"Those people who raided Rhine Lab before, have we found any information on them yet?" Muelsyse watched peek out of the window as the cityscape passed by. The sprawling high skyscrapers reminded her much of Columbia's but different in its own sense and design.
Saria was sitting right by her, being the driver of the car, "they were turned in to the LGD, apparently they said those people might belong to a gang known as the Blood Hounds." The Vouivre kept her sights on the road, driving off to where the Chimera Bird had flown off to.
"...Who?" Muelsyse looked at Saria with a confused look, "are they... Well known or something?" The Elf has never heard of them before. No, actually, she had a vague remembrance of them somewhere.
"They're a Sircusan gang getting involved in Lungmen, for reasons unknown," Saria kept one hand on the wheel, while the other leaned back. They were on a straight road, "I remember a request was sent to buy the recent Oripathy suppressant medicine, good for lower stage advancements from an unknown company."
"Let me guess, they were those Blood Hounds, hm?" Muelsyse leaned her head to Saria, making the most obvious guess she could. "Come on, it's quite obvious, I've already connected the dots between them."
"You're right," Saria responded, "I had a team conduct a few background searches on them. Turns out the company they were using as a front has a record for... Unsavory actions, to put it lightly."
"How unsavory are we talking here?" Muelsyse crossed her arms, leaning against the car door.
"They were using the Hanshi Company as a front, a tech company, but have been under a scandal for dropping USBs into trash and random places disguised as viruses," Saria began explaining. "Turns out, one of them had a very similar looking scratched out logo compared to the Hanshi Company, leading to the scandal."
"Oh! That Hanshi Company?" Muelsyse snapped her fingers, "I heard that scandal was blown out of the water with other problems happening around Lungmen, so the Blood Hounds are connected to them too?"
"You've done your research, it seems?" Saria raised an eyebrow at the water Elf.
"Mhm~, not really," Muelsyse admitted, "I just overheard a few conversations from the other researchers, they really like talking about the events of Lungmen... Especially the Chimera Bird."
"Understandable," Saria nodded, "then I take it you've heard of his assassination? Hanshi's assassination to be more specific."
"Yup, I have," Muelsyse placed her elbow on the car door, resting her head against her open palm. "So, about the fact that they asked for Oripathy treating medicine through the company as a front?"
"We rejected them, of course," Saria blankly noted. "But with the recent events that have occurred, it seems they didn't take it too lightly."
"That's one way to put it," Muelsyse shrugged, "anyways, the LGD will probably deal with them in the next week or so, not our stuff to butt in, hm?"
"Indeed, for now, we just wait for more security to arrive at Rhine Lab's establishment here," Saria nodded. "For now, they'll think twice before pulling another stunt like that, thanks to the help of Zen'in."
"Oh~, speaking of Zen'in, you've seen that attack from before, haven't you?" Muelsyse voice chirped up at the mention of the man.
"...Yes, it was quite worrying," when the two had first seen it, Saria and Muelsyse had to halt the car and duck under cover; feeling the force of what was practically an electric orbital laser crashing down on the outskirts of Lungmen.
"Seriously, three more Chimera Birds? Just what is he?" Muelsyse crossed her arms with a pouting expression, "hmph, so many people born with such special abilities, really, I'm sorta jealous~."
Saria had to agree that the fact there were three more Chimera Birds that Zen'in could summon was stupidly insane, "it's not like you to say something like that."
"Eh, I just wanted to point that out, we hardly know much about Terra, huh?" Muelsyse reminiscid about her times with Kristen, and her fascination with space. "You think Kristen would totally fangirl seeing what is essentially an orbital laser strike? Oh, oh! I know! We should have a messenger send a video clip of that, I wanna see her reaction!"
"...I doubt it would get much of a reaction," Saria blandly pointed out. There was hardly anything that seemed like it could truly phase the woman. "At most, she'd nod in interest and go back to her research."
"Boo~, you're no fun! She'd be more interested in that, it's practically an orbital strike!" Muelsyse closed her eyes in disappointment and stuck out her tongue, before turning back to a neutral expression. "But seriously... What caused him to summon such a thing? To risk the sight of it in the city again?"
Saria could see the grand and towering steel walls of Lungmen starting to approach, knowing that they most likely would have to sneak around to get through. With the sight displayed, it would most likely be heavily guarded.
