta cuts him off, “you’re right. If I had been here, Sukuna definitely wouldn’t have gotten this far. For that, I’m sorry. But I’m here now,” Yuta stands up, meeting Yuji at eye level, “and we’re going to fix this mess.” Yuji looks down, unable to face the Special Grade. 

“Can we?” He asks, “Noritoshi Kamo, he… It all went according to his plan. You really think he doesn’t have back up plans?” Yuta shakes his head. 

“Of course he has back up plans.” Yuta confirms, “Kamo has been planning this for at least 150 years, he’s definitely not going to let go of the Culling Games easily. But that doesn’t matter; we’re sorcerers, and we’ve got a job to do. You’re strong, Itadori, and we need all the strength we can get,” Yuta holds his hand out, “are you with me?” 

Yuji looks at the hand, at the invitation, and *SIGHS*, “I don’t know, Okkotsu. After what Sukuna did… I doubt my strength is worth the harm it will cause.” 

“We both know that’s a lie.” A voice calls out from the shadows. Yuji and Miwa turn to the source of it, and out steps Megumi Fushiguro. “Itadori, it’s our fault. Don’t act like a martyr and take all the blame. Don’t be selfish and give up alone.” 

“Of course you’d say that.” Yuji thinks as hopelessness spreads across his face. 

“Itadori,” Miwa presses her hand against Yuji’s shoulder, her tone still sad, “I can’t even begin to understand how you feel, but even though we barely know each other, I can tell you this; you’re not a bad guy. When we met, you could’ve left me to die, but you didn’t. You stayed with me and even stood up for me against Zenin. Sukuna is a monster, but you aren’t him.” Despite her sad tone, there is a sense of determination and truth behind them, like she’s speaking in a matter-of-fact way. Yuji looks away from her. 

“Why are all of you acting like this is a run-of-the-mill mission? Stop acting like nothing happened!” Miwa grabs his head and forces him to look at her. 

“OF COURSE EVERYTHING HAPPENED! IT’S WHY WE NEED TO FIX THINGS!” Miwa yells directly to his face, “I’m scared too, terrified even, but I have 3 younger brothers. I can’t let them live in a world where Kenjaku’s still alive, so I’m going to fight, even if I know it’s useless.” Miwa lets go of Yuji’s head, clenching her fists against his sweater. “I know that I’m weak, but if there’s anything I can do to make this world better for my family, then I’ll do it!” Tears start to fall out of Miwa’s eyes, but Yuji helps her clean them up. 

“She’s right,” Choso says, “Yuji, you are my brother. You might not believe it, but that doesn’t matter to me. You are my responsibility, and I cannot accept a world where I lose my family. Not anymore.” 

“Itadori,” Yuta says, “I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re feeling, but I’ve been possessed too. It made my life miserable and I felt like I caused people a lot of pain, but looking back, it wasn’t entirely either of our faults. It’s never the fault of one or two people. I know you blame yourself and Sukuna, but it’s not just you two. It’s each of our faults too, so we have to fix this too.” 

“Like I said,” Megumi takes his chance, “putting all the blame on yourself is too selfish for you. What happened to the Itadori that smiled all the time?” 

“They’re all right,” Miwa takes the reins again, “of course we’re scared of what’s coming next, but look around! Aren’t you scared of what could happen if this stays the same?” 

“Miwa… Guys… You’re right.” Yuji says as he pulls her chin up towards him, his frown becoming less angry and more sad, “I… We can’t let Noritoshi Kamo get away with this. We’re sorcerers, so it’s our job to stop him. If I have to be a cog in the machine, then it’s about time I do my job.” Yuta, Choso and Megumi all smile, although Miwa looks at him weirdly. 

“‘Cog in the machine?’” She repeats in her head, “Isn’t that bad, though?” 

“Okkotsu-senpai,” Yuji turns to Yuta, his face completely serious, “Sukuna clearly has a plan in mind with Megumi. If I ever turn into him again, I need you to do what you need to. I think you’re the only one of us who can.” 

“You can count on it.” Yuta replies in the same serious tone. 

“Alright, here’s the plan;” Megumi says, “we get back to Jujutsu High and talk to Lord Tengen. They’ll know what to do. I figure if we use Okkotsu-senpai’s Cursed Technique, we’ll get there faster.” 

“About that…” Yuta says, “The Higher-Ups are going to have sentries around the school and Lord Tengen’s doors. Although, considering how bad Shibuya is right now, I think they’re preparing them to either go here and leave a camera seal on each of Tengen’s doors or have them all group up at the school. They might catch Rika’s Cursed Energy Signature if I use her.” Megumi shakes his head. 

“We shouldn’t have to worry, Tsukumo already knows where the right door is. We just have to go to her coordinates, she’s already taken out the guards there. Probably.” Megumi quickly adds. Yuta shakes his head. 

“I still don’t think Rika can carry everyone here without being noticed.” Yuta points out. 

“Unless you want to walk there or someone here knows how to drive, I’m not sure if we have a choice.” Megumi counters. 

“Um…” Everyone turns to see Miwa raising her hand, “I can drive.” She meekly says. 

Eventually, they find a parked and abandoned mini-van. Miwa thinks about hotwiring it, but Megumi’s Nue sends a simple jolt of electricity to start it up. They get in and drive off. 

Yuji drifts off, finally taking the time to rest. 

End of Arc 1: “Secrets” aka Post-Shibuya

Epilogues

Suddenly, Yuji felt his consciousness suck itself into his soul. In a split second, he immediately recognizes where he is and who is atop the demonic shrine: Ryomen Sukuna. “Brat,” he says before jumping down to meet him eye-to-eye, “we need to talk.” 

Yuji immediately suckerpunches Sukuna, knocking the King of Curses into one of the ribs of the skeleton behind him, “Sheesh,” Sukuna says as he brushes it off with a little drool coming out of his mouth, quickly wiping it off so he could speak properly, “what’s the big idea? I let you into my own Domain and you have the idea to suckerpunch me even though you KNOW it can’t affect me at all? How dumb can you be?” He sarcastically asks before dashing to Yuji, “more so, you’d have to know I can’t let that go, right?” 

And Sukuna suckerpunches Yuji as well, knocking him back double the distance. However, unlike Sukuna coughing out a bit of drool, Yuji coughs out spats of blood. “Now get the hell up, you brat. Like I said, we need to talk about that worm.” 

“Fu-*COUGH*-ck you…” Yuji says as he feels himself fading out, only to be kicked on the head by Sukuna. 

“Oi, quit acting. That was just a love tap.” Sukuna kicks Yuji, “Alright, look: that worm is lying to you. That Special Grade that chased you was real, and it nearly killed you. It nearly killed US.” Sukuna says, emphasizing the last word. 

“Oh, so now you care?” 

“Newsflash, kid, I don’t want to die.” Sukuna says, “But whether you like it or not, that worm is hiding something.” “Something even I can’t figure out.” Sukuna thinks, “It’s like there’s some Binding Vow that prevents me from understanding it. Kenjaku, somehow? Even he’s not strong enough to do something like this though, maybe someone else? But who?” 

Yuji looks at Sukuna with disgust and suspicion, “And what makes you think I believe you in the first place?” Sukuna makes an irritated growl, “Thought so.” He says before preparing to leave. 

“If any Special Grade Curse as strong as that thing appears and you feel like you have no choice, I’ll switch in, kill it for you and immediately switch back out.” Sukuna’s words stop Yuji in his tracks, “‘That get your attention?” 

“It’s a good deal, especially from Sukuna of all people. But still…” Yuji thinks about Shibuya and about how many people he killed. With that in mind, he walks away, returning back to Earth. 

