Discord: discord .gg /eHuxNeZfyS [Come chat with me]
pat.reon: Keanu_Eugene [Read ahead & support me]
You.tube: @KeanuEugene [Giving away all my writing knowledge]
CHAPTER START---
"So, recognize him?" Taiyo asks as Kusakabe hops over the railing, completely soaked.
"Huh?" Kusakabe looks over to see the unconscious old man lying on the floor, still clutching his broken sword.
"We don't all know each other. But he's not from Jujutsu Tech, and he's too weak to be anyone important," Kusakabe says as he approaches the man and kicks the sword out of his hand. "Next time, disarm your prisoner."
Taiyo just shrugs.
"He attacked you?"
"He tried, he was here 'fishing' when I got out of the water, then tried to stab me after I called Principal Yaga."
Kusakabe reaches down and opens the man's mouth, "No tongue, he's from a small assassin clan of Curse Users, he won't talk."
"So, do we take him prisoner?" Taiyo asks. "Magic handcuffs maybe?"
"No," Kusakabe stabs the man in the head, instantly killing him. "He wouldn't talk either way. These guys take a binding vow with their clan head. If they try to leak any intel, their hearts will stop."
As Kusakabe gets up to collect his coat, Taiyo walks over and begins searching the dead man's pockets.
"Don't desecrate the dead," Kusakabe says. "And they don't carry anything that can give us clues, anyway."
Taiyo rifles through the man's pockets, finding nothing, and sighs. "Tries to kill me and doesn't even drop loot."
"Life isn't a video game."
"Says the magic samurai," Taiyo says as he places his hand on the body and flows his Cursed Energy through it, causing the entire thing to immolate from within.
And over the next few seconds, the entire thing is cremated.
"I don't sense anyone else around us, so we're clear," Kusakabe says. "Did you call Yaga about this?"
"Yeah."
"Well, these guys are pretty low level. Geto wouldn't work with them. This is probably something else," Kusakabe says as he pulls on his coat and shoes, then begins walking away.
Taiyo falls into step beside him, radiating heat that dries their clothes as they walk. "What do you mean?"
"Suguru Geto is the top suspect. He's a Special Grade Curse User, but he was a Jujutsu Sorcerer until about 6 years ago. Something in him snapped, I guess, killed his parents and decided to kill all humans who release Cursed Energy to wipe out all Cursed Spirits."
"So he wants to wipe out Japan," Taiyo says. "How'd he steal the Cursed Spirit?"
"His Innate Technique is Cursed Spirit Manipulation. Think of it like having Pokémon in real life."
"And there are more of these locked away all over Japan."
"Yes, but only Master Tengen knows where all of them are, since they haven't needed any attendance in the past century," Kusakabe says. "They must have worked hard to get intel on the three they did, and they waited until Gojo was on a plane heading away from Japan to strike."
"So everyone in Jujutsu Society knows about Gojo."
"Yeah, Suguru Geto especially, since they were best friends. In their 4th year, he betrayed us, and Gojo."
"Ok, so that's who stole the Cursed Spirit, and, the old guy with no tongue?"
"You're a Special Grade. Word has been spreading around these past few weeks, but now that you're in the Jujutsu Tech system, it's mandatory that all the major clans know about you. I don't put it past one of them to set this up as a test of some kind, or…someone you pissed off wants you dead before you become a threat."
"Hmm, like that old man who would have executed me, Principal Gakuganji."
"I never said that," Kusakabe says as they arrive back at the car. As they're about to get in, he stops and leans on the car, looking directly at Taiyo. "Look, you're already fairly strong, and you'll only get stronger from here.
Those old farts are always nervous about anyone with talent, so just keep your head down and act in service of Jujutsu Society, and they'll just leave you alone. The alternative is trying to stir up chaos, which would be a big disaster."
"So I'm supposed to put up with their bullshit because they're in power?"
"And now you know why Gojo hates them," Kusakabe says as he gets in the car. "But that's assuming it really is them and not just some Cursed Users scared of Jujutsu Tech getting even more powerful."
"What, they think we'd get to 'Infinity + 1'?" Taiyo laughs at the idea of Gojo needing any help.
"Eh, I don't get paid enough to think about crap like that. Let's just get out of here. We need to get back to campus, and you need to work on sensing Cursed Energy," Kusakabe says as he drives them away.
"After we get breakfast," Taiyo says. "I'm in the mood for omelets."