But Muelsyse did put up a good point, what would require him to summon an orbital strike of lightning that sent an mini earthquake across Lungmen? "That's a good question."
"We'll find out, won't we?" Muelsyse winked at the woman, before water started to gather around her, "come with me, I know a way to sneak around~!"
"..." Saria really hoped they wouldn't get caught, but it seems the water Elf really wanted to meet with the man once again. Really, her logical side was completely against whatever stunt Muelsyse was going to put up, but the Vouivre woman couldn't help but get dragged into her shenanigans.
"So, are you going with?" Muelsyse asked.
"...Somebody needs to keep you safe," Saria sighed, half wishing she had just stayed with Silence and Ifrit back in Columbia.
***
It was a stupid idea, it was more probable in the long run that he would be able to escape with his Cursed Energy reserves still intact if he had deactivated Tiger Funeral with the Inverted Spear of Heaven.
But what had happened? Fushiguro Megumi had taken a complete gamble, opening his Domain Expansion against the untamed Shikigami, as he had done against the Finger Bearer and Reggie Star before.
That Domain Expansion always drained his Cursed Energy to great amounts, being the unrefined and sloppy mess it was. So using it against Tiger Funeral was most likely a stupid move, and due to it not possessing a barrier, the Shikigami could just flash step right on out.
Expanding the range of his incomplete Domain was a risk, one that he was willing to take. What would he get out of it? Tiger Funeral. What were the risks? Leaving himself completely drained and a sitting duck in the middle of the outskirts of Lungmen. Most likely, a search squad of the LGD would find him.
What happened next would be completely unknown to him. It was at the spur of the moment, an excitement and rage that he kept deep beneath, that the Sorcerer abandoned all logic and pushed past his limits to tame Tiger Funeral.
Was it euphoric? definitely, did he experience a high like a crack addict getting back into ruining their life? Absolutely, and that analogy perfectly described his situation.
Unconsciousness, something that Megumi had found comfort within, to hide away from the world and reside deep in his own thoughts.
The silence he felt, when he had finally given up and relinquished control to Ryomen Sukuna, the utter relief that filled every millimeter of his veins.
.
.
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.
.
But... Without him, who would be there for Itadori Yuji? He didn't want to see him so lonely. It hurt him, pained him.
One of his only true friends... Megumi could say with a thousand stacked certainty, that Yuji was the greatest person he had met, on par with his sister.
The three greatest people he could say without any uncertainty, Gojo (rest his heart), Yuji, and Tsumiki.
All but one was alive, and the world around that pinked haired man would collapse if Megumi hadn't done anything.
If he hadn't gotten up, fought back control... But in the end, he had done nothing. Right now, he had to get up, get up for Yuji; the only person he had left.
He would repeat that name as many times as it takes, to reignite the flame within his heart and course the burning flame of inspiration once more.
'Yuji... Wait for me... I'll find a way back.'
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.
It was unfortunate that such a dream was unattainable.
***
Lin was starting to reflect on her choices leading up to this moment right now. It should've been easy, picking up this black haired man who looked like he was emotionally constipated and bringing him back safely.
She had even made it here first, going past all the other competition and the LGD. Oh how unfortunate another person had distracted her and made it right after her.
Right now, the Zalak had to stay calm, and assess the situation so that she could escape without so much as a hitch.
'A Sankta who controls music Arts, a Lupo who has some sort of ability that disrupts Arts, a spectator from the distance, and the LGD had arrived,' Lin methodically assessed all of their abilities and unconsciously formed a transparent and luminescent glass barrier around herself.
'If it's Ch'en, she might be a bother, but that Lupo might be annoying, I don't know about the Sankta. Swire might be an annoyance with her drones, but my barrier can keep that at bay... Hoshiguma? If I can have Ch'en and Swire retreat behind her, then I can make an escape,' Lin Yuhsia narrowed her eyes, her grip on Fushiguro Megumi's collar tightening.
Her ears twitched, watching as the three LGD officers jumped straight out of the helicopter, landing with a bang.
Dust, sand, and glass particles appeared around their forms, a large crater forming along with a cracking sound.
'...Showoffs,' Lin mentally scoffed and rolled her eyes, watching the Lupo and Sankta's attention turn to them.
Swire was standing at the back of Ch'en and Hoshiguma, the latter specifically moving towards the tiger lady to provide more defense for her. A drone floated around the group, belonging to Swire who would act as a support.