Sukuna smirks, “Wasn’t a no.”

A bleak, white room surrounds an inhuman figure. Despite how it might look though, she is indeed human. Or, close enough. 

In her past lives, she would have been known as a shut-in. A loser. A NEET. Some would even call her a parasite. Of course, she has outlived all who have called her these, although most are now alive again due to the Culling Games. 

Ah, the Culling Games. The battle royale that SHE had designed. The battle royale that SHE wanted to release. A thousand year old idea that where once would be considered heaven, nowadays would be considered terrorism. Oh, how times have changed. 

Another figure comes into her room. It is definitely not human, although it certainly used to be. Rather, it is now a stuffed animal, yet it moves like a human would. 

“Miss Tengen, Miss Tengen!” The figure pulls on the old lady’s robe, “the others are saying that there are people coming, that there are others on the outside trying to get in! But I know better, these people are here to help us! Aren’t I a genius?” 

The old lady places a hand over the animal’s head, “Indeed you are, Takeru. There is no need to worry, they will not harm you, not while I’m around. Go, play with the others.” With that, the boy-animal goes out the door he came into, into a bright, grassy field with a kind, caring blue sky. 

The figure makes a few handsigns, and suddenly a shikigami is summoned before her. It is a small, larva-like creature that floats in the air, however its head is in the shape of a skull. On its sides are small, angel-like wings, while in its chest is a screen. 

“Yes, Lord Tengen?” It asks. 

The lady, now Tengen, asks, “Kogane, show me the scoreboard.” 

The Kogane waits for a second, processing the information, before the screen in its chest turns to life, showing the person with the highest score. 

Ashiya Sadatsuna - 125 points

“That’s my boy.” Tengen proudly says to herself with a smile, as if a part of herself came out from the rest of her. 

Chapter Text

Tokyo Colony #2. November 1st, 2018. 7:30 am. 

A gunshot *RINGS* out across the park. A woman carries an injured child as she frantically runs away from something in the dark. Her legs eventually give out, and she *crashes* into the dark. “No, no, no, please GOD NO!” She yells as she hears laughter come from the dark. 

“Y’know,” a man says as he walks towards her, “I thought Kenjaku was bullshitting. An all you can kill buffet? Come on, it’s too good to be true!” The man points his gun at her mockingly, pretending to fire to get a rise out of the poor woman. “I’m so glad I was wrong.” 

“Oh god, SOMEONE, HELP! PLEASE, ANYONE? HELP!” She yells as she cradles the child. The man places his finger on his lips in a “shush” motion. 

“Atutut,” the man *SHUSHES* as he keeps his gun pointed at her, “no one in their right mind would try to help a weakling like you. The strong only care about themselves, and they sure don’t give free handouts.” With that, the man aims his gun. 

“I hate the idea that just because I’m strong, that means I can’t be compassionate,” another voice calls out from the man and woman’s opposite direction. The man shrinks as he feels the enormous Cursed Energy coming from there. 

He has a fit, yet small stature. He wears nothing but white clothing while his blue hair is wrapped up in two buns. Despite their new look, his clothes have clear blood spilled on them. In his left hand, he carries a metal staff. Despite how he appears to be only 19, his demeanour and overall attitude give off the impression that he’s been alive for much longer. His overall aura gives off one word: menacing. 

“Wh-what do you want?” The man shakily asks. The blue-haired man walks forward, the other man shaking at his every step while the woman tries to get away from both of them, carrying the unconscious boy in her arms. 

“Oh, me?” The figure playfully asks, “Well, I originally wanted to fight the Strongest. But, I can’t just go around and let scum like you hurt the weak. My Honour demands otherwise.” With that, the figure *ZAPS* in between the two, leaving his staff where he was. He then grabs the man’s head with his right hand and immediately afterwards, lightning *ROARS* as the man’s head explodes in the blue haired sorcerer’s hand. 

Kogane pops up beside him; “You have gained 5 points. Your new point total is 75.” 

“Thank you, Kogane.” The man simply says as the spirit is whisked away. 

The remaining man turns around, a soft smile on his face as if this were all natural to him; “My apologies,” he says as turns around to bow to the lady, “I came as soon as I heard your plea. Will your little one be okay?” 

Nobody is there, aside from a trail of blood. “Great job, Kashimo,” he sighs, “another one gone.” 

Hajime Kashimo. Culling Games Player. Reincarnated from the Edo Period, ~400 years ago. 

His Kogane pops up, “A new rule has been added!”

Somewhere in the Culling Games. November 1st, 2018. 7:35 am. 

A yellow, grimy dumptruck strolls through the street as its mechanical claws *SMASH* into the surrounding buildings, taking the concrete into its back. “More…” It growls with hunger, “Bring me more food!” The crushed concrete falls into the curse’s back and is immediately *CRUNCHED* by giant, metal teeth coming from its back. The curse’s Cursed Energy grows as a result. It is very easily a Grade 1 curse. 

Atop one of the buildings in front of it, a lady sets up her sniper rifle and charges it with Cursed Energy. Her Cursed Energy gives off the impression that she is nothing more than a Grade 2, maybe Semi-Grade 1. 

Sakura Hirojane, Culling Games Player. Reincarnated from ~100 years ago. 

“One shot,” she thinks to herself as she lines up her scope with the truck’s driver seat. However, there is nobody inside. Nobody human, at least. Rather, a blob of mushy, half-finished concrete is controlling the dumptruck, or rather, it is the dumptruck. 

Rather than shoot the curse though, Sakura looks around the other buildings with her scope. “Where are you…” She asks herself as she scopes out the surrounding rooftops. Inside her scope, she can see multiple shades of colours and spectrums. From heatvision to even colours that cannot be described, the sorceress sees it. And yet, she cannot find her target. “I know he’s here…” She says with a bit of doubt in her voice. “Did Kenjaku lie?” 

“Kenjaku is many things,” a voice comes up from behind her, startling Sakura. She immediately turns around and points her sniper at him, but he is simply lounging casually against the exit, sword in hand. “He isn’t a liar. Not when it comes to me,” he chuckles, “and from what you’ve said, I think I’m the reason why you’re here, aren’t I?” He asks with a grin as he gets off the door and faces Sakura head on, pointing a single finger at her. 

*BANG* 

Sakura shoots him directly in the head, taking no chances. She lets her guard down, satisfied with her work, but then she sees the man with his hand clenched in front of him. He opens it up and reveals the bullet. He flicks it back to her, and Sakura realizes just how badly she’s in over her head. 

“Why’d he send you, though?” Sakura flinches at the swordsman’s casualness. She does not answer, trying to appear strong in the face of this threat. “I’m not trying to trick you,” he calmly says, “just curious.” Regardless, she does not buy into what the swordsman is saying. She feels her sniper rifle in her hands, and slowly puts her hand over the bolt. Before she can do anything though, the two hear a *ROAR* 

“MORE! GIVE ME MORE CEMENT!” 

Oh, right. The curse. 

Sakura only looks away for a second, but when she looks back at the swordsman, he’s nowhere to be seen. She frantically tries to look for him, but she sees that he has run directly in front of the curse. “A THOUSAND CUTS! Shadow Style: Burst Simple Domain!” The swordsman *ROARS* as a Simple Domain surrounds him and the curse as he gets into a sword-drawing position. The domain constantly expands until it reaches the rooftops and covers the whole street, and the swordsman immediately unsheathes half of his sword, Cursed Energy *BURSTING* out around the man. However, he keeps his stance as the curse continues on like nothing happened. For 4 seconds, he remains completely still as it looks like the curse is about to run over him, only for him to sheath his sword. 

