February 13, 2013, Wednesday, 7:00 pm, Random Izakaya
The streets of Tokyo were alive with vibrant energy as neon lights flickered against the rain-slick pavement, bathing the sidewalks in a kaleidoscope of reds, blues, and greens. The distant echoes of car horns, the chatter of office workers unwinding after a long day, and the occasional laughter from passersby blended into the city's usual nighttime symphony. Amid this atmosphere, the Random Izakaya stood nestled between other late-night establishments, its warm glow and the scent of grilled skewers inviting weary souls inside.
At the counter, a small gathering of jujutsu sorcerers sat in silence, their expressions ranging from contemplation to mild exhaustion. Elric occupied one end, his elbows resting on the counter as he stared blankly at the drink before him. Beside him sat Nanami, maintaining his usual stiff demeanor, while Ino, Benikiba, and Hina filled the remaining seats. The mood was anything but light. It was an awkward, tense quiet that settled after an ordeal that left more questions than answers.
Breaking the silence, Hina shifted in her seat, her eyes darting between her senior sorcerers. Curiosity gnawed at her, and after a brief hesitation, she spoke.
"U-Um… why exactly are we here?" she asked, her voice timid yet filled with genuine confusion.
The question lingered in the air for a moment before the scene transitioned into the memory of how they ended up at the izakaya in the first place.
Flashback – Inside the Veil, Nakameguro High School
Nanami's voice carried a weight of finality.
"We're at a loss."
Those words cemented the reality of their situation. The battle was over, but the aftermath was far from clean. The binding vow had taken effect, meaning none could report Elric's identity to Jujutsu HQ, locking them into a complicated agreement.
Miruko, still clinging to Elric, continued to cry, her small frame shaking against him. The sight was both pitiful and frustrating. Without a word, Elric, still bearing the smoldering marks of the electric blast he'd endured, raised his hand and delivered a light but sharp karate chop to the top of her head.
Thwack!
Miruko yelped, immediately stopping her sobbing as she pulled back, rubbing the sore spot.
"Why the hell are you even here?!" Elric snapped; his patience had long since worn thin. "You were supposed to be at home! What part of stay out of this did you not understand?!"
Miruko flinched under the intensity of his glare, her lips parting as if to argue, but nothing came out. She had no excuse. She had disobeyed. And in doing so, she had nearly gotten herself killed.
The rest of the sorcerers stood frozen, watching the harsh but justified scolding unfold. Even Nanami, who rarely reacted emotionally, raised an eyebrow at Elric's rage.
Ino, who had only just regained consciousness, groggily turned to Nanami. "...So, uh… what's the plan now?"
Nanami exhaled through his nose. "We keep our silence. We can't expose him to HQ. The vow ensures that. However, we can still get the truth from Elric."
With the matter of secrecy settled, Elric returned to Miruko. Though his expression had calmed, there was an unmistakable authority in his tone.
"You," he said, pointing directly at her, "are getting serious training."
Miruko blinked. "...Eh?"
"You're running around the neighborhood block thirty times."
A strangled noise escaped her throat. "T-Thirty?! But why...?"
Elric simply raised a thumb and gestured over his shoulder at the ruined classroom building, its walls crumbling from the destruction.
Miruko turned to follow his gaze, her eyes widening in horror as realization struck.
"...Oh."
"Yeah. Oh." Elric sighed, rubbing his temples. "No school until the repairs are done. So congratulations, kid, you just earned yourself a training arc."
Before Miruko could process her fate, Elric motioned toward the bodyguard behind the Takamine sisters, who had been silently observing.
"Take her home," Elric ordered, his voice shifting into a commanding military tone. He quickly scribbled an address and handed it over. "Get her there safe. She's done enough damage tonight."
The bodyguard hesitated. "Sir, do you need any medical..."
Elric shot him a sharp glare, his eyes glowing faintly red with rage. His clenched jaw and the veins bulging at his temples made it clear he wasn't in the mood for kindness.
"Don't be nice to this sobbing, sorry excuse of a human being," he growled, motioning toward Miruko. "She screwed this fight up. Dragging her by the ear might teach her something for once."
Miruko gasped. "W-Wait, that's too much...!"
