A/N: Lmfao, might have accidently written 15K words. I'm not checking allat.
***
Once again, Fushiguro Megumi would love to reiterate in his mind that he despised politics. He said the same thing to Gojo, to Nobara, to Yuji, and to Maki when in regards to the Zen'in clan: "I couldn't be bothered." Not bothered indeed, but when the situation came to one of his friend's livelihood, of course he decided to get himself involved.
This time though? It didn't feel like that at all. There was nothing he was doing for his friends, nor was there anything he was doing for himself. Megumi wasn't somebody who got involved in troublesome things that didn't either benefit him, save lives that deserved it, or helped his friends. If it were helping somebody find directions on the street, then the Ten Shadows user wouldn't mind.
If it placed his life in danger? Megumi was selfish enough to steer clear away from it. However, in the world of Jujutsu Society, he was forced to stomach it and do his duty. In the end, he had developed his own sense of justice, no matter what people thought of it. Spit on it, trash on it, the black haired man didn't care.
He only saved people who he wished to save, people like his sister and Yuji. It was unfair, unjust even in the eyes of justice, but justice itself was subjective. The only reason that made it objective was because of society, and Megumi could see clearly why; to keep order. In fact, he even supported the fact that people viewed the current standards of the law as 'objective,' because if they hadn't, it would be the Heian Era over again.
That didn't mean it was perfect though, the Japanese Judicial System was a complete and utter mess. Police officers force confessions out of innocents to keep the rate of caught 'criminals' as high as they possibly can. It was like a statistic built up from the decayed livelihood of the innocent only serving to make them look good on the most shallow of surfaces. Hearing that from Gojo Satoru felt as if every word of his were tearing down any hope for that horrid and corrupted system.
Now, Fushiguro Megumi had to ask himself this question. What was he going to do? Was he going to double down on whatever political mess he had gotten himself in? Or was it something he should run away from? Although he was slightly hesitant to admit it, Megumi would feel sort of guilty for the LGD if he caused a disruption for them in this situation.
Right now, it had been a week since Ch'en had received the message from a man named Wei Yenwu, the Chief Executive of Lungmen himself. A person who held such high political power that Megumi would most likely have to consider leaving Yan entirely if he gained his ire. Over the course of that time period, Ch'en had been giving him tips on what to say to the man, and how to not screw over the meeting.
Along with that, Megumi was allowed to spend a few more days in silence, either training or being dragged around by the LGD girls to places where they spent most of their free time. Those days had passed by fast, but it didn't ease the sense of worry welling up in his chest over this unavoidable meeting.
When asking Ch'en why the meeting was a week later, the woman brushed it off by saying that Chief Wei most likely had a ton of work cut out for him. That was reasonable when Megumi thought it over, considering how he was the leader of an entire city, and one as prosperous as Lungmen was bound to have many factors that would keep a leader busy.
Leaning back in the office chair of Ch'en's room, Megumi recalled all the places he went to when having to deal with the LGD girls and Lin Yuhsia. He was sure he also encountered the Penguin Logistics people a few times. Placing an elbow against his cheek, he let his mind wander.
***
The LGD Headquarters had a training room provided for their officers. Though, these usually would not be accessed unless it was break, lunch, or when officers are off-duty. Most of the time, it was more of a choice rather than an obligation. Unless they were a trainee or new recruit, training was second or third priority when it came to most things.
For some people, there were private training rooms for those who wished to train themselves in private. Thanks to his connections, Swire, Ch'en, and Hoshiguma allowed him into one of them. It was strange they were willing to leave him in the room alone, but Megumi chalked it up to the fact they have a tracker on him.
Listlessly, Playful Cloud spun in a rotational movement around Megumi, his hands and arms interchanging position multiple times to accommodate its course and trajectory. Working with the Special Grade Cursed Tool was getting much easier for him with the prolonged usage he had given himself.
Training physical strength by doing exercises with the Cursed Tool has also been a huge help. And using Reverse Cursed Technique to repair microtears in his muscles made the processes much faster. With his current growth, he'd expect himself to be far more powerful than he was when he first entered this world.
It was obvious in terms of his Cursed Technique, but in physical strength, the man was about five times stronger. Though, that didn't say much compared to the monsters he'd met, their physical strength far overpowering his own. But if he used Cursed Energy reinforcement, then that would even the playing field.
Once he finished spinning the weapon around, Megumi decided to drop the weapon into his shadows and pull out Dragon Bone. Giving a few reps with swinging the nodachi and flourishing in his hand into a reverse-grip, the Sorcerer did a few shadow fighting exercises. That was until he realized he had a Shikigami to train with, that being Divine Dog: Totality and Tiger Funeral.
In regards to Tiger Funeral, the Shikigami he learned has access to his martial arts repertoire, seeing how it used the exact moves he had been training with. It was most notable when the tiger used Playful Cloud, mimicking the movements Megumi were all too familiar with.
How did it go? As well as anybody would expect. Even with using Shadow Extension with Mizuchi's lightning, he hardly stood a chance when battling against its physical prowess. In regards to Mizuchi, Megumi learned that the Binding Vow specified that Mizuchi had to be SUMMONED for the timer to run down, leaving Shadow Extension completely free.
Speaking of Shadow Extension, Megumi had figured out that it was the Cursed Technique Reversal for Ten Shadows, and why he couldn't summon the same Shikigami physically or in unstable form when using the reversal. He could see how it worked, considering the Shikigami wasn't being summoned but channeled through himself instead.
He had only been using it on instinct, recalling the feeling of how Ryomen Sukuna did it. That led the man to forget the roots of it, which was Reverse Cursed Technique. Megumi also used the reason that relying on Ryomen Sukuna's muscle memory for techniques and martial arts skills wouldn't be as effective as learning them himself.