*SLASH!* *SLASH!* *SLASH!* *SLASH!* *SLASH!* *SLASH!* *SLASH!* *SLASH!*  

The curse feels slashes all over it as the swordsman just looks at his work with a grin. The curse is exorcised soon after, leaving only a small pile of dust in its wake. The man’s Kogane pops up, “You have gained 5 points. Your current point total is 155. Would you like to make a new rule?” The swordsman gives the spirit a small smile and pats its head. 

“Sure, now that it seems like I’m clear,” he says as looks at where Sakura used to be. She’s gone now, running far, far away from the swordsman. “How about…” 

Ashiya Sadatsuna, Culling Games Player. Reincarnated from the Heian Era, ~1000 years ago. Creator of Simple Domain and the New Shadow Style School. Rival of Noritoshi Kamo.

The Kamo Clan Estate. November 1st, 2018. 7:30 am. 

“I can’t waste any time,” Noritoshi Kamo thinks as he hastily enters his home and searches for the person he’s looking for, “SHINO!” He yells out, “WHERE ARE YOU?” He rounds a corner and finds the old man. His back is hunched over and Noritoshi is almost twice his size. His wrinkled skin reflects his balding head and what hair he has left is old and withering. Regardless of his state, Noritoshi is glad to see him, “Shino! I need to reach Principal Gakuganji! And the two clans as well!” 

“Boy…” The old man says, “What are you talking about? How did you get in here?” Noritoshi frowns as he realizes something is up. 

“I’m the clan head, of course I’m allowed in here!” Shino softly chuckles. 

“I may be old, but you cannot deceive me. I will give you credit, you do look like Master Noritoshi in his younger years.” 

That makes Noritoshi realize; “No…” He thinks as he rushes past the old man and enters what should be his office, only to find… Noritoshi Kamo. The other Noritoshi Kamo. 

“Hey, look at that,” he says with a sly smile, “you’re early. Taking the initiative? Or maybe you’re also…” He trails off as he makes a thinking gesture, “Nah, probably not!” He laughs to Noritoshi's confusion. 

“How… What are you…” He tries to form words. 

“Oh, yeah, right,” he bumps his fist on his hand, “I put Shino in, let’s call it a dream state. He’s just adrift in a world that is 150 years old. Don’t worry about it,” he waves off Noritoshi’s concern, “I also know your whole plan. Since I was, well, him, the Kamo Clan aren’t going to like the hot water I’ve put them in. So, you figured that you can pull some strings and turn them along with Gakuganji against me. Only problem is,” he makes a “here I am” pose, “yeah, I doubt you thought that far ahead.” 

Noritoshi looks down at the ground, gritting his teeth and clenching his fist. He’s failed, he knows it. And now, he’s probably going to die. “I’m sorry, mom…” He thinks as he braces himself for the Special Grade in front of him to kill him, only for it to never happen. He eyes the boy suspiciously instead. 

“Are you… Do you think I’m just going to kill you?” He asks. Noritoshi looks up at him with surprise, “You seriously do. Wow. You really think that highly of yourself, do you?” He asks with genuine wonder. His grin turns into a sadistic smile as he reaches his hand out to Noritoshi, “You know, I can make you strong enough to be on top of the Culling Games.” The teen looks at him like he has grown a second head. 

“Why would I ever join you?” He asks and the man’s smile returns to a grin. 

“You’re right, why should you listen to me? Oh, I know!” He bumps his fist to his hand again, “My name is actually Kenjaku and if I give you some power, you can protect your mom!” Noritoshi visibly shrinks at that, which Kenjaku notices and capitalizes on, “That’s right, blood boy. I actually took the time to research you. You and everyone else, really. Don’t want to…” He trails off, as if he realized what he was about to say. “Nevermind that! My point is,” a red orb appears in his hand, “I know a way to make your Blood Manipulation better! This orb here houses a blood curse wielded by one of your ancestors. It already has Blood Manipulation, but its true strength is in its blood boosts. It can be yours, if you join the Culling Games.” Kenjaku summons the curse, and a big bat made out of pure blood flies around the room excitedly. 

Noritoshi’s eyes widen as he looks at the blood curse. “It’s… Strong.” That’s the only word he has that can describe it. The way its Cursed Energy is larger than Noritoshi’s, the way it confidently flies around the room, uncaring that a Semi-Grade 1 and a Special Grade were in it as well. It’s as if it owned the place. Noritoshi shakes himself out of his stupor and turns back to Kenjaku, who is happily watching the bat fly around the room and utterly uncaring about Noritoshi. “What’s the catch?” Noritoshi asks. Kenjaku turns to him, confused. 

“Didn’t I make it clear? You have to enter the Culling Games.” 

“You know what I mean,” Noritoshi snaps, “what do you get out of this? Why would you give up one of your strongest curses?” To that, Kenjaku just chuckles. “What’s so funny?” 

“It’s just,” Kenjaku slows his laughter down, “you don’t get it, do you? I win anyways! If you don’t join the Culling Games, others will. If you don’t take the curse, others will. Anyone will do anything for power, especially after they’ve been embarrassed. I’m just helping you fulfill what you want to do because it just makes the story MUCH more interesting like this. It’s so boring, you know? To go through the same thing? Why not spice things up?” Noritoshi’s eyes widen at what Kenjaku is insinuating. 

“There was another Culling Games…” His breath is short as he learns the horrifying truth. “Kenjaku has done this once before and he’s gotten away with it. This is worse than I thought…” Kenjaku’s face, however, looks like he is stifling a laugh. 

“Got it in one!” 

“A new rule has been added!” Kenjaku’s Kogane says, “Rule 10: Players can exchange their points with each other.” 

Kenjaku’s eyes narrow as he *snaps* his fingers and his Kogane comes right next to him. He checks the screen, scrolling for somebody in particular. He finds the name and grits his teeth, “Ashiya…” He says in a harsh growl. He then notices something. 

Noritoshi Kamo is gone! And the blood bat is still here! 

“Oh well,” Kenjaku shrugs, “he didn’t say no…”

Shibuya. November 1st, 2018. 9:30 am. 

The sun shines down on the streets as a little boy, no older than 7, cautiously runs from street to street, scrounging for food off the opened dumpsters. A *CRASH* comes from behind the boy and he turns around hastily. Despite there being nothing in his sights, he knows there’s something out there, right in front of him. He feels the rumbles of its steps as it comes closer and closer to him. The boy closes his eyes, wishing for a hero to come save him. 

*SMASH!* 

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds and the boy opens his eyes slowly to find a… Panda? “Are you alright?” He asks as he holds his hand out to the boy, “Come on, I’ll help find your mommy.” The boy grabs his hand, but he is still speechless at how the Panda talked to him and saved his life. It’s almost as if… 

“Are you a super hero?” The boy asks the Panda as he holds onto his back. 

“Hm? No,” he corrects as he dashes down the streets, “I’m just a Panda. Now, where was your mommy again?” 

“Oh, um…” The boy thinks for a moment, “Home! She said we should go home!” 

“Alright, do you know where home is?” Panda asks him slowly yet innocently. He stops in his tracks and takes out his phone. “Here,” he gives it to the boy, Google maps on-screen, “can you help me find it?” 

After a bit of scrolling, the boy found his home. Satisfied, he hopped back on Panda and the two attempted to make a beeline for the home, only for Panda to stop and smell something familiar. Someone familiar. “Kusakabe-sensei?” He says out loud before he turns around to find his teacher in the alleyway beside him, sword drawn. “Hey, Kusakabe-sensei, help me with-” Panda feels a projectile *CUT* into his cheek as he turns around again to see five sorcerers atop the rooftop in front of him. 