But her protests were cut off as the bodyguard dutifully grabbed the back of her uniform collar and began hauling her away. She struggled in vain, her feet barely scraping against the ground.
"N-Not the collar! At least let me... wait! Elric! You...!"
Elric waved her off dismissively. "Have fun running."
As Miruko's wails faded into the distance, Elric returned to the remaining sorcerers, who had been silent spectators to the entire scene. He took a deep breath, rolled his shoulders, and then, as if completely unfazed by the chaos, nonchalantly asked:
"...So, anyone else starving after all that?"
Silence.
Then Ino's stomach let out a loud, unmistakable growl.
Benikiba snorted. "Tch. I thought I was too exhausted to eat, but that changed."
Nanami sighed, already rubbing his temples. "Let's just get this over with."
Hina was still flustered and fidgeted in her seat. "U-Um… I suppose some food would be nice…"
Elric smirked. "That's the spirit. First round's on me."
Benikiba gave him a lazy grin. "Generous. I'll order the most expensive thing on the menu."
With the decision made, the exhausted but hungry group made their way out of the ruined battlefield straight to the nearest izakaya.
Of course, despite Elric's battered, shirtless appearance, he wasn't about to stroll into a restaurant looking like a stray brawler fresh out of a street fight. He always had a contingency plan. He retrieved a spare black T-shirt from his bag and threw it on, the fabric clinging slightly to his still-heated skin from the lingering effects of the battle. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep him from standing out like a lunatic who had just walked through hell.
Benikiba, watching the quick change, scoffed. "Tch. What, no dramatic entrance in a half-burned coat? Thought you liked looking like a menace."
Elric adjusted his collar, shooting her a flat look. "I'd rather not get kicked out before we even order."
Ino chuckled. "Yeah, dude, public indecency charges wouldn't look great on top of everything else."
"Keep talking, and you're paying," Elric shot back.
That shut Ino up real quick.
With their hunger outweighing their exhaustion, they stepped into the izakaya, the scent of grilled food and warm broth welcoming them like a reward after the chaos they had endured.
Back to Present – Random Izakaya
Still holding onto her initial question, Hina sighed softly as she connected the dots. "...So that's why we're here."
Elric, sipping on his drink, raised an eyebrow. "What? You thought we'd just sit around brooding in a dark alley somewhere?"
Not even looking up, Nanami muttered, "That was the original plan."
Elric chuckled. "Well, forgive me for choosing a place with actual food instead."
Hina giggled, her earlier nervousness fading. Though the battle had been rough, she felt a strange sense of camaraderie for the first time. Things weren't as bad as they seemed.
As the taishou, the owner of the Random Izakaya, arrived with a fresh round of drinks, his sharp eyes immediately took in the unusual state of his patrons. His gaze lingered on Elric, who, despite now wearing a clean shirt, still bore visible signs of bruising. Nanami, ever composed, had a similarly battered look, though his pristine suit somehow maintained its dignified presence.
The taishou continued his quiet assessment. Ino sported some light bruising but nothing serious. The real contrast, however, was with the Takamine sisters, who sat completely unharmed. It didn't take a genius to notice that something big had gone down before they walked through his doors.
After setting the drinks down, he leaned against the counter, arms crossed. His tone was casual, but there was an unmistakable glint of amusement in his eyes.
"So... did anyone at least win over the ladies?"
The reaction was immediate.
Elric, Ino, and Benikiba simultaneously choked on their drinks. Ino nearly knocked over his glass in his coughing fit while Benikiba slammed her hand against the counter, shaking the tableware.
"The hell kinda dumbass question is that?!" Benikiba snapped, wiping her mouth aggressively.
"Seriously, where did that even come from?!" Ino coughed.
Elric simply exhaled, rubbing his temple before shooting the taishou a deadpan look. "You really think this was some 'manly duel to impress a woman' type of deal?"
The only one unfazed by the comment, Nanami took another calm sip of his drink, offering no reaction.
The taishou exhaled through his nose, feigning boredom. "I dunno. I've known you for a while, Elric. And I've never seen you around a fully grown lady, let alone two."
Elric, finally regaining his composure, let out a dry chuckle. "Oh, please. Her?" He jerked his thumb at Benikiba without even looking. "She's an orange-haired gorilla with an attitude problem."