The black haired man was going to use the muscle memory to train himself rather than use it as a crutch in fights. It worked incredibly well against Lappland when he recalled the King of Curses' muscle memory, but it could have been much more effective if it was his own skill. Understanding the root contributed to a better understanding of the skill itself, after all.
Back on the topic of Binding Vows...
...Who could have known Binding Vows could have so many loop-holes? Well, Ryomen Sukuna did, and Megumi could see why he had abused them so much. In this case, he could use Mizuchi's Shadow Extension without worrying about the actual summon losing time being in its merged state. Mentally recalling, the Ten Shadows user recalled he had about 12 more minutes to be active with the Totality before it split.
What worried him was that all the Shikigami involved would become 50% weaker for a duration of time. He didn't specify the length in his Binding Vow, but it automatically set it to 2.5 minutes. For some people, it may seem like a very short time, but for Megumi... 'a time duration as long as that is terrible.'
In a fight where warriors were moving at extreme speeds, 2.5 minutes was a very long time. Unless the warrior was extremely good at stalling via speech or possessing an annoying ability, getting through that would be a slog.
"Ugh!"
A blow from a flaming Playful Cloud hit Megumi in the right side of his body, the liver, making him instinctually reinforce the area with his Cursed Energy. Being pushed back, the black haired man nearly keeled over but pushed through it. Dragon Bone crackled with azure lightning, a change from Nue's normally purple lightning, but Mizuchi had completely altered it.
Charging forward towards Tiger Funeral, Megumi went for another bout with Dragon Bone. Losing himself in his mind once the trance of battle continued, he kept a mental note about bases and additions in regards to Totality. First of all, the base gets their main attribute enhanced the most. Such as how Nue: Totality had city-block leveling lightning, then Mizuchi's size enhancement became more potent.
By potent, its mass was increased heavily while its actual size was compressed to what it was right now, meaning it had far more striking strength. Another part that played into what ability received the most enhancement was the mythological inspiration given to a Totality. Mizuchi was a Sea Dragon in mythology, which meant that the water from Max Elephant increased in strength.
Nue's lightning was stronger than Nue: Totality, but only a step or two above. It would have been more because of how many Shikigami were combined, but it was still weaker than something like Chimera Beast Agito, which had Nue as its base. Mizuchi's lightning still should not be taken lightly, given how in some iterations of its mythology, the Sea Dragon could summon storms. So its lightning wasn't that weak when compared to Chimera Beast Agito.
"Agh!"
Megumi took another blow, again to the right side of his body where the liver was, "hah... damn!" He charged at Tiger Funeral, clearing his thoughts completely.
Leaping up into the air and backflipping, he avoided a breath of flames from the Shikigami, before spinning sideways and letting the electric momentum of Dragon Bone build up.
Tiger Funeral wasn't stupid, as it immediately stopped breathing fire and raised Playful Cloud upwards, clashing weapons with its master.
Sliding past each other, Megumi landed on the ground once more, while Tiger Funeral turned around for a vertical slam with the three-section staff.
***
Sweating, bruised, internally bleeding, cut, and possessing multiple broken bones; Fushiguro Megumi has had better days. Taking a moment out of his time to use Mizuchi's Reverse Cursed Energy Shadow Extension to heal himself, the black haired felt his body rejuvenating much faster.
Seeing how Chimera Beast Agito recovered from being blown through by Gojo Satoru's Black Flash, Megumi found that using Mizuchi's Reverse Cursed Technique was even far better than Agito's. Having been completely rejuvenated yet having a hole burnt in his reserves, Megumi took note not to use Shadow Extension for Mizuchi's healing.
If he were in actual combat, he would rather use its physical body for Reverse Cursed Technique, considering it didn't take any Cursed Energy from him for doing that. The only Cursed Energy Mizuchi took from him was by existing, but it was a far better trade-off than the drain Shadow Extension caused on him.
He also made a mental note to use its lightning as a Shadow Extension, considering its most powerful ability was its striking force (thanks to Orochi and Piercing Ox), along with its water.
Nodding to himself, Megumi breathed a sigh of relief and pulled out the Inverted Spear of Heaven after dropping Dragon Bone back into his shadows. This routine was what he had been doing the entire day, most likely for... actually, how many hours had he been in the training room?
Meh, it didn't matter. He was in too much of a trance to care.
***
Spin the chain, throw, pull back, use momentum for another blow. The Inverted Spear of Heaven was an extremely difficult weapon to use, the most complex out of his entire kit. Yet, training with it made the unnatural feeling of it become a habit that Megumi could use to his own advantage.
Fighting with it, and against it was unnatural for both sides, so all he had to do was be the one to face the least inconvenience. It had worked out against Lappland both times, and by improving himself further... Megumi would like to test out how far his skill had grown. Maybe against those Blood Hound bastards?
Well, it was just a thought. The black haired man wondered how they weren't dealt with, and how their leader was. From what he had heard from Ch'en after her lecture about Wei Yenwu, they still had some ties to Siracusa. A backer, maybe? Or were they just cannon fodder to test the waters of Lungmen?
The latter was the least likely, considering how other Siracusan gangs were present in Lungmen even before their arrival. Hell, even Lungmen itself has been developing its own mafia system, just like how Columbia had its own. Granted, they were far less powerful and effective than the Siracusan or Columbian ones.
So at the moment, there were two steps to put an end to the Blood Hounds. The first was to take out their leader and whoever came next in line, leaving it crippled and unable to recover. Once they dispersed and found recovery hopeless, then the second step would have to make sure something like this would never happen again.
Finding out who was sending or backing them in Siracusa itself, which couldn't be done by any of the LGD officers. All they could do was hope that more of these gangs wouldn't be sent their way.
Megumi continued to train.
***
"Megumi!" Ch'en called out to the black haired man who hadn't left the training room in 12 hours.