Ch'en in particular was the main assault along with Hoshiguma, but the green haired Oni would be more inclined to provide defensive means.
"Tch," Lappland let out an annoyed grunt, before turning and running straight towards Lin.
'She's trying to get rid of me first and take Megumi, isn't she?' Lin Yuhsia knew that her sword might dispel at the touch of the white flames on the Lupo's blades, so she opted to throw Megumi far back and dodge a slash.
"Huh?" Lappland looked confused at the woman's actions, before widening her eyes and leaping into a back flip, having dodged a strike from Ch'en.
Lin continued to backpedal, attempting to reach Megumi, her eyes meeting Ch'en's for a brief moment...
A message seemed to have been conveyed between the two's eyes, despite the rough conditions their relations have been in the past few years.
Work together, bother about each other later.
The Sankta and the Lupo were outsiders of Lungmen, having to deal with each other rather than outsiders was a far more safer option.
Lin mentally sighed, before reaching Fushiguro Megumi once more.
Lappland, still in the air delivered a backflip kick towards Ch'en, the dragon lady blocking it with her free hand, before the Lupo spun in the air and instantly sent off another blow with her foot.
It impact Ch'en's cheek, sending her back, before a drones came around her to divert Lappland's attention, before chained flail from Swire came circling around Ch'en.
The white haired Lupo gripped, before slashing at the ball and sending it flying into the air, making Swire lose control of its momentum.
Unfortunately for Lappland, a slash infused with glass Arts scratched against her back, bringing her forward to be bashed against Hoshiguma's shield.
Ch'en came right around to slash at Lappland, who was able to quickly recover enough and block a blow.
"Agh, if you wanna jump me! Try harder!" Lappland grinned, before Hoshiguma and Ch'en together unleashed a flurry of blows, all of which the white haired Lupo was starting to find more and more tiring.
She had to occasionally dodge to the side when that rat lady had attempted to sneak a blow from behind, as sparks of white and orange sparks continued to fly into the air...
But the sound of a cello playing resounded.
Lappland could feel some sort of energy going into her body, ashen and gold musical notes starting to fill the battlefield.
Hoshiguma widened her eyes and turned to the Sankta who they had ignored before, now standing on a boulder and playing her instrument with such fervor and passion, that it didn't even look like she was participating in a battle at the moment.
However, Lappland could feel a surge of strength enter her, while the enemies she was fighting against felt some sort of force pushing down on them and weakening their movements.
Swire clicked her tongue, before directing her flail at the Sankta, which was promptly blocked by Lappland's new increase in strength.
"Whatever you're doing, Sankta woman, I'll kill you last!" Lappland grinned, before sending out a great flurry of slashes that formed a dome like defense around her.
"Hoshiguma!" Ch'en called out, before the Oni woman went forward and shielded her, feeling the slashes scraping against her shield.
Lin wasn't so lucky, having to manually dodge them and not rely on her glass barrier. What was even worse was that she also had to account for Fushiguro Megumi's well being.
"Lin! Let's make a deal!" Ch'en called out from behind Hoshiguma, "he'll be under your protection, but we get to demand answers from him after!"
The Zalak wanted to focus on the words more, but she was occupied with the relentless assault of the white haired Lupo.
'A deal...? With me?" Lin had to make sure her ears were hearing things correctly, before grabbing Megumi into a hug and jumping into a vertical spin in the air to avoid a white horizontal slash.
"Did you hear me?!" Ch'en yelled out, an annoyed tick mark appearing on her forehead, do you accept it or not?!"
Lin had found an opening within the attack, before stretching her right arm back into a thrust before shooting it forward, a clear path making its way to Lappland.
The white haired Lupo widened her eyes, before stopping her attacks and leaning backwards, dodging it.
Arturia smiled, opening her eyes slightly to see the chaos on the battlefield that had occurred, "my~, quite a work of Arts, no?"
Lappland gave her a stare, before turning back to the LGD alliance, Swire and Ch'en peeking out from behind Hoshiguma.
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Ch'en?" Swire asked, huffing out and looking at Hoshiguma's condition.
"This is the best bet we've got, if she doesn't keep her end of this deal then we won't keep ours," Ch'en firmly replied. Although she was hesitant at first, the blue haired lady was willing to at least hear something out.
