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CHAPTER START---
Under the afternoon sun, Taiyo carefully steps across the water, standing atop an ankle-deep pond while using Cursed Energy to remain on the turbulent surface.
He narrowly avoids Kusakabe's blade while he focuses on his footing.
With each strike, Kusakabe steps forward, disturbing the water as his bare feet crash to the bottom of the pond. The small waves and ripples cause Taiyo to alter the Flowing Cursed Energy beneath his feet while adjusting his footing.
Yet Kusakabe is unable to break his concentration.
"That Simple Domain of yours is absurd," Kusakabe says as he performs a flurry of stabs, and Taiyo carefully avoids them all.
Having not opened his eyes even once during this exercise.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out someday. I did tell you how I did it after all."
"Tch." Kusakabe leaps away, out of the water and onto the soft grass before sheathing his blade. "Such intricate Jujutsu is only possible because of the resonance between your souls. Us regular people can't do that."
"Not with that attitude." Taiyo walks on the pond and steps onto the grass, finally opening his eyes.
He was entirely unbothered after a day of training, while Kusakabe was covered in a thin layer of sweat, breathing heavily.
"Alright, I think we're done."
"Already? No after-training report?" Taiyo asks as Kusakabe begins packing up.
"Not for the day, forever. I don't have anything else to teach you. And honestly, I have no interest in tagging along for whatever insane missions you get sent on. You're a real Special Grade now, and your reputation's gotten serious in these past few days since your fight with Gojo.
I don't want to be in the crossfire of whatever shitstorm happens with you. So yeah, I can't officially transfer out of the role until the next school year begins, but I don't need to be as hands on with you anymore."
Taiyo frowns. "What about Barriers?"
"You have a Domain Expansion. Reverse engineer everything from there. And I can provide you with some materials on using Talismans to form Shikigami. But with your obsessive nature, it won't take long before you figure that out."
"Sounds like you really want to get rid of me."
"Nothing personal. It'd just be a waste of my time to babysit you. Honestly, the only people with anything to teach you are Master Tengen and the big three clans. They have ancient knowledge even I don't know since I'm an outsider."
"I'll keep that in mind."
They talk for a few more minutes before Ijichi interrupts, walking out of the forest at the edge of their training field on campus.
"A Grade 1 Cursed Spirit has appeared," he says, and Kusakabe doesn't bother to look his way while packing.
"Taiyo is going solo on missions from now on. You two have fun with that."
"Oh…" Ijichi looks between them, giving Taiyo a concerned glance.
"It's fine. There just isn't much else for him to teach me."
"Oh, alright. Well, we should go. It will take a while for us to get there."
---The Next Day…
Standing at the mouth of an icy cave on Mt. Shokanbetsu on Japan's northern island, Ijichi and Taiyo can sense Cursed Energy radiating outward and washing over them.
Ijichi pulls his winter jacket tighter, protecting himself from the biting winds this far up the snow-covered mountain, and Taiyo stands there in his usual sportswear.
Unbothered by extreme temperatures because of his Innate Technique. The Cursed Energy trait it provides protects him, even if he is unable to access Immolation at the moment.
"The Talismans are broken," Ijichi says, pointing to the large paper Talismans plastered about the cave entrance, and the chains draped across the opening with similar items hanging from them.
"So someone did this."
"Likely. I need to call Principal Yaga."
Taiyo sees Ijichi take out his phone to call, and gives the man a nod. "I'm going in. If I'm not out in fifteen minutes, I'm probably dead, so do whatever you want."
"What?"
Taiyo ignores the man and enters the cave.
The moment he steps over the threshold, entering the Barrier of the cave, the dark image of a shallow cave seen from outside is gone.
And a vast, lush cavern of soft grass and small plants expands outward, with a river sporting chunks of ice and daylight breaking through the ceiling.
"Okay, I seriously need to study Barriers…"
Taking a few steps forward, he focuses on the familiar Cursed Energy Signature moving around him, out of sight, but easily sensed while it stalks around him on the ceiling.
Taiyo looks up, and his gaze meets that of a large centipede with human eyes covering its back, clinging to the ceiling while staring directly at him.
"You plan to stay there and be creepy all day?"
The Centipede Cursed Spirits drops in front of him, uncurling to its full 45ft -15m- length and looming over him.
But Taiyo simply frowns and rolls his eyes, looking up at the Cursed Spirit.
It's pincers on either side of the mouth click and drip venom just in front of his shoes, the acidic properties melting the ground and wafting up caustic fumes, and Taiyo narrows his eyes at it.
Then, it coughs, and a sealed letter falls out of its mouth.
Taiyo catches it, shaking some of the spit off, then opens the letter while the Cursed Spirit skitters about around him. Its many eyes never losing sight of the boy.
Taiyo reads the letter, then sighs. "No wonder you and Gojo were best friends, both so damn dramatic."
He turns to the Cursed Spirit, now visibly annoyed as he holds up the letter. "You could have just called me instead of making me leave my training and walk up a damn mountain!"
The Cursed Spirit tilts its head slightly, and Taiyo understands what Suguru Geto is trying to communicate.
"Bullshit. You could have found my number if you really wanted to. Next time, just call. I don't have time for this crap."
Taiyo rushes forward, and before the Cursed Spirit can move, he forms a Flowing Cursed Energy dagger in his right hand and pierces its head, instantly killing it.
"You don't get to waste my time and keep this creepy toy," he says while dissipating the dagger.
And as the body burns with purple flames, he crumples the letter and places it in his pocket.
His Binding Vow that sealed his Innate Technique is known only to him, by design.
Part of the Binding Vow requires that he not alter his normal life to accommodate it. If he made the Binding Vow and then hid on campus for a month, the risk would not be enough for Jujutsu to accept.
Therefore, he must continue his regular life as he has access to his Cursed Technique, making some situations exponentially more dangerous, and leaving him hoping that nothing else will happen over these next three weeks.
For this reason, he hasn't revealed the Binding Vow to anyone, to prevent people from striking while he's vulnerable.
Taiyo quickly leaves the cave's Barrier, seeing Ijichi still on the phone and waving to the man, who is relieved to see that he's alright.
"I took care of it," Taiyo says as his own phone begins ringing.
Taking it out and reading the caller's name, he can't help but smile.
"Ijichi, I'll return to campus a bit later. I have something to take care of before then," Taiyo says as he begins walking down the mountain, answering the phone to be greeted by Mei Mei's elated voice.
"They accepted."
"Who accepted?" he asks.
"The Zen'In clan. They'll give you what you want, in exchange for showing up to the meeting. And they paid me quite well for arranging this."
"Right, so enter from a position of power. Any idea what they want from me?"
"Marry into the clan. Accept some concubines. Something like that. That clan is particularly sexist and horrible. They'll do whatever it takes to form a proper alliance with you."
"Annoying. But whatever, maybe I can get some more out of them without committing anything."
"Not committing seems to be a trend with you."
"It works for us so far."
"Mhm, but they aren't so amused by you."
"Being noncommittal to the other clans is also valuable. I'll try to play along with that."
"That could work. Now, how long until you're back in Tokyo?"
"A day or so, I'm still up north right now."
"Good, so am I. Come to my hotel, let's celebrate all the money you made me from that fight, and the fact that the bounty on you has been dropped."
"Really, it's gone. So the person who did it must have seen the fight."
"It was probably one of the higher-ups who didn't trust you. We can discuss it more later."
Taiyo smiles. "We'll save the talking for breakfast. Tonight, I'm in the mood to celebrate…"
END CHAPTER---
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