Her voice didn't seem to reach Megumi, the man continuing to strike with his chained weapon across the room, doing acrobatic flips and what resembled dances. The chains barely touched, a professional movement and masterful control over them to create a flow that seemed impossible to breach.
Although the dragon lady was slightly mesmerized from the display of sheer skill and beauty, she shook her head and called out to him again. "Megumi!" Ch'en's voice was far louder, enveloping the entire room and making the man land on the ground, letting the chains flow around his body.
From what it looked like, it was going to encircle around him and leave his entire body tied, but when they came closer, Megumi pulled his arm in a deft movement. In that singular motion, the chains unraveled as naturally as a plant billowing in the wind.
"...Ch'en?" Megumi turned around and glanced at the LGD officer, his expression the same as it ever was. "Do you need something?" The man looked completely fine, except for a few trickles of sweat dripping down his forehead. Yet, it didn't resemble anybody who had been constantly training for 12 hours.
Ch'en looked him over with a complex look, scraping her brain over why he looked in better condition than she'd expected. "Do you know how long you've been in here for now?" The woman would constantly check her phone every 5 minutes for his location, yet it still displayed the same results: in the LGD training room.
"5 hours? I know that's a lot of time..." Megumi was about to say that Sorcerers would train for an extra 2 hours daily, and an extra 4 if they were really feeling it, but was immediately cut off.
"No, you dumbass," Ch'en face palmed and crossed her arms, 'you were in the training room for a whole 12 hours. Are you a damn masochist or something?" Not even when she was in workaholic work mode could the dragon lady train for that long. The burning and tearing of muscles wouldn't even be beneficial, but a detriment at that point.
"Oh, really?" Megumi fiddled with the Chain of a Thousand Miles before shrugging. "Thanks for reminding me," without much of a reaction, he de-extended the chain to a slightly shorter length. Right after, he began spinning the weapon, eyes shifting back into focus.
"...You..." Ch'en wanted to grab him by the collar and pull him out of the room, but relented. 'Tch, the room even smells like him,' she pinched her nose and looked away, making it for the exit. If he spent even 2 more hours inside, she'd drag him the hell out. 'I still need to talk to him more about the meeting, too.'
Though, she did find interest in his unorthodox fighting style. From what she remembered, he used a three-section staff and Higashinese nodachi, and that was from their previous bout back in District 9.
'I guess I'll keep note of it...'
Especially the chain dance of his, who the hell did he learn it from?
***
"So, what do you think of Lungmen so far?" Swire was on the wheel, driving through the streets. The woman thought over her question again, before realizing that Megumi most likely didn't have much of a view. "Or, have you not spent enough time for an opinion? Well, I guess I can wait for one."
"It's alright," Megumi replied without much thought, "about the same as it was back home. Skyscrapers, restaurants, commerce, that's about it." He didn't really care much for how a city looked, as long as it was liveable and had the needs for a comfortable life.
Now that he thought about it, wasn't this the same question that Lin asked him? Maybe the LGD Superintendent wanted to know from an outside perspective.
"Hm? That's a pretty boring answer," Swire looked pretty disappointed while driving on the wheel. "What's your ideal city, then?" The woman was curious about the man's opinion. Would it be a city without any crime? A city without any poverty?
"An ideal city is impossible," Megumi didn't put much thought in his answer, mainly because he didn't need to put much thought into it. "It's good to think about an ideal city, I think, but it's not achievable in the slightest." Unless the ideal city was an imperfect city, then the contradiction would work into making it somebody's ideal city.
"I guess you're right," Swire tapped the steering wheel while driving the car, music playing from the radio. "On both parts, I mean, we can't really have a perfect city, but we can always keep working to make a better one."
"Mhm," Megumi mumbled out while looking out the window. It was a habit he had gained when being driven by Gojo (surprisingly), but it had been on very rare occasions. Yet those rare occasions already had him develop something such as this.
When he first arrived in Swire's car, he was quite surprised by its look. Although he didn't know any supercar brands in this new world named Terra, the design definitely screamed 'luxury.' But that surprised look was the only thing he gave before returning to normal, he wasn't much of a car person.
Besides, Megumi could utilize Nue to travel anywhere he wanted, and being a Sorcerer meant he could move at speeds a normal human being could never achieve. Obtaining a car would just be a waste of money for him, and he'd rather save for other things that were more necessary in life for himself.
"You don't talk much, you know?" Swire felt her tail sway while operating the wheel, "I was expecting you to be a bit more energetic, just reaching adulthood and all." Most teenagers she met were filled with way too much energy, and the woman was no exception during that age. Hell, she could admit she had quite a bit of fervor still in her body despite having moved past those times.
Especially if it was related to a certain dragon lady.
"Why are you always at odds with Ch'en?" As if on cue, Megumi shot back with another question to her, as if to prove her wrong in her previous statement. However, it was still a curiosity he held within himself, seeing the two frenemies bicker was a hassle for him to even witness.
BEcause she's always so stuck up," Swire declared, "it's hard as hell to get through that thick skull of hers, and she can't even properly compliment somebody!" The Feline complained to Megumi.
"Aren't you also stuck up?" From his analysis, the two women had just about the same problem, and most likely their vices towards each other were the same.
"Do you want me to throw you out of the car?" Swire asked.
"No thanks," Megumi was starting to wonder how many car conversations he was going to be pulled into. Or maybe it was just the nature of having nothing to do, so the car driver springs up a random conversation. The case was about the same as a barber talking about random things to their client.
Megumi would know, considering how many times he had to visit the barber to get his hair done. It was quite a hassle, and expensive, so the black haired man opted to just cut his hair himself. Shouldn't be much of a difficult process considering how precise he had become in the line of Sorcery.
"Hmph," Swire let out an indignant sound, "That's what I thought." Her voice purposefully mimicked that of a pampered rich lady.