“Found him,” one of the sorcerers says with an unnatural glee. Despite his masked face, Panda can tell he is smiling. He grips his hands and protects the boy from the ninjas while Kusakabe comes up from behind him. 

“Kusakabe-sensei, take the boy and-” Panda feels himself get punched in the back HARD and he keels over for a second. That is all the ninja needs as they spring into action, wrapping wires around the Cursed Corpse as they lay out a mat in front of them. Three of them grab Panda and roll him onto the mat while one sets up the incantations and the other keeps the wires wrapped around Panda. 

“I-I can’t use Cursed Energy!” Panda thinks as he is helpless to the ninja’s biddings. He looks to Kusakabe, who refuses to look back. 

“I’m sorry,” Kusakabe says as Panda reaches the mat. Suddenly, the wires wrap themselves around Panda and *STAB!* themselves into the mattress. The mattress curls up around Panda, and he is soon unconscious as one of the ninja’s picks him up. Kusakabe looks down at where the kid should be, but sees he has run away. “Dammit,” Kusakabe grits his teeth before running off to find the kid. He doesn’t get far as runs into the next alleyway over and he sees the kid’s body being eaten by a curse. 

It only took a single slice from Kusakabe to kill it, his fury barely contained. 

“It’s a shame,” he hears footsteps coming from the alleyway, “that a child had to die today. But alas, that is just how the way life goes.” Gakuganji says as he strides up next to Kusakabe. The swordsman refuses to look at the old man.

“Come now,” Gakuganji reasons with Kusakabe, “this is necessary for Jujutsu Society. People like Masamichi Yaga cannot live if we wish to carry on our way of life.” Kusakabe finally looks Gakuganji dead in the eyes, all his anger present.

“Please,” Gakuganji scoffs, “if a single child dying makes you this mad, you should be with us on this one. After all, Yaga had knowingly allowed Sukuna’s Vessel to live. All those lives in Shibuya are his responsibility. Besides, it’s not like we are killing Panda.”

Kusakabe only walks past Gakuganji, purposefully bumping into him. “This better be worth it.” 

Chapter Text

November 1st, 2018. 8:30 am. 1 kilometer to the meet up. 

Miwa checks her back mirror for a quick glance of her passengers. Megumi and Yuta are looking out the left and right windows respectively, looking for any potential cops or Jujutsu enforcers. They decided to not use Rika or Nue to do the scouting as that would make them an even bigger target for Jujutsu enforcers. 

Choso however is still staring right into Miwa’s seat. Miwa tries to ignore it, but she can’t help it. It feels like two big lances straight into her back whenever she’s not looking. “What the hell did I do to make him so suspicious?” She thinks to herself as she checks on her last passenger: Yuji Itadori. 

The boy is currently sleeping, trying to catch some rest after the all-nighter he just took. Miwa frowns slightly. “How did he do it?” She asks herself, “How was he able to kick a Special Grade’s ass and only get a single scar from it? Even Todo lost his hand, but somehow Itadori managed to just look cooler.” Miwa huffs in envy, “Why is he the only one that gets all the cool stuff and we’re left with all the trauma?” 

Miwa *GASPS* “Where the hell did that come from?” She thinks to herself. She looks back at Yuji, quickly looking over his form. He’s a nice guy, why should Miwa be mad at him? 

Miwa sees a light flash in her eyes. She looks down at the speedometer and sees a gas station coming up. “Alright, we’re stopping here.” Miwa decides as they come up on a gas station. 

“Why?” Choso asks her with suspicion. 

“Because we’re almost out of fuel.” Megumi answers, pointing at the near-empty fuel gauge. Choso awkwardly goes back into his seat. Megumi feels his stomach about to *GROWL* before his Cursed Stomach Bug feeds it. “I guess we should also get some food.” He adds. 

“I thought our Cursed Stomach Bugs handled that?” Miwa asks him. The Shadows user shakes his head. 

“I can tell you’re hungry, don’t even try to deny it.” Megumi hypocritically says. They pull up to the gas station, and Miwa parks the mini-van. They all get out, Miwa refueling the car while the others go inside or look around. 

“Yeah,” Miwa affirms to herself, “I’m just hungry. I just let that thought go through.” 

With that, Yuta and Megumi go into the gas station. Choso chooses to take a walk, meanwhile Miwa proceeds to fill the car. “Shit,” Miwa swears as she looks at the three different fuel options, “Itadori, you know anything about what type of fuel these cars use?” She asks the boy, only to see that he is still asleep. “You really had a rough night, didn’t you?” She asks him softly as she looks through the window. 

“Um, excuse me!” A voice calls out from behind her. Miwa turns around and sees a young boy come out of the forest. 

His black hair was shaped into a topknot. Despite the weather, he wore nothing but a black t-shirt and matching black sweatpants. He did have a white scarf on though, so that at least somewhat explains his normal face. Well, normal-ish. He has a large scar on his left cheek, and it reminded Miwa of Utahime’s. 

“Do you, uh, do you know the way to Tokyo?” He asks. Miwa lets go of the gas pump and slowly approaches him. 

“Do I… Know you from somewhere?” She asks, but the boy shakes his head. 

“Sorry, I think I’d recognize someone like you. Er, no offense,” the boy nervously clarifies. 

 “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

‘Oh, well, you know, I don’t want to say anything in front of your boyfriend.” He says as he points to the sleeping Yuji. Miwa turns around, surprised, but she immediately doubles back. 

“He’s not my- whatever. Tokyo, right?” The boy nods his head, and Miwa turns around and points in the direction they came from. “It’s about an hour drive from here though, are you sure about this?” 

“Are you?”

She turns back around only to see nobody there. For some reason, those words sink deep with Miwa.

Yuta and Megumi enter the gas station. It’s like your average gas station in that it has everything you would expect a gas station to have; loads of junk food like chips, soda and ice cream treats while having some packaged fruit in its refrigerated section. Near the entrance is a recyclable plastic bag dispenser. Megumi and Yuta each take two. Despite the lights being on, the place is abandoned, “probably because of Sukuna.” Yuta figures, “You think they’ll mind if we don’t pay-” Yuta stops mid-sentence and mid-turn as he sees Megumi stuffing his face with fruit. Megumi *GULPS* while looking at the boy dead in the eyes. 

“No, I don’t think so.” Megumi nonchalantly says. Yuta smiles, casually hand-waving it away. 

“I can tell you’re hungry, don’t even deny it.” Yuta repeats before taking a nearby bag of chips and digging in. “So,” *MUNCH*, “what do you think of what Itadori said?” He grabs a few more bags of chips, specifically the jalapeno cheddar flavour from America “So I like junk food. Sue me.” Yuta thinks to himself as he eats the cheesy chip dust from his fingers. 

“About me being part of Sukuna’s plan?” Megumi asks as he puts some packaged sushi rolls into one of the bags. “Not a big fan, especially with what he did with Mahoraga back then.” 

“So you really did summon Mahoraga…” Yuta accidentally says out loud. He puts his bags down and slowly moves towards the boy in question. 

“Yeah, but I had no choice-” Yuta sucker punches Megumi, knocking him onto the dirty floor. 

“THERE’S ALWAYS A CHOICE, FUSHIGURO!” Yuta yells at Megumi. The boy in question rubs his cheek, still stinging from the punch despite Yuta putting barely any Cursed Energy into it. “So many more people DIED when they could’ve survived. Had Sukuna not been fighting Mahoraga, maybe Itadori wouldn’t be in so much despair. He’d probably not be having nightmares of his friends dying in front of him. Don’t even get me started on who could’ve died; Kusakabe-sensei, Toge, Panda, Maki, and I’m just getting started! I knew you were a little suicidal, but I didn’t know you were so selfish that you’re willing to take down everyone else because you didn’t see any way out! If you’re that willing to die, GO PUT A GUN TO YOUR HEAD AND PULL THE TRIGGER!” 

