The rest of the evening passed in comfortable warmth.
Gojo dominated the conversation, as always, debating Geto about everything from mission protocols
to the best flavor of Kikufuku. Shoko drank tea and offered dry commentary. Riko fussed over
Shinichi like an older sister, despite their complicated history.
Eventually, Nanami and Haibara returned from their post-mission paperwork.
"Shinichi! Megumi! Good to see you both."
Haibara handed out lollipops with characteristic enthusiasm. Nanami looked like he wanted nothing
more than to collapse into bed, but he sat down anyway, pulled in by the group's energy.
"How was the mission?" Geto asked.
"Grade 2 cursed spirit. Straightforward." Nanami's tone suggested he found 'straightforward'
synonymous with 'tedious.'
"You two should be promoted soon," Geto observed. "You've been quasi-Grade 1 for months."
"We'll see what the school decides."
"Want us to recommend you?" Gojo grinned. "A word from the strongest sorcerer carries weight."
"No thank you."
As evening deepened into night, fireworks erupted over the city. The group spilled outside to
watch, breath misting in the cold air.
Shinichi stood beside Megumi, both watching the colors paint the sky.
"Shinichi."
"Yeah?"
"My father. Do you know him?"
The question caught Shinichi off-guard. He recovered quickly. "I've met him. Once or twice."
"What's he like?"
Dangerous. Broken. Trying, in his own way, to be better.
"He's complicated," Shinichi said carefully. "He's made mistakes. But he cares about you—more than
he knows how to show."
Megumi absorbed this in silence. Then: "Will I ever meet him?"
"I think so. When he's ready."
"When will that be?"
"I don't know. But I believe it'll happen eventually."
After the fireworks ended, the group began to disperse. Gojo and Shinichi lingered outside,
watching Megumi head back inside.
"You know Toji's watching, right?" Gojo said quietly.
Shinichi nodded. He'd sensed the absence of cursed energy in the trees—or rather, sensed the
inexplicable blind spot where Toji lurked.
"Should we let him know?"
"He already knows we know. He's just too stubborn to come out."
Gojo chuckled. "Like father, like son."
They walked toward the bushes together. After a moment, Toji emerged, looking vaguely annoyed at
being caught.
"You two are irritating."
"And you're lurking in bushes like a stalker," Gojo replied cheerfully. "We kept Megumi outside
for ten extra minutes. You're welcome."
"I didn't ask you to do that."
"Consider it a gift. Happy New Year, Sorcerer Killer."
Toji's eye twitched. "Don't call me that."
"Fine. Happy New Year, Megumi's dad."
"That's worse."
Shinichi intervened before the bickering could escalate. "Toji. Thank you. For everything you've
taught me."
The assassin's expression softened, just slightly. "You've gotten stronger. Not strong enough, but
stronger."
"I'll keep working on it."
"Good." Toji glanced toward the building where Megumi had disappeared. "Keep an eye on my kid,
will you?"
"Always."
Toji nodded once, then vanished into the darkness.
Gojo watched him go. "He's changed. Wouldn't have believed it three years ago."
"People can change. Given the right circumstances."
"Speaking from experience?"
Shinichi smiled. "Something like that."
The Three Great Clans Festival loomed ahead. Challenges awaited. Naoya Zenin and his arrogance.
The political machinations of the great families. The slow, grinding work of reforming a broken
system.
But for now, standing in the cold with his allies, watching snow fall over Jujutsu High, Shinichi
allowed himself a moment of peace.
He had changed history. Saved lives. Built something that might—just might—endure.
It wasn't enough. Not yet. But it was a foundation.
And foundations, properly built, could support anything.
Thank you, Mom. For the gift you gave me.
I'll make it count.
August 2007, summer.
More than six months had passed since Shinichi left Jujutsu High. During this time, Gojo Satoru
had finally completed and evolved his technique to a new level.
"Ready!"
In the training ground of Jujutsu High, Shoko Ieiri and Takeshi Kagome held an eraser and a
fountain pen respectively.
"Yeah."
Gojo Satoru stood opposite them, wearing the round-frame sunglasses that had become his signature
look.
"Go!"
The eraser and fountain pen shot toward Gojo simultaneously. The eraser broke through his Infinity
and struck his head, while the fountain pen hovered frozen in midair.
"Perfect. The calibration's working." Gojo caught both objects and grinned.
"What was that just now?" Shoko asked.
"Automatic threat assessment?" Takeshi ventured.
"Exactly." Gojo's confidence was palpable. "I've automated what I used to do manually. Not just
cursed energy strength—I can identify threats based on quality, shape, and velocity."
"I can't automatically block things like poison yet," he added, "but now I can maintain Infinity
continuously with minimal effort."
"Won't your brain burn out?" Shoko asked skeptically.
"Already covered. Reverse Cursed Technique keeps my brain constantly refreshed within regeneration
limits."
"Congratulations, Satoru." Geto Suguru approached, having watched the demonstration.
This summer had brought an unusually high number of cursed spirits, but following Shinichi's
recommendations, Jujutsu High had adopted a targeted response strategy.
The approach was straightforward: low-threat cursed energy signatures wouldn't warrant high-level
sorcerers. Instead, those sorcerers remained on standby for potential Special Grade emergencies.
Additionally, mission intelligence requirements had tightened. If clients deliberately concealed
dangers, Jujutsu High reserved the right to reject the commission and blacklist them permanently.
Under this strategy, while total exorcism numbers decreased slightly, efficiency improved
dramatically. The reduction only affected low-grade spirits—nuisances that could frighten ordinary
people but posed no real threat.