Rather, that's what Megumi assumed she was doing, "Where are we heading anyways? Are we going to a front restaurant?" The last time he was driven was by Lin, and she brought him to a normal one. Ch'en, however? Was the complete opposite. He didn't even know why Swire dragged him into her expensive sports car.
"A movie," Swire seemed more enthusiastic, as if forgetting the previous bout. "You know what movies are, right? Been to a theater before?" The woman didn't know what his home was like, but if it was just as he described, then it should have had a theater.
"A few times, yeah," Megumi recalled going to the movies after Gojo Satoru had bought the group a few movie tickets. Also the ones with Yuji and Nobara.... Goddamned Human Earthworm.
"Well, we're gonna watch a new movie that has just come out," Swire explained, "well, it's been out for a long time now, but for Lungmen it's new."
"What does that mean?" Megumi questioned. "It's from a different country then?"
"Yup! It's from Columbia. The reason it's being put on Lungmen theaters is for some political reason that I don't care much for." Swire continued on, "something about building better relations, I wouldn't think much of it."
"Columbia?" Megumi remembered something about a Christopher Columbus who found what is now known as South America, which held "Colombia," so he assumed it to be related to that.
"Don't know who they are?" Swire raised an eyebrow, already used to him being ignorant about Terra's features. After all, if his home was as secluded as he said, then it would make sense for him to not.
"I think I have a gist of it. What is it about?"
"Well..." Swire lightly pressed on the brakes, letting the car slow down to a halt. Taking a look outside, she along with Megumi found themselves outside the theater already. "It's about a Victorian princess who falls in love with a beast."
"Zoophilia?" Megumi abrasively remarked.
"Hey! Don't say stuff like that!" Swire grabbed him by the shoulders from her seat. "You'll get all the Victorians, and Columbians pissed off at you!"
"I don't get it," Megumi didn't understand, why was that movie premise even a thing? "Is my description not true?"
"I mean, I don't disagree..." Swire looked left and right while speaking, "but like I said, keep that opinion to yourself if you don't wanna get beat up by fans of the movie."
"OKay," Megumi blankly responded.
With a satisfied look, Swire let go of the Ten Shadows user's shoulder, before clicking a mechanism on the side door to unlock the car. "Alright then, let's see what all the rage is about."
Megumi glanced at her walking out, so he took the initiative to do the same. Hopefully, and just maybe, the movie would blow his expectations out of the water. Who knows?
***
"The movie was terrible," Megumi stood outside the theater, his eyes tired from staring at the moving blue lights of the big screen for too long. "Two stars out of five, there's no debate." Wiping his eyelids, the black haired man groaned while straightening his back.
"Isn't that too harsh?" Swire crossed her arms and gave him a skeptical look. "I'd say at least four out of five stars."
"Of course you would," Megumi rolled his eyes. His mood had been ruined just from a singular movie, who could've known that?
"What do you mean by that?!" Swire felt offended, reading the undertones of what he said.
"Hm, I guess it just fits your tastes more," Megumi placed his hands in his pockets while making his way back to where Swire's car was parked.
"Seriously...?" Swire gave a huff while shaking her head. "What did you not like about it?" She tailed behind him while asking the question.
"Stereotypical, obvious, unrealistic, and overall, the characters are stupid." Megumi listed out all of his gripes with the movies. The sunshine and rainbows at the end of the movie was not realistic in his eyes, seeing how something like that could never happen in real life. Just take a look at Shinjuku or Shibuya.
Stereotypical? Why was it always the woman who's the damsel in distress? Why was it the ugly looking witch who was the evil one? IT made everything far too obvious, and with the role of the nobility... They were presented far too flowery for his liking. Even if there was a noble family in the movie who were evil, the rest were generally good natured.
The twists were completely obvious and the romantic scenes a hard thing to watch. It didn't make sense how the Victorian princess and the 'beast' fell in love with each other 'at first sight.' Not only that, but who would've known the beast was actually a human being before? What a surprise. Everything was also resolved the exact way it was first planned out, a repeating pattern for all difficulties in the movie.
FInally, the characters.... Dear god, the characters. Megumi didn't understand why the villain lacked so many brain cells; it would make those hit by Unlimited Void look like geniuses. Not only that, most of the conflict could have also been resolved if the protagonist, the Victorian princess, listened to her damned family member's suggestions.
"Come on, it's just a movie," Swire didn't understand why he had to be so critical. "It gets its high rating for its positive message, compared to everything happening around, you know?"
"I would have expected it to be criticized for just that," with what Megumi knew about Terra so far, and what he had seen; there were many acts of racism and discrimination. Especially to those who are infected, having witnessed it a few times in the slums.
"Who knows, it might just be a breath of fresh air," Swire shrugged, "why do you not like it not being 'realistic?'" The Feline inquired, seeing her parked car getting closer with their approach.
"It's hard to connect with a movie if it doesn't seem realistic," such as how Megumi didn't connect much with Human Earthworm. "Especially if the viewer can't relate to it."
Swire paused at those words, placing a hand under her chin. 'Does that mean...? Yeah, that has to be it," she gave the man a pitying look after he walked past her. The ending of the movie had been a typical 'good ending,' where everything was resolved in the end.
The tiger lady took note how one of his biggest gripes was that it was unrealistic, and knowing his past, it was obvious what ailed him.
"What's wrong?" Megumi turned around with a perplexed look, wondering why the blonde haired Feline had halted her steps.
"Oh, it's nothing," Swire waved him off, "Well, I think your points are pretty valid. But of course, I still don't agree with them." The tiger lady let out a huff before continuing on.
"Alright," Megumi didn't think much of it.
***
"You've received an invitation letter from Werner von Hochberg?" Swire had to rub her eyes to see if her consciousness was on the plane of consciousness rather than some fever dream. "One of the most powerful people in Leithanien?" Even if she were all the way in Lungmen, it wouldn't be good for her not to at least know a few things about Leithanien's political climate.