"Fine, fine, I trust you, I don't wanna have to fight after this dumbass wolf!" Swire agreed.
Lin nodded at them, "fine, I accept."
The three seemed to look absolutely relieved at that, before they exited from behind Hoshiguma and got into battle stances against Lappland.
"You better keep the end of the deal," Hoshiguma muttered, shooting a side glance towards her.
"I'm not so cheap as to do that," Lin huffed, "I'll guard him, you three focus on those two while I provide support."
Musical notes kept permeating the air, before a square arena around them started to light up in gold.
"Spread out!" Ch'en had called out, before all of them hurriedly rushed to get out of the way.
Rotting, they felt as if they were rotting within the enclosed area, before Lin decided to throw the injured man once more out of the arena to not have him damaged-
But then Lappland grinned, having already anticipated such a thing, and rushed forward to catch Fushiguro Megumi.
Lin widened her eyes, a glass barrier forming around her before she bursted forward with great speed, keeping up with the white haired wolf to attempt to catch up.
But it seems she was too late, almost letting out a Lungmen profanity as Lappland had grabbed his collar this time, shooting the most shit eating grin she could towards the mouse-
BANG!
BLACK FLASH!
A hit slammed against Lappland's cheek, the woman going into a momentary lapse. A vicious punch blessed by the force of Jujutsu, she bore the brunt of it.
While the LGD was occupied with Arturia, who had formed barriers around herself and weaving through their assault, the four of them paused to witness the world dimming before them.
Megumi was awake, his eyes wide and pupils dilated, an expression of pure focus ladened on his face.
Lin paused her movements, seeing how he carried the white haired woman with his fist, the arcing black electricities making her senses go absolutely haywire.
Lappland found this a familiar feeling, a very familiar feeling that had gotten her even more excited!
The hustling and whistle of the wind was heard, before Megumi had fully extended his arm and sent Lappland flying forward.
Ch'en and Swire widened their eyes, being in the path of the blow and leaping to the side, leaving an exposed Arturia to who had watched the scene in interest to face the back of a Lupo barrelling towards her.
Hoshiguma watched in awe as Lappland slammed against Arturia's Arts barriers, the effect of her own Arts canceling them and slamming into the Sankta. The both of them skidded back.
Arturia couldn't help but let out a small grunt, feeling slightly disappointed her true Arts couldn't take effect on the warriors of the battlefield. If it were an ordinary person, it would have taken full effect nearly instantly...
But against these people? It would take a bit more time. That time, that little second seemed to have been stopped by the Sparks of Black.
Lin wanted to call out to Megumi, but hesitated.
His eyes were deep in focus, a delirious and frantic hysteria being evidently seen by his physical state, showing off the mental instability happening.
His hands were shaking, his eyes kept dilating and shrinking every gasping breath he took, a black and blue energy seemingly flickering in and out of existence around him.
***
Megumi had barely gained clarity, the very little amount of rest he had taken before letting him restore some of his Cursed Energy...
However, it was hardly enough to let him do anything effective, even after having landed a Black Flash.
His Cursed Technique was completely fine, but the reserves he had left after that Domain Expansion he pulled off were still taking its toll...
However, an idea came to him.
Fundamentally, you could have Cursed Technique burnout but still have a lot of Cursed Energy left. The other way applies, you could possess a completely intact Cursed Technique but lacking any Cursed Energy at all.
How did Sukuna fight until his very last breath? What method did he employ to cheat death over and over again?
.
.
.
.
The answer was obvious:
Under This Binding Vow:
1. Fushiguro Megumi needs vastly less Cursed Energy to use his Cursed Technique
2. As a totality, Fushiguro Megumi will burn out his Cursed Technique at a much faster rate.
Self-imposed Binding Vows hold no risk for breaking it. The true risk is only prevalent when you break a Binding Vow with other people, something not even the King of Curses would dare to do.
***
"Megumi, what is Sorcery about?" Gojo Satoru leaned back on his chair, "I've lectured Yuji and Nobara personally a few times, and it's your turn now."
The student in question ignored the second part, putting full focus on the first part... It was most likely a trick question, but the black haired man decided to go with the basic answer: "Cursed Energy and Cursed Technique?"
"Wrong~!" Gojo spat out, exasperated, "you already knew it was a trick question, didn't cha'?"
"...Of course," Megumi shrugged, "but I don't know the correct answer."