Yuta’s face becomes mortified, realizing what he just said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to go on a huge rant. Besides, that’s not what I meant.” 

“So, you don’t mean I should-” Yuta cuts Megumi off again. 

“I meant about Itadori’s dream. It can’t be a coincidence.” 

“I agree.” Choso says, surprising the two other boys in the station, “I lost Yuji just after he attacked a lobster curse. I looked for him for nearly an hour, and yet I couldn’t find him. Even when I tried to go to the meet-up spot, I got lost partway through despite going over the route in my head numerous times. It was like something was preventing me from finding Yuji.” 

“Something, or maybe someone…” Megumi looks out the window, seeing Miwa refuelling the van. Yuta and Choso understand what Megumi is saying. 

“I know I haven’t known her for long, but her Cursed Energy feels completely different from before,” Choso says, “back when she tried to fight Kenjaku, I felt her Cursed Energy. It was weak, but it still had a stable foundation. Now though,” Choso feels her Cursed Energy again, “now it feels like the exact opposite. It’s strong, nearly Grade 1 level, but it feels all over the place.” Yuta nods. 

“Agreed, not to mention how she’s been acting. It’s almost like she’s a whole other person.” Megumi and Choso perk up at that. 

“You knew her?” Megumi asks. Yuta nods. 

“Back when I was a first year, Miwa and I would train in sword techniques together. Well, to be more accurate, I would give her a few tips here and there but we’d just swing swords for hours. At least, whenever we had time. After all, we were in two different schools, so it would be hard to do it all the time. But, we still scheduled them when we each had the chance.” Yuta smiles. Choso narrows his eyes. 

“So, you knew each other?” He asks. Yuta nods, “what was she like?” 

“She was… Bubbly. She always tried to see the best in people, even despite not being anywhere near the best herself. She always called herself useless, but that’s because she was just starting out.” 

“Come on, I saw her in the Goodwill Event, she was the worst of the pack.” Megumi corrects, much to Yuta’s chagrin. 

“She doesn’t have a Cursed Technique and went up against people with Cursed Techniques. Obviously she’s going to lag behind, but she’s got the spirit to keep going!” Yuta stands up for his friend. 

“She went up against Maki.” Megumi corrects. 

“And you’re somehow saying that made her bad?” Yuta asks, “Like you still can’t beat Maki.” 

“... Fair.” Megumi begrudgingly admits. 

“This Maki sounds scary.” Choso says, and Yuta’s eyes light up. 

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe it! But she’s not even scary in a bad way either. She’s always got your back when it matters most and she’s so motivated and-” 

“Back to Miwa-senpai,” Megumi cuts Yuta off, “I didn’t know her that well, but from what I could see from the Goodwill Event, she’s just like what Yuta said she was: loud, optimistic and kind. But now…” Megumi looks towards her cold and empty eyes. 

“She’s anything but.” Choso finishes for him. “Thank you, truly, but what I don’t understand is how she could go from what you said to,” Choso points at the girl out the window, “that.” Megumi sighs. 

“I’m sorry, Okkotsu-senpai and I gave off the impression that she was perfectly fine mentally when she was anything but.” Yuta turns his head to Megumi. 

“Come on, it wasn’t this bad!” 

“Are you kidding me? She literally called herself ‘Useless Miwa,’ of course it was bad.” 

“Come on, I thought that was an inside joke or something Kusakabe-sensei gave to push her.” Yuta defends. 

“Why the hell would Kusakabe-sensei tell her she’s useless? I thought he was her uncle?” 

“Well, he is, but you know him. He’s always negative, obviously he’s going to rub off on her.” Yuta defends. Megumi sighs. 

“That’s another point; she probably only thinks she’s a sorcerer because her uncle is. And let’s be real…” Megumi trails off, but Yuta is smart enough to know what he’s about to say next. 

“Say it.” Yuta says with venom. Megumi turns his head. “Say it, you coward.” He grabs Megumi’s head and forces it straight. 

“... She thinks she’s a nepobaby,” Megumi says to Yuta’s face, “and she’s right.” Yuta raises his fist, and Megumi prepares to block, but Yuta calms himself before he goes through with the hit. 

“Look, I know Miwa is weak.” Yuta confesses, letting go of Megumi, “she’s nowhere near any of our levels, but you shouldn’t count her out just because of that.” 

“I’m not,” Megumi clarifies, “I’m just telling it like it is. Miwa-senpai probably sees herself as useless because she knows it’s true. She’s just using humour to cover up her misery, but after Shibuya, that humour’s gone. Now all that’s left is a sad, lonely girl.” 

Yuta *GROWLS* to himself, “You know what? We’re getting off topic.” Yuta turns to Choso, “The point Megumi was trying to make was that Miwa always called herself ‘Useless Miwa’ as some kind of inside joke.” Megumi sighs. 

“Hell of a joke.” 

“Why would she call herself that?” Choso asks, “her Cursed Energy would give off the opposite impression.” The boys turn to each other, unsure of how to answer that. Yuta starts. 

“Well, we already told you how Miwa doesn’t have a Cursed Technique.” 

“Add to that how she’s a Grade 3 in her second year and her only ‘technique’” Megumi uses airquotes, “is Simple Domain, and let’s be real, she isn’t even that good at it. You do the math.” Choso thinks it over and suddenly makes a huge frown. 

“But that was before this morning,” Choso points out, “I get that Cursed Energy gets stronger the more negative you are, but you said she was a Grade 3?” Megumi nods, “Then that makes even less sense. How could she progress so fast that we all mistook her for being a Grade 1? Also, she doesn’t have a Cursed Technique. I doubt she’s the one who made me lose Yuji.” Megumi and Yuta frown. 

“What are you trying to say?” Megumi asks. 

“Someone else is after Miwa. What happened on the night of Shibuya to make her this strong? And why doesn’t she remember it?” Choso asks the million dollar questions. The room grows cold as ideas race through the three sorcerer’s minds. More trauma? Some Binding Vow? 

“Hey,” Miwa enters the gas station, still deadly sad, “we’re filled to the brim. Ready to go?” All three of the boys stare at her. They notice how her Cursed Energy is constantly leaking out, as if she’s possessed by some curse. They all have the same thought; “What the hell is wrong with her?” 

“Hey,” Miwa *SNAPS* them back to reality, “we ready to go?” Yuta and Megumi look down on the floor, picking up their dropped stuff. 

“Ready.” They both say.

Chapter Text

November 1st, 2018. 9:00 am. The meet up. 

“Is this it?” Miwa asks as she keeps the van at a steady 50 mph. The sun shines down on the grassy hills around the shrine at the hilltop. Yuta looks around. 

“Yeah, this looks like it,” he says as Miwa exits off the road and takes the path up to the shrine, “I guess it makes sense that Lord Tengen’s entrance would be at some holy sight.” 

“I wouldn’t really call it that…” Choso mumbles, as if he’s seeing something the others aren’t. 

They finally get to the top, and find what can only be described as a massacre. Corpses litter the front gate as shattered swords and shredded, bloody clothing are spread across the ground. It’s as if a typhoon or some other natural disaster had swept through the shrine. Miwa immediately parks the car and the others get out, getting a better view of the carnage. “Who did this?” Miwa asks in both awe and terror, “These each had to be Semi-Grade 1 at least!” She thinks to herself as she sees the fresh corpses. 