"Not from Werner von Hochberg," Megumi clarified, "the letter was given to me in his name, an invitation." He had been contemplating whether to disable it entirely with the Inverted Spear of Heaven, but decided to inquire with Swire. Yesterday, she had taken him to a movie, but now, they were in a restaurant.
That meant this would be the last time this week where she would be on observation duty, the process resetting when Megumi spent the last two days of the week with Hoshiguma. The Sorcerer didn't know much about the Oni lady.
"It's still a pretty big deal, who the hell gave you it-, wait no, don't answer that," Swire took in a deep breath. "It was from that Arturia bitch, right?" The woman's voice sounded far more feisty, her little fangs sticking out of the mouth when she talked.
"Yes," Megumi recalled how doing anything against her would cause a political crisis. "What would happen if... per say, the detection feature was turned off?" He decided to inquire about what Swire knew about it?
"The... detection feature...?" Swire furrowed her brows. "Oh! You're talking about that... well, I've heard a few things about the Arts application, but to the user who casted it; it would just feel like it disappeared."
"So they know if it's been disabled?" Megumi sounded disappointed.
"Yeah, they would," Swire turned to him, "don't tell me you were planning on attempting to disable it? They wouldn't know who did it... but if Arturia was the one who gave you it, then she could just say to Hochberg that it was you who did it. It'd be a whole shit fest right after."
"I'll... keep that in mind," Megumi let out a low sigh while pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Hey, let's move onto other topics," Swire waved him off, "you heard about your little dragon on the news, huh?"
"...No, I don't have a phone," and neither did he check the news that often. Megumi already had a general gist of what it was about.
"Well," Swire held an angry look, "it's praising the dragon about being the grand protector of Lungmen or something! It's like it's become the city's pride!" The woman waved her hands in the hair with a frustrated expression.
"Is that... a problem?" Megumi raised an eyebrow, at least it wasn't like the 'Chimera Bird' or the "Shadow Tiger.'
"Yes, it is!" Swire glared at him, "and that Tiger Funeral of yours has a crappy reputation, it's not fair!"
Megumi stared at her blankly, watching her rant about Mizuchi, Ch'en, and Tiger Funeral. Maybe he should have just stayed at the LGD training room and spent the rest of his days there.
***
Spend the rest of his days in the training room he did, right after finishing his meal with Swire.
***
Megumi moved through the crowd of citizens, his luxurious attire (from their perspective) having caught a few stares, but that was it. He kept forgetting that the outfit Ryomen Sukuna wore was an expensive Heian Era antique, and therefore held a lot of value. That value could be seen from both a critical eye, and a normal eye.
But he opted to not view it in any good light, considering it belonged to Jujutsu Satan himself. Despite all the negative things that came with it, the Sorcerer felt the outfit growing on him. Or was it only growing on him because the clothes were the only article of clothing he had? He still had the jacket he bought, but...
...People were following him, and the black haired man mentally tuned out his useless thoughts for the time being.
Turning around Megumi moved through the crowd like a fish against a flowing river, the man felt himself bump into a few people. It was only for a brief moment, and it didn't seem to bother anybody. People of various clothing in color and design passed by, the majority of them staring listlessly at their phones.
When Megumi had his own phone, he recalled himself distracting himself with the artificial blue lights and to let the time pass him by. Either that, or the phone proved a needed get-away from Gojo Satoru's antics. Most of the time though, the white haired man would just glance over his shoulder and stare at his phone. It bothered him to an extent, but nothing too extreme.
Megimi only wished he spent more time with him; those small moments of life, even if they were annoying at times, were a nostalgic memory. As fuzzy as the white clouds lingering in the skies of his previous home, that was what they felt like, that was what Gojo felt like.
...Rest in peace.
Stopping his movement once he reached an alleyway, Megumi twisted his body and avoided the unceasing crowd, turning to walk into the direction of the dark area. Although it was slightly difficult not to interrupt anybody with what they were doing, the Ten Shadows user still made it through.
Continuing further in, the voices of footsteps, chatter, cars, and all the like had faded his ears like cherry blossoms in bloom. Once he was deep enough, Megumi closed his eyes and rested his hands in his pockets. The inevitable was bound to happen, and yet there was nothing for him to worry about.
Inaudible footsteps moved about, the discreet shift in wind far behind Megumi already told him all of their positions. Despite being trained in what looked to be silent stealth, their completely defeated steps were inadequate in sneaking up on a Sorcerer. If they wanted to be successful with their mission, Megumi would recommend them to not produce any shift in wind with their movements.
"You're all ridiculous," Megumi spoke out to all of them, deciding not to even grace them with a turn around. It was at that moment, that an object fell on the ground below, landing behind the Ten Shadows user's back.
The assassins paused their steps, both from his words and the object that had made itself known. It was a black cylindrical shaped object, the logo of the LGD stamped upon it. At that very moment, all of the aggressors knew that they had been set up from the beginning
A flash of light occurred, lighting up the alleyway from its detonation. An explosive sound rang, before reducing to nothing more than a tinnitus inducing screech, eradicating any eardrums that were unfortunate to bear the brunt of it. To make things worse, all of the aggressors were Lupo, their racial advantage going against them at that very moment.
"Now!"
A female voice came from the ceiling, but was barely audible to the assassins who were gripping their ears and eyes. The piercing sound continued to ring about, only half of them barely recovering before the feeling of impact and electricity echoed across the alleyway.
Men and women in black riot gear held shock batons in their hands, bashing it against the arms, chest, and legs of the clearly identified Blood Hound members. From an outsider's view, they would admonish it and call it police brutality. For the LGD officers? It was simply how it was. No more, no less.
Megumi? He just continued watching, wondering what he should train today.
***
"Whew~," Hoshiguma wiped her forehead, despite there not being a single lick of moisture staining it. "I guess we got our work cut out for us, huh?" The Oni glanced at the black haired man walking beside her.