"Alright then, let me spell it out for you," Gojo stopped leaning back, and instead leaned forward to get a look at Megumi's eyes. "Mentality."
"...Mentality," Megumi repeated.
"Yeah, it's all going on in that head of yours, physically and mentally," Gojo pointed to his head with his thumb. "The brain controls Domain Expansions and Cursed Techniques physically, but mentally? How do Sorcerers push past their limits?" The teacher waited for the student to answer.
Megumi took the cue, "I'm guessing... By having a set view of the world, and themselves... They decide how much they exert themselves?"
"Ding ding ding! Bingo, right on the spot!" Gojo smiled and pushed his shades back to cover his eyes, "mentality, Megumi, you have to imagine yourself at the top of the world..." The man leaned to the left of his chair, "imagine yourself surpassing me, deposit all worries into the back of your mind..."
"...And let loose!"
***
Shadow Extension: Tiger Funeral
Flames gathered around Megumi's form, gathering to his hands and coalescing into his palms...
Mentality... Who was he? What was Fushiguro Megumi? He was going to become the Strongest Sorcerer.
He was the King of Curses, the godly Sorcerer who defied all expectations and self determined laws of Jujutsu, pushing it to its absolute limits.
At this very moment, he imagined himself as Ryomen Sukuna.
He envisioned it, the corpse of his sister being burnt to ashes after her passing...
"Incinerator..."
He clapped his hands together, the flames of Tiger Funeral combining with another, forming black and purple flames together. Black tribal markings appeared on his body.
"OPEN!"
Using two Cursed Techniques at once is impossible, even for somebody like Ryomen Sukuna. Why so? Because Cursed Techniques are inherently in the brain, then using two at once would overload and fry it.
However, did that matter to Fushiguro Megumi? Who took on the burden of Unlimited Void multiple times?
Essentially, doing the math, he had been hit with 900 years of information, and still remained intact as a human. A Cursed Spirit can take on Unlimited Void due to the special disposition of their brain... But for a human to upload and process that much information?
By all means, Fushiguro Megumi should be a brain dead vegetable waiting on the medical bed to die a meaningless death.
But he hadn't, he had completely recovered from it... Like training a muscle, a Cursed Technique, or Cursed Energy control; Fushiguro Megumi had also trained his brain via overcoming such an endeavor.
So overloading his brain while using two Cursed Techniques? He had overcome it.
Both groups looked at him in shock, eyes widening at the unnatural and hellish purple flames that had gathered around him, before he moved his left hand back, keeping the index, middle, and thumb finger of his right and left hand extended into holding a 'sniper' motion. But instead of aiming down sights, he kept his gaze upwards, instead of curling his fingers around a trigger, they kept extended.
Overall, it looked like Sukuna's drawing position, but different in its own way.
He aimed at Lappland and Arturia, the former having gotten into a defensive stance while the latter outputted her Arts in a wave the music notes started to gather around her, forming a barrier.
'Electricity... Naturally gathers dust from the surrounding towards it, that much I know... And with the great concentration I had created with 3 Nue: Totality..." Megumi calculated the result, but man was he not good at such sciences like this.
He was just attempting whatever the hell Sukuna does!
The Sorcerer of the Heian Era would use his arrow like a bow... But Megumi would use it as a 'gun.'
He replicated the 'recoil' a rifle would produce, both of his arms moving in a motion as if a bullet had been shot from a sniper.
With the extended and morphed purple and black flames, they fired off at the two enemies who he first recognized, Arturia and Lappland.
"...Bang!" Megumi couldn't help himself, letting out such a sound as he saw the magnificent display of Jujutsu Sorcery and Science combing together...
The dust gathered from Nue's electricity before sparked, a chemical reaction occuring from Tiger Funeral's enhanced flames.
Hoshiguma took quick action, running to Ch'en and Swire to shield them once more, all the while Lin rushed towards them to provide support with her glass barrier.
The Zalak had taken the opportunity to not stop him from his reckless and insane actions... Just to see it out one time.
It seemed like a miscalculation, seeing how it was no ordinary attack right after...
BOOM!
A pillar of purple flame shot upwards, a thermobaric explosion having been formed from the hands of the King of Hell.
***
A/N: Some dude actually did the calculations... And yes, Megumi somehow survived nearly A MILLENNIUM of information flooding his brain...