“I thought so,” Choso thinks as he looks at the massive amounts of dried blood on the ground. Blood Manipulation is more than just weaponizing blood, it’s the control of blood. This allows Choso to not only feel where his brothers are (roughly speaking), but he can also feel the blood of others. He cannot control this blood, and he also doesn’t resonate with other’s blood nearly as much as he does with his brothers’, but it gets easier when that blood is outside the body, such as a nosebleed or, in this case, a massacre. In the middle of the battlefield, Choso spots a bloodied lock of blonde, almost golden hair. He takes a quick look at all the other dead people, “this matches none of them. Probably belongs to Tsukumo.” 

Megumi is dumbfounded, trying to find the words to speak but he just can’t. Sure, he’s seen carnage before but this is just on another level. After a few seconds of nobody answering, Yuta speaks up in a completely neutral voice. “Tsukumo,” he answers, “Tsukumo and Maki if I had to guess, but mostly Tsukumo.” The other three sorcerers take another look around the carnage, Yuji just starting to wake up from the car. 

“Why?” Megumi nervously asks, “They were guarding Lord Tengen, why would she-” 

“If I had to guess,” Yuta cuts him off, “the Higher-Ups didn’t want anyone coming into contact with Lord Tengen, especially Itadori. She and Maki probably knew we were coming, so they decided to nip this in the bud before it became a problem.” 

“Still,” Choso shivers, “I don’t want to be on her bad side if this is what it looks like.” 

“Whose bad side?” Yuji groggily asks as he hops out of the vehicle. He wipes his eyes, adjusting to the sunlight. When he finally does, he takes in the bloody sight. “Who… Who did this?” He seriously asks with a subtle anger and clenched fists. 

“...Tsukumo,” Miwa answers wearily, “Okkotsu thinks she did it because-” 

“Because they attacked first.” Choso interrupts Miwa, looking directly at Yuji. Yuji doesn’t look back at him though, still staring at the bloody ground. After a second, he continues to walk forward, towards the shrine. The others follow soon after, although some are more reluctant than others. 

They get inside and find an empty room, “where to?” Miwa asks. Choso touches the wooden floor, letting some of his blood seep onto it. 

“I can feel Tsukumo down below,” he says as the blood starts to converge in front of Choso and meld together, “all we need to do is find some kind of trapdoor. Leave that to me.” He says as the blood fully fuses, becoming nearly half the size of Choso in height. “Blood Manipulation: Blood Hound.” The blood takes the form of a large dog. Although the only colour it possesses is red, Miwa can see the details of long, droopy ears and an equally droopy snout. The dog turns around, eagerly sitting before Choso with its tail wagging. Choso pats its head and hands it the lock of Yuki’s hair he found earlier, “Where is she?” The dog smells it and immediately begins *SNIFFING* around the shrine. 

“Useful ability.” Megumi comments. Choso shakes his head. 

“Part of the Binding Vow is that it can’t fight,” the blood user clarifies, “when I found out Yuji killed my brothers, I wanted to find him immediately. I made this ability, but unfortunately I couldn’t use it since I didn’t fulfill the requirements.” 

“Still,” Miwa says while she turns her attention away from the dog, “this is pretty useful with its conditions fulfilled. I guess Blood Manipulation is always like that though. It doesn’t even have any big weaknesses in the first place if you use it properly.” She compliments him. Choso turns to Miwa, suspicion curling around his face. 

“What would you know about Blood Manipulation?” He asks the blue-haired girl. She tries to come up with words, but Yuta jumps in for her defense. 

“It’s one of the Big 3 Clan’s Cursed Techniques, we all know it.” He innocently answers. 

“Yeah, that.” Miwa quickly says before immediately shuffling towards the dog. Choso *growls* and clenches his fist, but before he could go after her he is stopped by Yuji. 

“Choso,” Yuji says with empty eyes, “just don’t. Not yet.” 

“Yuji…” He says, “You have to admit that she’s-” 

*BARK!* 

Everyone immediately turns to the source of the bloodhound’s bark. It’s in one of the rooms to the side of the shrine, and when the rest of the group get there, they find Miwa petting the dog with a smile. “Yeah, you’re a good boy,” she praises. To the others, it looks like she’s back to her previous self, but Yuji can recognize a forced smile when he sees one. He’s been seeing it in his reflection for a while now. “Oh, you’re here,” Miwa says as she turns around, “he found the door.” She points to the red door in the shrine’s closet. It looks like any other old, red door, except it is on the floor instead of a wall. 

Choso pats the dog’s head and *SNAPS* his fingers, recalling the dog. “Alright,” Yuta says, “Tsukumo should be inside. Let’s do this.” He opens the door and finds stairs leading into darkness. They each follow the stairs, and are eventually greeted with a light at the end of the tunnel. 

Inside is a large, well-lit room. Its walls are cobblestone while its roof and floor are old wood. The room has clearly existed for a long, long time. That’s not to say it’s not without renovations, however. At the back of the room, there’s a large, flatscreen TV connected to a power outlet, clearly much newer than the overall room is. Across from the TV is a couch, and sitting there is the one and only, Yuki Tsukumo. 

“Hey,” Maki greets the group of sorcerers, “long time no see. Not really.” Despite her words, she is anything but hasty. Her calm demeanor is reflected by her scarred, wounded body. Although only the head could be seen due to her clothing, that enough is telling. One of her eyes is covered up in bandages whereas the other’s skin is part of a scar that runs down the rest of her neck and into the body. It’s as if she was burned alive, yet she’s walking around just fine, like nothing happened. 

“Maki!” Yuta says excitedly as he rushes towards her, grabbing both her hands. “I was so scared when I heard you fought a Special Grade! But look! You’re moving around just fine! I’m so glad you’re alright!” Maki flinches as he gets closer, the part of her face that’s still open starting to show a pink blush. 

“Of course I’m alright…” She mumbles as Yuki waves her hand to Yuji. 

“Yo, how’s it been?” She asks. Yuji slowly but surely walks towards her, anger in his eyes. 

“Why?” He asks. Yuki makes a “why what” face, “Why did you kill all those people?” He angrily repeats. 

“Oh,” Yuki remembers, “yeah, them. They were ordered by the Higher-Ups to kill you. They somehow knew we were going to be here, so I killed them and got it over with.” She casually says. 

Yuta’s face reflects his thoughts; he knew this would happen. The same can be said for Megumi, while Choso’s is indifference. Yuji’s hands clench with rage, while Miwa holds tightly onto her sword, her eyes covered by her hair’s shadow. 

Yuki notices Yuji’s silent rage, “I get it, Itadori, I do,” she says with a sudden seriousness, “but it was either us or them.” She puts a hand over his shoulder, her eyes becoming softer as she looks into his eyes, “If the Higher-Ups didn’t know about this meet-up, I doubt they would’ve sent them.” 

“But, how…” Miwa asks. Yuki immediately shifts her focus to the girl, and she is immediately puzzled. 

“Why are you here?” She asks her, “And how did you get so strong, for that matter?” Miwa looks around the room, assuming she meant someone else, but she sees everyone’s eyes on her. 

“Um…” Miwa tries to come up with words before her body language sinks in defeat, “I don’t know. I just… I met up with Itadori in Shibuya and now I’m here.” Yuki analyzes her with suspicion. 

“What’s the last thing you remember before that?” She asks. 

Miwa suddenly starts to get uncomfortable, and she looks around the room. All eyes are trained on her, each person waiting with anticipation for the answer. Miwa *SIGHS* and tells what she remembers from last night.

Chapter Text

November 1, 2018. 1:33 AM. 