Most importantly, sorcerer casualties had dropped significantly. After the first few incidents
where clients had hidden critical information—those clients faced severe consequences—the practice
of sending low-grade sorcerers against high-grade threats had stopped entirely. The joint support
of the Gojo and Kamo clans had made the policy possible.
The Kamo clan had helped convince the jujutsu world's leadership of the importance of their two
Special Grade sorcerers. Of course, Kamo Kenji had delivered the argument on Shinichi's behalf:
"It would be an embarrassment to deploy Special Grade sorcerers like Geto and Gojo against
ordinary missions. Furthermore, if a high-level cursed spirit or an assassin raids headquarters,
we need at least one Special Grade present to ensure everyone's safety."
The risk-averse elders had found this logic compelling. Especially with cursed spirit activity
spiking this year, the possibility of a Special Grade spirit appearing without warning was very
real.
So Gojo and Geto now took turns stationed at headquarters, significantly reducing their workload.
As for Yuki Tsukumo, the third Special Grade—she was impossible to locate, as usual.
The arrangement had also benefited Geto. While he swallowed fewer cursed spirits this summer, they
were all Grade 2 or higher, including several powerful Grade 1 spirits. This had helped
compensate for the gap that had opened during his battle with Toji Fushiguro.
For Geto, the taste of cursed spirit orbs remained indescribable. But if it meant protecting
others, he could swallow anything.
"By the way, Satoru—it's your rotation at headquarters this time."
Geto checked the schedule and reminded his friend.
"Already? I was hoping for a few more days of freedom." Gojo's mood deflated instantly. "It's so
boring sitting around with those old men. Exorcising cursed spirits is way more interesting."
Gojo's missions usually ended quickly. While the teleportation function of Blue remained unstable,
he could move freely within short distances.
"I can't leave everything to you, Satoru. I need to keep building my arsenal, or I won't be able
to keep pace with you."
The abundance of his cursed spirit library kept Geto confident even when comparing himself to
Gojo. For Gojo, the next step was developing a domain. But Geto could continue growing stronger
simply by absorbing more spirits—the advantage of Cursed Spirit Manipulation.
Different varieties of cursed spirits served different tactical purposes. If one technique was
countered, he could immediately switch to another with completely different abilities. No one
except Gojo could guarantee escaping such varied attacks.
"Fine, fine." Gojo relented with an exaggerated sigh.
With Gojo taking his turn at headquarters guard duty, Geto resumed his commission work.
"Geto, this mission's target is most likely Grade 1. I'm assigning it to you."
Masamichi Yaga handed over the report.
"I'll handle it quickly."
After accepting the commission, Geto traveled to the mission site—a vast jungle.
"Mr. Geto, this is the last recorded cursed energy signature. I apologize that this is all the
information we have..."
The accompanying auxiliary manager conveyed the headquarters' limited intelligence apologetically.
"It's fine. This won't take long."
Geto released a large number of reconnaissance spirits into the forest. Most were low-grade
specimens from his collection—expendable scouts.
High-level cursed spirits typically viewed low-level spirits as territorial invaders. The stronger
the spirit, the more aggressive this response. By releasing many weak spirits, Geto could provoke
the target into revealing its location.
"Contact."
Feeling the feedback from one of his spirits, Geto immediately moved toward the reaction site.
"Gurgle... Gurgle..."
Deep in the forest, a massive tiger-shaped cursed spirit was devouring one of Geto's scouts.
This pressure is beyond Grade 1.
The cursed spirit went berserk upon sensing Geto's arrival. It slammed nearby trees and boulders,
sending them flying toward him.
"Predictable."
The debris struck Geto's position and raised a cloud of dust—but he walked out unscathed. A
strange cursed spirit floated beside him, its cursed energy also at Grade 1 level.
Seeing its attack fail, the tiger spirit charged forward, swiping with razor claws. But the
floating spirit blocked every strike.
"Surprised? This one's technique is Kinetic Energy Absorption. Physical attacks are useless
against it."
The tiger spirit continued roaring, uncomprehending.
"Right. You wouldn't understand."
Geto formed a gun shape with his fingers and fired the smaller spirit like a bullet.
The tiger spirit howled in pain as it was struck, dodging to the side.
Just as Geto prepared to finish it, the tiger spirit gathered red cursed energy in its mouth.
Not good—
The cursed energy cannon fired immediately, incinerating everything in its path for dozens of
meters.
"ROAR!"
The spirit roared in apparent triumph.
Thunk—
Just as it celebrated, a blade wrapped in blue-black cursed energy pierced its body from behind.
"That was close. If I'd been a fraction slower, you would've had me."
Geto emerged from the side, smiling calmly.
The tiger spirit struggled to pull out the blade, but two massive cursed spirits pinned it down.
Even with their combined weight, they could barely restrain it.
"You've got Special Grade strength—weak for that tier, but Special Grade nonetheless. That
technique's output was impressive."
Looking at the devastated surroundings, Geto couldn't help but be impressed. Then he activated his
technique to absorb the spirit.
But as it transformed into a cursed orb, something unusual fell from its dissolving form.
"What's this?"
Geto picked up the object—a withered but unmistakably malevolent finger.
The finger of the King of Curses: Ryomen Sukuna.
"..."
Geto stared at it for a long moment.
Better discuss this with Satoru back at Jujutsu High.
He returned to the auxiliary manager's vehicle and departed.
But on a distant mountain, a man with stitches across his forehead had been watching everything.