Benikiba's eyebrow twitched dangerously.
"And her?" Elric gestured at Hina, who had been quietly drinking her tea. "She's way too petite. It'd feel like adopting a stray kitten rather than dating a woman."
A single sniffle broke the moment.
All eyes turned to Hina, whose large, glassy eyes filled with unshed tears. Her lip trembled as she looked down, devastated. "S-So… I'm not a proper lady…?"
Elric blinked. "Oh, crap."
The temperature in the room dropped by several degrees.
Benikiba slowly turned to face Elric, her delinquent aura practically radiating off her in waves of fury. She cracked her knuckles, a dangerous gleam in her eye.
"You listen here, you halfwit bastard," she growled. "You can call me whatever the hell you want, but nobody insults my little sister, especially not by calling me a damn orange gorilla in the same breath!"
Benikiba raised her fist without hesitation, her cursed energy flaring as she prepared to deck him across the counter.
Before her punch could land, Elric casually lifted a pair of wooden chopsticks and caught her incoming fist between them.
Benikiba's eyes widened. "The hell...?"
Despite the pressure of her strength-enhanced punch, Elric held his grip firm, his chopsticks acting as an unyielding barrier against her attack. The struggle intensified for a few seconds, the tension palpable as she tried to push forward. Elric, still seated, barely budged.
The Taishou, watching the growing commotion, let out a deep sigh. His calm yet oddly disturbing expression held a silent but absolute authority that cut through the air like a blade.
"Oi," he murmured.
That single syllable was enough.
Elric and Benikiba immediately froze in place, knowing better than to continue their fight in his establishment.
Reluctantly, Benikiba pulled back, clicking her tongue in irritation as she dropped her fist. Still holding the chopsticks, Elric placed them back on the table with a smirk.
Nanami, silently watching the entire ordeal, finally spoke, setting his drink down with a soft clink.
"Impressive use of chopsticks," he noted. "You stopped an enhanced punch without so much as flinching."
Elric leaned back in his seat, stretching his arms. "You learn to use whatever's around. Improvisation is key." He shrugged. "It doesn't matter if it's a baton, a book, or a pair of chopsticks; if you can turn it into an advantage, you use it."
Nanami nodded. "A good philosophy."
Just as Elric took another sip of his drink, Nanami shifted the atmosphere with a single pointed question.
"Now then," he said, his tone sharpening. "Why are you really in Japan?"
The table fell silent.
Elric lowered his glass, his usual lighthearted expression hardening. His crimson eyes flickered with something unreadable before he exhaled.
"Straight to the point, huh?" he muttered.
Nanami adjusted his tie. "We've danced around it long enough."
Elric glanced at the others. Benikiba had regained her composure, watching him with a mix of curiosity and wariness. Ino, despite his usual laid-back nature, looked genuinely interested in the answer. Still slightly pouting from earlier, Hina peeked up from behind her teacup, waiting.
He let the moment hang in the air before finally setting his drink down.
"Alright," Elric said. "I guess it's about time I start talking."
Elric exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck as he awkwardly explained his reason for being in Japan. Nanami and the other sorcerers listened in silence, their expressions shifting as they took in the weight of his words.
From the brutal training he endured as a twelve-year-old to his academic years at UCLA, Elric had spent his life under an unrelenting regimen, one dictated by his family's harsh expectations. He had traveled to Japan not for adventure or duty but to escape the suffocating structure that had fractured his childhood.
A heavy silence followed his confession.
Ino, listening intently, wiped his eyes before dramatically sniffing. "Damn, man… that's rough."
Beside him, Hina's own eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "I-I had no idea…" she murmured, clasping her hands together.
Benikiba, for once, didn't carry her usual cocky smirk. She sighed, looking genuinely regretful. "Tch. Guess I've been more of a pain in the ass than usual." She gave him a side glance. "Sorry for earlier."
Elric raised an eyebrow at her uncharacteristic apology but nodded. "It's fine."
Just as he said that, Benikiba, seemingly returning to her usual self, leaned in with her typical delinquent grin and smacked him on the shoulder, her palm landing with an audible thump.
Elric instantly recoiled, practically leaping back off his stool as if she had struck him with a live wire.