They both were moving through Lungmen's slums, the Oni lady having a very clear understanding and route of the area. For the two, the neon lights of what looked to be a downtown area was a familiar sight.
Megumi personally had grown accustomed to traveling around it, especially after having to fight multiple people in these specific areas. Developing a mental escape route across the streets has become something the man ingrained into his mind like searing metal.
"Most likely," the black haired man replied after a brief pause at her question. Honestly, it was the green haired Oni who had realized he was being tailed, right after Megumi had. So what he did was participate to be bait, and Hoshiguma called for back-up to jump the people tailing him.
All Megumi had to do then was look like he wasn't expecting them, having waved Hoshiguma off and walked off elsewhere. He was given a small communicator in his pocket, and just had to press it when he had arrived at where they were at. Or the LGD officers would have seen him approach the scheduled area anyways.
"Ch'en and Swire were right, you hardly talk," Hoshiguma pointed out, but without an offensive tone. "You remind me a lot of Ch'en when we first met at the LGD. Thinking about it, a whole slew of memories just came back, heh," the woman tapped her forehead with her thumb while speaking.
"What was she like?" Megumi decided to keep the conversation flowing, even if he didn't have much interest in it. 'Where are we going anyways?' The Oni lady had left the rest of the work on the LGD officers and Ch'en later in regards to the Blood Hounds who went after him. From what the pattern he has realized so far, the ones on observation duty for him usually take their days more lightly.
"Oh? Ch'en?" Hoshiguma turned to look at him before focusing on her path, "well, way colder, and hot-headed at the same time. Why do you ask? You don't seem to be somebody to ask about this stuff."
"Just felt like it," Megumi shrugged, placing his hands in his pocket. "I guess I was about the same back at home, with my... co-workers and all."
'He's more talkative?' Hoshiguma kept note of that mention, having heard from Ch'en he was in some sort of order-keeping organization at the age of 15. "I heard from Ch'en you used to work as a..."
"Sorcerer, yes," Megumi glanced around the streets, watching the various shops that slowly passed them by. "It's over now, so it doesn't matter," he turned to glance at his hand, clicking his thumb and index nail together. '...damned habits.'
'Sorcerer, I guess that's what his occupation calls workers like him. Still though, to be on active duty at the age of 15?' Hoshiguma scratched the back of her head. Although she didn't have the greatest of upbringings ever, with how it resulted... it seems like tragedy walked every single part of Terra. "You're 18 years-old now, correct?"
"Yes," Megumi blankly replied, having stopped fidgeting with his fingers to pocket his hand.
"Well, Ch'en has been getting an identification card for you, she said it should arrive in a short amount of time," Hoshiguma explained.
"Okay."
"So... I guess it's something to look forward to?"
"Mhm."
"Well, you don't have to be involved with crime anymore, getting dragged out of the underworld is a pretty big thing to be proud of."
"Yeah."
"...So, do you have anything you want to do after... this whole observation thing blows over?"
"I don't know."
"..."
"..."
A brief silence followed, Megumi keeping his thoughts distracted with what training routine he should indulge himself in when he got back.
Hoshiguma just carried her shield, shooting a few awkward looks at the man who couldn't be bothered. She wondered how exactly Ch'en, Lin, and Swire had gotten him to talk. The former and far latter the Oni could understand, but somebody like Lin?
"...Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?" Hoshiguma's voice was like a pick and hammer against ice. The silence that pervaded the two had completely vanished with her words, the recipient turning to her with a slightly interested look.
"I haven't," Megumi shook his head, "never received a license." Indeed, despite already hitting the age of 18 years-old, the black haired man hadn't even started his education into getting one. With how busy he was with Jujutsu Society, he only relied on his own body to move around. Besides, it was far more efficient that way.
"Wanna try it out?" Hoshiguma rested her palm against her neck and stretched, "mine should be parked around here, somewhere."
"I wouldn't mind," Megumi turned to follow her gaze, finding the object of interest.
***
The wind blew against his face, the hyperfast vehicle cruising through the open streets of Lungmen. From what Fushiguro Megumi could tell, these places usually had barely any cars, and was the perfect place for some citizens to blow some steam by speeding. His black haori fluttered in the like a flag of a country in high wind.
"How does it feel?" Hoshiguma asked from the front seat, Megumi sitting behind her.
"Familiar," Megumi replied, his voice going through the loud winds passing by their ears. The city of Lungmen passed them by from the free highway they were on. "It's no different from flying," it was just that he couldn't see the city blow him. But hey, it was a new perspective.
"Hm...?" Hoshiguma thought over his words while keeping her sights on the road, "ah, right, you can fly on your animals." The woman recalled that the man had a gigantic skyscraper sized bird... and a literal dragon. It was quite a surprise even for her, especially since it had been on all the headlines, even after all the time that had passed since its appearance.
It was then she fully realized how absolutely ridiculous his abilities were. Hoshiguma could only compare it to one of the light novels she had briefly read to entertain herself. Absurd and utterly fictional, yet at the same time, the black haired man displayed all of them clearly.
"That's correct," Megumi continued to watch the cityscape pass him by, "though, I haven't had that experience for a bit." With how he had been under observation, and didn't want to be spotted by people, he opted that the mode of transportation would be ineffective.
The rest of the ride was in silence.
***
The rattling of chains, the hypersonic sounds of a blade ripping through the air. A beautiful display of art and movements, articulated in a pirouette of death, the epicenter holding a blackened flower. Any approach would be met with the fierce gale emanating forth, guarding like thorns on a rose.
'...It's sort of feminine?' Hoshiguma watched from the sidelines, having watched the black haired man train for the better length of 2 hours now. Honestly, she didn't even mind it, watching the many different skills he had. 'Isn't he only 18 years-old? What has his school been teaching him?'