"Sure, I know a place…"
---2 Hours Later…
Sitting in a small shop along the main street of Hachioji Tokyo, Kusakabe sits back with his omelet and rice, watching Taiyo with a slightly concerned expression.
Sitting across from him, the boy was eating a large bowl of omelets. There was no rice, just eggs and sausages in the bowl, along with some cheese on top.
And along with a cup of tea, he has a small plate of six boiled eggs alongside it.
"Are you sure you don't want some more rice?" Kusakabe asks. "Maybe some more melon bread?"
"I'm trying to put on some more muscles, so no, I need this more right now," Taiyo says.
"You know, circulating Cursed Energy brings out the physical potential of your body much easier than building muscles."
"Yes, but you also said our physical build matters, right?"
"Yes, and luckily for you, Cursed Energy helps us maintain ourselves in that regard," Kusakabe says, causing the boy to stop for a moment.
"Wait, so after I add on some muscle, I won't need to eat like this forever?"
"Pretty much," Kusakabe says as he raises his hand, signaling one of the waitresses to bring him another coffee. "Nature always favors Jujutsu. Regular weapons without Cursed Energy don't work against Cursed Spirits, but they do work against us to a much, much, much lesser degree. Everyone at Grade 1 is effectively bulletproof. It would take multiple tank shells to the face to put me down, if I'm on guard at least."
"That's assuming they're decent with reinforcement and enhancement."
"True," Kusakabe says before thanking the woman and accepting his coffee. "But it applies to maintaining a physique as well. Cursed Energy is naturally dangerous, so our body flows it to push us toward a state that's better for fighting."
"Then, shouldn't Gojo be super buff?"
"He's pretty skinny but, he'd probably be able to pack on muscle at a rate of," Kusakabe thinks about it for a moment. "Maybe 20lbs a month."
"That's insane."
"That's Satoru Gojo. With his precision flowing Cursed Energy at an atomic level to make sure his body wastes no nutrients and processes everything isn't impossible. We've spoken about this before."
"Is there anything he isn't the best at?"
"Not being annoying, he hasn't figured that out yet," Kusakabe grumbles before taking a sip of his drink. "Ugh, cold."
Seeing the man still drinking the coffee, Taiyo raises his hand, flowing Cursed Energy through it and making it radiate heat.
"Want me to warm it up?" Taiyo asks as his hand glows blood red for a moment and the air around it heats up.
"Cut that out—" Before Kusakabe can scold his student, a woman a few tables away screams, pointing directly at Taiyo's hand.
"Your hand!" she yells, causing everyone to look at him.
Kusakabe groans as Taiyo just looks at the woman, as if confused. "This hand?" he asks, raising his hand for all to see, after canceling his Immolation.
"It was—! It was burning!" she yells.
Taiyo looks at his hand, confused, "Uh, are you alright, ma'am?"
Everyone in the restaurant looks at her as if she were crazy, along with Taiyo.
"Do you need to, maybe, lie down for a bit?" he asks innocently.
"But…but I…it was red," she mutters, doubting herself as her husband gestures for her to sit and stop making a commotion. "Sorry, I just…maybe I'm just tired."
"It's alright," Taiyo says before turning back to Kusakabe.
"Be more careful, idiot," Kusakabe mutters.
"Eh, what's going to happen?" Taiyo asks as he leans forward, speaking quietly. "Is she going to tell people a magic samurai and fire wizard were eating breakfast here?"
"You know, there is probably a significant number of people who were driven insane because they're Windows and don't even know it, so be more careful."
"Eh, whatever," Taiyo shrugs and eats one of the boiled eggs. "What else are we doing today, sensei?"
"Well, we're done for today, and Yaga won't want you leaving campus until this whole…you know. 'Old Fisherman' situation is a bit older."
"Great, so I get to take a nap."
"You need to get used to going long periods of time with no sleep," Kusakabe says. "Besides, with your Cursed Energy circulation, you'll be fine for at least another day."
"That makes sense, so, what are we learning today?"
"Sensing Cursed Energy and how to create a Curtain, those two things are essential to take on missions, Solo."
"Oh, so I finally get to learn about a Barrier, one step closer to my Domain Expansion."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, you're still quite a bit away from that," Kusakabe says as he finishes his coffee.
END CHAPTER---
Discord: discord .gg /eHuxNeZfyS [Come chat with me]
pat.reon: Keanu_Eugene [Read ahead & support me]
You.tube: @KeanuEugene [Giving away all my writing knowledge]