The entire group froze.
Benikiba blinked. "...What the hell was that?"
Hina tilted her head in confusion. "Elric-san?"
Ino squinted, rubbing his chin. Then, a mischievous smirk crept across his face. "...Yo, Elric. Are you into guys?"
The air in the izakaya grew thick with tension when those words left his mouth.
Elric's entire expression shifted from startled panic to sheer, seething rage. His crimson eyes narrowed into slits, veins visibly pulsing at his temples. The sheer pressure of his glare made Ino immediately regret his words.
"Okay, okay!" Ino waved his hands in surrender. "Message received... loud and clear!"
As the group tried to decipher Elric's strange reaction, Nanami, ever observant, took a sip of his drink before speaking in his usual even tone.
"You were conditioned to fear fully grown women, weren't you?"
The question silenced the group. Elric stiffened slightly before giving Nanami a slow, reluctant nod.
Benikiba, Hina, and Ino shared confused looks. "Wait, what?"
Elric exhaled, rubbing his temple. "It's… complicated."
Nanami studied him before a memory clicked in his mind. "...A particular incident in Las Vegas. Nine years ago."
The moment he said that, Elric visibly flinched.
Nanami stuttered slightly, realization dawning on him. "That was you?!"
Ino, who had been about to take a sip of his drink, paused. "Hold up. That incident? The one with the..." His eyes slowly widened. "...Oh."
The entire conversation fell into an awkward silence.
Hina and Benikiba, still in the dark, looked between them in frustration. "What the hell happened in Las Vegas?!"
Before anyone could answer, the taishou cleared his throat, expertly breaking the tension as he stood by their table. "So. Are we actually ordering food, or are you all just here to exchange tragic backstories?"
Benikiba, snapping out of her confusion, smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Give me the most expensive dish on the menu."
Hina, Nanami, and Ino also placed their orders, while Elric simply said, "The usual."
Moments later, the taishou returned, setting their dishes before them. The aroma of freshly grilled meat, rich broths, and fragrant spices filled the air, making everyone, except for the ever-composed Nanami, marvel at the spread before them.
However, it was Elric's dish that truly caught everyone's attention.
At first glance, his ramen bowl looked deceptively normal. But the moment the steam rose from the broth, an intense spicy aroma filled the air, one that immediately made the other sorcerers sit up in alert.
Elric sniffed the air, then glanced at the taishou. "You got the peppers?"
The taishou sighed. "Couldn't get the Carolina Reaper this time, but I managed to get Trinidad Moruga Scorpion peppers."
Setting his drink down, Nanami calmly explained, "The Scorpion pepper is one of the spiciest in the world. If consumed recklessly, it can send someone straight to the hospital."
Benikiba's brow twitched. "And you're just casually eating that?"
Elric picked up his chopsticks, pulled some noodles from the broth, and took a bite. He chewed. Swallowed. Then, casually went for another without so much as flinching.
Hina stared, slack-jawed. "H-How…?"
Elric simply shrugged. "Grew up eating super spicy stuff. It's normal for me."
The table fell into stunned silence.
As everyone ate, Ino turned to Elric, still mulling over an earlier thought. "By the way… How the hell did you survive getting roundhouse kicked in the temple?"
Elric finished chewing, then leaned back slightly. "Training. One of my regimens involved transitioning between land and naval combat. That kind of abrupt shift messes with your equilibrium. You either learn to adapt your balance, or you drown."
Nanami nodded in understanding and explained further. "It's similar to how seafarers develop a unique sense of balance after spending prolonged periods on a ship. However, their equilibrium is temporarily thrown off when they step back on land. Elric's training allowed his sense of balance to adjust depending on the situation."
Hina, amazed, clapped her hands. "That's incredible!"
Benikiba leaned back, arms crossed. "Damn. That's actually kinda cool."
However, Elric sighed, running a hand down his face. "Yeah, except it screwed up my entire teenagehood. Not really something worth applause."
Nanami glanced at him. "...And who, exactly, trained you through such extremes?"
Elric's expression darkened slightly. He clicked his tongue. "Someone I owe a lot to, but not in a good way." His voice held an undeniable grudge.
He added, "It all ties back to an incident 25 years ago. Hokkaido."