First, Megumi started off with a nodachi, a gigantic blade used by the Higashinese on cavalry and to break through heavy armor. Next, a three-section staff, a weapon more used for blunt force. Usually weapons such as sectioned staffs weren't commonly used in combat, only for sparring or showing off. But Fushiguro Megumi? The man was striking like a viper, multiple lashes and lacerations in the air showing off its great power.
Everytime he swung it, or spun it, it was like a tornado was forming around him and cracking the air. The skill was ridiculous, one that could only be seen from veterans, or was the black haired man just a genius? Oh, but that wasn't all of it.
A dagger, one that looked like it had a blade chipped and was impractically shaped. Yet at the same time, it emitted some sort of... strangeness to it? Like it doesn't... or shouldn't exist in the first place. Everytime he swung it was as any professional dagger user would, quick and heavy strikes. Compared to other daggers, the one Megumi used was larger and looked to be heavier, along with a chain attached at the end of its hilt.
To the Oni's surprise, he extended the chain. Well, Hoshiguma recalled an extended chain and dagger flying through Hanshi's little high rise tower from the footage; so she was able to mute any confusion. Too bad the next sight spiked it up even further, seeing how the black haired man was able to extend it from... wherever the hell the rest of the chain was...?
Arts? Some sort of magic trick? Or was it... nevermind, it was better if she didn't delve much on it.
Didn't he also have a gun?
It was at that moment her thoughts were cut off when the harsh crackling sounds of the weapon scraping off the ground and walls resounded. That was the current scene she was witnessing, mesmerized by the sheer display of skill. It didn't matter how well he wielded that nodachi, three-section staff, or dagger... this completely blew them all out of the water.
'Can I even find an opening?' No, Hoshiguma couldn't find any. The only way to combat it is to attack from a range, but then again, any projectiles would be knocked back. Overwhelming force as the only effective method against it, 'maybe I could charge through it with a shield?' The Oni continued to muse to herself.
"Interesting sight," a voice came from beside Hoshiguma, slightly shocking her. Turning to see who it was, her body calmed down, "Lin...?" The woman blinked a few times, registering her completely. "What're you doing here?" Did Ch'en allow her inside? Or did she have some sort of special permission?
"I don't have much duties today," Lin crossed her arms and continued staring at Megumi. "I wouldn't have ever expected him to display this level of skill," now that the mouse lady thought about it, she hadn't seen his full skills in action. It must be impressive, considering how he completely fended off that white haired Lupo.
"Guess so," Hoshiguma decided there wasn't a need to be so defensive around her. She didn't have a clear picture of her relationship with Ch'en, but it seemed to be like with Swire, but more on a colder side than hot-headed side. "All that for being 18 years-old? You know when he started his combat experience?"
"15, give or take," Lin replied, "or at least officially, that was when he was in some sort of occupation. So I'd assume so." The Zalak placed a hand under her chin, "so that means he possesses this level of skill and... summon abilities with only 3 years of experience. It's more likely than not that he is a genius."
"Genius, huh?" Hoshiguma has heard that term being thrown around a lot. When Ch'en first climbed the ranks of the LGD, she was labeled as a genius. There had also been a few sprouting beads or supernovas in the LGD that were also seen as geniuses. But to see an 18 year-old boy who could probably go toe-to-toe against Ch'en with Chi Xiao? Man was it a sight to see.
The two continued to watch him go about his training routine.
***
5 hours into his training session, Fushiguro Megumi was dragged out by Lin Yuhsia. The black haired man was confused, wondering why it was Lin who took him out, and why she did so. It was made clear when Hoshiguma relayed a message through the mouse lady that she had received a call for support.
So now, he was left with the pink haired woman, one who had gotten tired of watching him constantly train. Oh, did he mention that she threw a towel at him and asked him to take a shower?
"Where are we going now?" Megumi asked, taking a look at the late afternoon sun, "to a movie? A restaurant?" He honestly wasn't that hungry despite the intense training form before, his Reverse Cursed Technique allowing the man to sustain himself. Speaking of his RCT, its efficiency had risen over the past few days.
Overall, his refinement was improving, especially in Cursed Energy reinforcement.
"A package will be delivered to you," Lin replied, "courtesy of Ch'en."
"Ch'en? Is it... my identification?" Megumi remembered hearing from Hoshiguma yesterday that his ID was in the process of being made.
"Exactly so," Lin nodded, "she hired Penguin Logistics to deliver it to you while she went on a particularly long mission." The mouse lady didn't hear this from the blue haired Lung herself, but rather... from a few insiders.
"Why?" Megumi raised an eyebrow, "can't she just...?"
"Give it to an officer, have Swire or Hoshiguma hand it over? I don't know myself," Lin curtly responded, "perhaps the office she had the ID made is far away, and requires a long time of arrival."
"Makes sense," Megumi didn't want to delve into the thought for too long.
***
"If I may ask..." Lin took a bite of white rice while having a seat, "who is it that taught you combat?" The mouse lady silently hoped it wasn't an insensitive question to ask. Megumi had displayed such skill unfitting for somebody his age, that it was a bizarre reminder whenever she witnessed his handling of weapons.
"My sensei," Megumi bit into his own meal, not finding it appetizing or disgusting. Once again, he still needed to find a good way to fully recover the functions of his brain. It was as difficult as recovering a burnt out Cursed Technique like Gojo Satoru did, having to destroy the part and repair it perfectly. "His name was Gojo Satoru."
"Gojo Satoru?" Lin asked out inquisitively, "if he taught you, then he must be quite skilled himself."
"He'd kill me with a pinkie finger if he wanted," Megumi admitted, not a hitch in his voice.
"Excuse me?" Lin looked at him with a perplexed look, a slight shift in her neutral expression.
"He was the strongest," Megumi popped a chicken slice into his mouth, chewed, and then swallowed. "In my occupation, that is."