Shibuya, approximately 1 hour after the Culling Games began

The street lights flicker on and off as the wind blows through the destroyed city, rats scuttering through the grimy shadows, working to simply survive. Three students are on a nearby train station, just wanting this hellish night to be over with. They are Mai Zenin, Momo Nishimiya and Kasumi Miwa. 

“Hey, look what just came up,” Momo tells her friends as they all look at her phone. 

Notice from Jujutsu Headquarters: 

1. Suguru Geto’s survival has been confirmed, and he has been sentenced to death again.
2. Satoru Gojo has been deemed an accomplice in the Shibuya Incident and is thus permanently exiled from the Jujutsu world. Furthermore, removing his seal will be considered a criminal act.
3. Masamichi Yaga shall receive the death penalty for inciting Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto into causing the Shibuya Incident.
4. The suspension of Yuji Itadori’s execution is revoked, and execution is to be carried out immediately.
5. Special Grade Sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu is hereby appointed as Yuji Itadori’s executioner. 

“Woah…” Miwa says, “So Okkotsu-senpai's coming back?” 

“Guess so.” Mai simply says with melancholy, her eyes struggling to stay open. 

“But I don’t get it, why would the higher ups keep Gojo sealed?” Miwa asks an equally-tired Momo. 

“Maybe because they’re sick of his shit?” 

“But he’s our best chance,” “to avenge Mechamaru,” Miwa lets the last part remain in her head, but the sentiment is felt between the three. 

“Look, it doesn’t matter anyways,” Mai tiredly says, “if that’s what Jujutsu Tech says, that’s what’ll happen.” 

“But-” 

“Don’t do this, Miwa,” Mai says as the rain pours down even more, “you’ll just screw it all up! You’re useless right now!” 

Silence. Nothing but the pouring rain against the steel roof as the three girls take in what Mai just said. Momo in disbelief that her friend would just say that, Mai in shock over what she said, and Miwa… 

With a *SNIFF* Miwa runs off into the rain.

“What now? Miwa thinks as she holds onto her katana. She looks down the bridge she’s currently leaning on, and into the dark, deep, blue water. Despite the rain’s downpour, she does not feel the cold as much as she would have. 

She grips the railing harder, “do I really do it?” She asks. She remembers the Binding Vow she made, how she threw it all away for nothing. What else would be left if she kept going? 

Miwa puts her sword down and climbs over the railing, but she still holds onto it. Now standing on the edge, the dark river looks even more inviting. The rain continues to pour, oh if only she were one of them. Just a single drop and it would all be over. 

Miwa is immediately on the floor, her body even wetter as she lays in the puddle. The rain hides her tears as she looks up at the dark, stormy night. “I’m a fucking failure.” 

“DAMMIT!” Miwa punches the pillar, “WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO ISN’T STRONG? EVERYONE ELSE GETS AT LEAST SOME POWERS, BUT I’M ALWAYS USELESS MIWA! WHY ARE ONLY SOME PEOPLE STRONG, BUT NEVER ME? WHY CAN’T I BE HAPPY?” 

Rats continue to crawl on the bridge Miwa is on, trying not to fall into the deep blue. She cries, leaning her head against the cold, wet pillar. Just once, she’d wish someone would believe in her. 

*CRASH* 

Miwa doesn’t think to look up at first, but she eventually does when she realizes it wasn’t some wave. That was a person. She looks over the edge and finds Yuji Itadori, unconscious as he floats into the sewers. 

Miwa doesn’t think for another second as she grabs her sword and immediately races back to the bridge entrance, climbing down its ladder and trying to get to Yuji. She finally finds him and sees he is knocked out cold. 

Miwa looks at her katana, and remembers what was said earlier. The suspension of Yuji Itadori’s execution is revoked, and execution is to be carried out immediately. She looks at Yuji, then her katana, then back at Yuji. The sewers are protecting her from the rain, and for once she doesn’t feel wet and cold. She draws her katana and points it at Yuji’s throat. Just before she hits it though; her katana *SPARKS* against the cold cement as Miwa curses herself, “what the fuck is wrong with me?” 

“You WHAT?” Choso freaks out as he prepares a Piercing Blood at the now-sobbing Miwa, Yuta and Megumi getting in between him, both holding him back. 

“But she didn't, did she?” Yuta asks Choso. Choso *GROWLS* before he looks at Yuji, who is currently comforting Miwa on the couch. 

“Brother, back me up here!” Yuji *SIGHS* 

“I get it Choso, I do, but…” Yuji looks back down at the sobbing Miwa, “she clearly wasn’t thinking properly. It was a rough night for all of us, can you really blame her for breaking, even just a bit? She even helped us with that frame guy! I can’t see her being some super spy the Higher-Ups sent to kill me.” 

“She literally admitted to trying to kill you!” Choso argues. 

“She was only following orders! She’s not a bad person!” Yuji argues back. 

The room becomes a standstill as Choso and Yuji look directly into each other’s eyes, the two brothers mentally arguing with each other for the sake of the blue haired girl. Yuta and Megumi move away from Choso, thinking he’s finally calming down. Finally, Choso looks away, “fine,” he relents before he looks at Miwa again, “I don’t buy your story completely, but if my little brother trusts you, then I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. But remember,” Choso points at his eyes and then at Miwa, “I’m watching you.” 

“Okay,” Yuki *CLAPS* and gets everyone’s attention, “with that out of the way, we can focus on Tengen again.” Maki turns to Megumi. 

“Right,” she says, “Fushiguro, any clue how we’ll get through Tengen’s barrier?” Choso raises his hand. 

“Actually, I have a way; Blood Manipulation can allow the user to track others' blood. Normally it needs to be spilled in some way unless I want to use some extension technique. However, the same doesn’t apply to those I share blood with. Mahito only took 3 cursed wombs from Tengen’s hold. Since they’re all in the same place, I should be able to find Tengen.” Yuki smiles and pats him on the back. 

“Sounds like a plan! Let’s go to the real barrier.” She says as she moves out of the room. Everyone follows her one at a time until everyone who’s left is Yuji and Miwa. 

“Alright,” Yuji sighs, “let’s go.” He gets off the couch and goes to follow them, but he sees Miwa staying on the couch. “Oi, Miwa,” he calls out, “come on.” 

“You still want me?” Miwa asks him, her head not lifting up. Yuji moves back to the couch. 

“Why not?” 

“Because I tried to kill you,” Miwa argues, “Choso is right, I almost killed you. Why should you trust me?” 

For the first time today, Yuji smiles. His kind, loving smile lights up the whole room. “You ALMOST did.” He repeats. “But you didn’t, and you saved my life in the process. Now come on,” he gets off the couch again and lifts his hand to Miwa, “we need you. I need you.” 

Miwa looks at his hand as if it’s a gift from god. Likewise, his calm and kind smile lights up his face, giving off who he truly is; a hero. Miwa takes his hand, her demeanor becoming a little more kind as they walk out the room together, hand in hand.

Chapter Text

Tengen’s Domain. November 1st, 2018. 9:21 am. 

The group of seven sorcerers walk through the white room as Choso guides them towards Tengen’s room. Thousands of doors surround the group as they walk through the glorified hallway. 

Yuji and Yuki are behind Choso, following him closely. Megumi is in front of Miwa, while Maki and Yuta are behind her. Although she couldn’t see his face, Miwa knows Yuji’s expression has shifted back to completely serious, but his golden smile still lingers in her mind. How can a boy shift from being so kind to so serious in a flash? How can it look so natural? 

“Hey,” Miwa hears a voice come up from behind her. She turns around and sees Maki, completely serious as usual. 