Nanami's brow furrowed as he thought back. His eyes slowly widened. "Impossible..."
The others looked between them. "What incident?" Benikiba asked.
Elric gave a slow nod. The table went silent again.
Benikiba and Hina still had no idea what was going on. Ino, however, connected the dots. "Wait. The one about the..."
Elric simply took another sip of his drink.
As the last remnants of dinner settled, the group stepped out of the izakaya into the cool night air. The city's neon glow flickered above them, casting long shadows across the pavement.
Elric turned to Nanami, his crimson eyes unreadable in the dim light.
"I apologize for not being direct. I will explain the current situation at the high school tomorrow morning at my place," Elric said simply.
Nanami, understanding the weight behind the words, gave a slight nod. "Understood."
With that, Elric slipped his hands into his pockets and turned away, disappearing into the darkness of the streets. His footsteps faded, swallowed by the ambient noise of Tokyo's nightlife.
As soon as he was out of sight, Ino turned to Nanami, curiosity burning in his expression. "Alright, I have to ask... what the hell happened in Hokkaido twenty-five years ago?"
Nanami exhaled, adjusting his tie. "It was a massacre."
The group fell silent, the weight of his words hanging in the air.
"I was young at the time," Nanami continued. "I only read about it in the papers. A criminal organization based in Hokkaido had grown so powerful that not even the Japanese government or the military could put them down. They had politicians in their pockets, a private army, and rumors of their members dabbling in cursed dealings."
Benikiba crossed her arms. "So what happened?"
Nanami's gaze darkened. "They called in someone."
Hina hesitated. "Called in... who?"
"A mercenary," Nanami said. "A man born of war. His name was never made public, only whispers about his actions. He was sent in alone, and in a single night, the organization was dismantled. Completely. Every key figure, every enforcer, wiped out barehanded."
Silence fell upon the sorcerers.
Ino's jaw slackened. "W-Wait. You mean he..."
Nanami nodded. "No weapons. No guns. Just his own two hands. And there were no fatalities. He didn't kill a single one of them."
Benikiba narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't make any sense. Taking down a crime syndicate without killing anyone? You'd need some serious control to pull that off."
Still wrapping her head around it, Hina asked hesitantly, "But… weren't there cursed users in that organization?"
Nanami's expression darkened further. "There were. Hundreds. Trained curse users, some strong enough to rival Grade 1 sorcerers."
Benikiba and Ino exchanged stunned glances.
"But he still beat them?" Ino asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Nanami nodded. "Without a drop of cursed energy."
The air between them grew heavy.
Hina clutched her sleeves. "That… that should be impossible."
"By normal standards, it is," Nanami admitted. "But this mercenary was no ordinary man. He didn't just dismantle the organization; he left them alive and in such a state of fear that their influence collapsed overnight. Even the higher-ups in the criminal world refused to rebuild after what happened. The message was clear... step out of line again, and he would return."
The revelation left the younger sorcerers speechless.
Ino ran a hand through his hair. "Jesus. So you're telling me Elric was trained by that guy?"
Nanami glanced in the direction Elric had walked off. "That's what we'll have to find out."
But something lingered in his mind.
When he had mentioned Elric's teacher, even subtly, there was a shift, a flicker in Elric's eyes, a tightening of his jaw that only someone as observant as Nanami would catch.
It wasn't just resentment. It was something deeper, something personal.
The thought clicked into place like a final puzzle piece. If that mercenary, the one who dismantled an entire criminal syndicate alone, was Elric's mentor… then Elric wasn't just a disciple of war. He was its heir.
Nanami remained silent, but his thoughts weighed heavily. If this was true, then the story of Elric's past was far more complicated than any of them realized.
And soon, they would have no choice but to confront it.
Benikiba crossed her arms, her delinquent attitude briefly subdued by the weight of the revelation. "No cursed energy, no technique… yet he wiped out an entire crime syndicate alone? That's the kind of strength you fear."
Nanami let out a slow breath. "Which is why I'll report this to Jujutsu HQ. But…" His gaze sharpened. "Elric's identity remains off the record. That was the vow we made, and we're bound to it."
The others nodded.
A cold breeze swept through the street, carrying the weight of the conversation into the night.
A new start had begun.