“O-oh, Maki! Uh, hi.” Miwa responds, “What are you-” 

“I’m sorry about Mai.” 

The mood immediately shifts as Miwa’s demeanor becomes less quirky and much more depressing. “Oh, her…” Maki takes her silence as an invitation to continue. 

“What she told you isn’t right,” she says, “sure, you aren’t the strongest, but that doesn't mean you’re completely useless. One way or another, you’ve helped people.” 

“Such as?” Miwa asks the girl. Maki frowns, trying to think of something. 

“Well, in the Goodwill Festival, when that Special Grade attacked, Megumi and I used your sword against it.” Maki points out. “It helped us do some damage against it.” Miwa shakes her head. 

“I also remember you breaking my sword against it because both the curse was too strong and the sword was too weak.” Miwa points out, “Also, I didn’t even give it to you. You took it after beating my ass.” 

“Hey, come on, I’m trying to be nice here!” Maki says as she throws her hands up in defense. 

“Who asked you to be?” Miwa is about to say that before Yuta interrupts her. 

“What Maki is trying to say is that we all have our own roles in this world.” Yuta says with a smile, “You should cut yourself some slack, Miwa. Trying to be anyone but yourself doesn’t end well.” Miwa takes his words in and thinks about them. 

“But what if my role is useless?” She asks herself as she and the others keep moving, “Am I meant to be fodder? I’m so sick of staying at the bottom while everyone else rises to the top. They probably get a kick out of everyone else wishing to be like them. They get to lord all their power over me and act like it’s okay that I’m useless. For once, why can’t I be on top of them? Why can’t they wish to be me?” 

Maki grits her teeth, “the least you could do is thank me.” She complains as Miwa is lost in her thoughts. Yuta puts a hand on her shoulder. 

“Maki, cut her some slack,” he calmingly says, “she literally just tried to kill herself last night. Leave her be, I’m sure she’ll thank you later on.” Maki grumbles, but admits he has a point. The girl always did soften around him. 

Suddenly, one of the doors opens up, revealing a bright, grassy field with a kind, caring blue sky. Across the field, plush animals are playing without a care in the world. “This is Yaga’s room,” Yuki realizes as they all look through it. 

“Yaga-sensei’s… room?” Yuji asks. 

“Oh, you don’t know? Basically, Yaga impressed Tengen at one point and they offered him a room to store all of his puppets. These little guys are under Tengen’s protection, so they should be fine.” Yuki says with a smile. 

“But Yaga-sensei’s gone now. What is going to happen to the puppets here? Wouldn’t they…” Megumi trails off, putting the pieces together. Yuki nods. 

“Like it or not, we’ve got bigger fish to fry.” She sullenly says as she moves away from the door, “We’re just going to have to trust that he knows what he’s doing.” 

The rest follow suit, going back to following Choso. However, Miwa hears something that makes her stop; “Aren’t I a genius?” 

Miwa immediately turns around, recognizing the voice. “Takeru?” She asks into the void, tears in her eyes. Her mind immediately goes back to three years ago. How much happier she was, back in junior high. How she had actual friends, a family that loved her, and- 

She remembers the blood across her face. The fire consuming the school hallways as the swordsman fought the thing. It had four horns atop its head as it crawled across the hallway floor with its six legs. Its back was scaled as spikes littered across its spine and into its sharp, demonic tail. She barely got a glimpse at its face, but she still remembers the thing’s green, evil eyes. The thing that started the fire, the thing that destroyed her homeroom, the thing that crushed her classmates. The thing that only she could see. 

“Oi, Miwa, you coming?” Yuji asks her. She wipes the tears away and goes back to the group. 

“I’m probably imagining it. No way is he alive. They would’ve told me…”

Finally, they reach Tengen’s room. It is pure white, just like the hallway, and in the center is the sorcerer themselves; Tengen. 

“Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, Yuta Okkotsu, Maki Zenin, Yuki Tsukumo, Choso. I have been expecting you.” They say as they turn around. Their body is big and round, yet the robes make it hard to tell if that’s just the clothing or if they’re actually fat. Their head is in the shape of a vertical rectangle and wrinkled, as if they were 1000 years old. That’s not far off, to be fair. They have four eyes instead of two, and those eyes are completely blank, yet everyone knew they could see clearly. 

“This is Tengen?” Everyone else aside from Yuki thinks. Tengen looks around and notices Miwa amongst them. 

“Well now, it appears I can still be surprised,” they comment, “you, girl, what is your name?” They ask Miwa. 

“M-me?” She asks, stunned. 

“You are who I am pointing to, are you not?” 

“W-well my name is Kasumi Miwa, u-um, ma’am-er-sir.” Miwa awkwardly salutes, not sure how to handle being singled out by what is essentially a god. With a flick of their wrist, Tengen teleports Miwa right in front of them. 

“And what is your Cursed Technique, Kasumi Miwa?” They ask as they look her over, studying her. They notice her sword and how her Cursed Energy is naturally leaning into her sword. 

“I, well, I don’t have one.” Miwa sullenly admits. Tengen looks at her and Miwa could swear she sees a hint of awe in their eyes. 

“A practitioner of Simple Domain, then?” Tengen asks the girl. 

“Um, well, yeah, I try to use New Shadow Style to my best, but…” Tengen looks up at her. 

“Why would you limit yourself to New Shadow Style?” The guardian asks the girl, “especially because of the Binding Vow you made?” That gets everybody’s attention. 

“What Binding Vow?” Yuji asks first. Tengen looks back up at Miwa, expecting her to respond first. She relents and turns around, facing the whole group. 

“I guess I had to face the music at some point,” Miwa contemplates as she breathes in deeply, mentally preparing herself for what is to come. 

“Back when we were fighting Noritoshi Kamo, I put my all into one of my sword slices. Even my future. In other words; I can never swing a sword again.” She admits, sullen at the memory of her greatest failure. Now, she must relive it with everyone else judging her. 

The rest of the crowd look at her like she’s stupid. Of course she is, she’s Useless Miwa. She can do nothing right and all she does is make everything worse. 

“Like… Everything?” Yuta doubletakes, not sure he heard her right. Miwa nods sullenly. 

“Back to business,” Yuki cuts in, trying to distract everyone from Miwa’s Binding Vow, “why would you be expecting us?” 

Tengen outstretches their hands, and reveals that they have four arms. “Because you are going to be the heroes of this event.” They proclaim as they send Miwa back to the rest of the group. “Kenjaku had set up the Culling Games for his amusement, and you shall be the ones to stop it.” 

“Kenjaku?” Yuki questions. Tengen nods their head and Choso narrows his eyes. 

“That is their original name,” they confirm, “he had once inhabited the body of Noritoshi Kamo, but now he is inhabiting the body of Suguru Geto.” 

“Hey, uh, sorry, but,” Yuji raises his hand in interruption, “why are you like… Some kind of really wrinkly grandpa?” Yuji points to all of Tengen, but they merely chuckle at his antics. 

“You idiot,” Maki and Megumi say at the same time, “you can’t just say that!” Tengen merely chuckles and waves one of their hands. 

“Please, it is not a big deal. I am immortal, but I am not immune to aging. You would look like this too if you were to be 500 years old, young Yuji.” They answer him with a smile, “Also, I’d be a grandma, not a grandpa.” 

“Oh, okay, thanks Ms. Tengen.” Yuji says in a completely serious manner. 

“Now, I know why you are all here,” Tengen says to the surprise of Yuki, “you want me to help you stop the Culling Games. I will, but I need some of you to stay behind.” 

“Why?” Yuki asks with suspicion. 

“I suppose I should start with what the Culling Games actually are;” Tengen says as the room around them suddenly shifts.