"...To kill you with a pinkie finger, isn't that a stretch?" Lin tried to reason with his words. If this Gojo Satoru could kill Fushiguro Megumi with a pinkie finger, somebody who could summon a skyscraper spanning bird, a ferocious flame tiger, and a dragon; then what could this sensei do?
"Not at all, he's just like that," Megumi dug his chopsticks into his rice, twisting it around. "He's pretty approachable, though, and looks after his students... like me." The Ten Shadows user's voice sounded slightly lethargic, but he couldn't notice it. "He was basically a celebrity from where I worked back then, yet he didn't care much for his image. Gojo-sensei would sit on the ground and give us the more comfortable seats, so I guess I could look back at those memories fondly..." his voice trailed on, eyes slightly lidding.
Lin kept silent, finding this to be the most talkative Megumi had ever been. From what she was hearing from him, this sensei was more of a father figure than a mentor. What he described completely revealed that fact, even if the black haired man didn't seem to think that way.
...From the connections she was making in her mind, the mouse lady could only assume that Gojo Satoru was one of the people who led to the destruction of Shinjuku, Megumi's home. Yet, she didn't know why, seeing how the Sorcerer didn't talk about anything relating to his powers or capabilities after the first description.
***
The sight of fireworks littered the sky in sparkles of incandescent lights. Red, blue, green, yellow, and all the colors one could think of lit up the blackened sky. The stars couldn't be seen, yet the artificial lights created by humanity were their own stars, a show of celebration towards... some sort of holiday Megumi didn't know about.
"What's this about?" He looked upwards and tilted his head. The fireworks seemed out of place with how less exuberant the city was before, so it was an unnatural sight for Fushiguro Megumi.
"It's to celebrate the successful defense against the Ursus Empire, under Yan's alliance with Higashi," Lin elaborated for Megumi. "Lungmen is a part of Yan, so it also celebrates this as a national holiday."
"I see," Megumi honestly found it quite surprising that this world's China and Japan were in good relations. In his previous world, China and Japan, while in peace; still held some bad blood with each other.
"Aren't there quite a lot of dragon fireworks?" Lin mused to Megumi, lightly poking him with her elbow, "I sure wonder what the cause is?" Her voice was sarcastic, a complete contrast to the mouse lady's previous tone of voice.
"Yes, I do wonder too," Megumi was far too tired to humor her, yet at the same time, humoring her was the best he could do with his energy.
The two moved onto a stall that sold cotton candy, going through the few shops set up for the festive moment. Megumi hadn't paid much attention to what was happening in the world around him, so seeing how much the districts of Lungmen had changed was staggering.
But it wasn't as if he didn't have any experience with festivals or celebrations such as these, Japan was fervently known for them.
The two visited a cotton candy store, a few game competitions... which Lin successfully cleared without breaking a sweat. Megumi just sat by and watched her do her thing, it was quite a revelation to find out she took these sorts of things seriously.
It was strange too, most of the rewards she took were watermelon themed. Why was that so...? He didn't know. Deciding not to delve into the matter for too long, Megumi shrugged to himself and moved along.
Another thing he noticed was... the large array of Mizuchi plushies lining most of the game stalls. 'Did they seriously turn it into a marketable plushie?' Never in his life did Megumi think his actions would gain such... fame? Infamy? Notoriety? He didn't know what to think of it. There were also a few Nue: Totality and Tiger Funeral plushies too.
...Seriously, what was all this?
Aside from that, the last stall they visited was a picture taking one, a little room fitting enough for six total people. However, the two decided that they wouldn't mind commemorating this moment. Or rather, Lin wouldn't mind, Megumi wanted to go back to training.
"Hello?" The person operating the stall called out to the two, "oh, are you two a couple? We have a di-," before he could complete his words, Megumi cut him off.
"No, we're not couples," his voice was at a level tone, expression as neutral as they always have been. "We'll pay the full price," Megumi wouldn't allow himself to lie about being the boyfriend of somebody to get free stuff. His moral compass would never allow that... though, he was sure Nobara and Yuji would jump on the opportunity like the little gremlins they were.
...Man, if only they were here.
"...Sure," Lin felt her mouse ears twitch at how quickly he shot down the offer, but shook her head and decided to get along with it.
"Alright you two," the clerk motioned for them to go behind the booth after Lin handed a few LMD bills to him. "Just walk into the machine, and I'll give you a countdown of when I'll take a picture, got it?"
""Understood.""
Lin Yuhsia and Fushiguro Megumi spoke at the same time.
'...Are these two seriously not a...?' The store clerk scratched the back of his head, watching how expressionless they were when replying. "Alright, on a countdown of five, I'll take the picture," he positioned himself to press the button that took the picture.
"Five..."
"Four..."
"Three..."
"Two..."
"And... one!"
FLASH
***
Lin stared at the picture, the two of them holding the exact same expression, "well, isn't this quite a scene to remember?" The woman spoke with a humorously dry tone.
"Do you want to keep it?" Megumi asked out without much thought.
They only paid the price for one picture to be taken, so they received only one picture as a result.
The mouse lady looked as if she were mulling over the question, looking up at the lit up sky, "I wouldn't see why not." She pocketed the image right after.
"Alright," Megumi continued to walk along with Lin in tow, moving across Lungmen, into the slums, and slighter deeper in. The sound of festivities were dying down as they continued to advance forward. Lin wanted to get a larger view of Lungmen from the slums, and he decided to go along with her.
Of course, their thoughts were immediately cut off when the screeching sound of wheels alerted them from where they were at.
Both Lin and Megumi glanced at each other, before turning to the vehicle in the distance. Its light shone brightly, the white car moving at high speeds that it would be utterly illegal from where they were at.
"...Is that?" Lin squinted her eyes to get a better look, seeing the company logo on them. "Looks like they've already found you? How lucky," the mouse lady decided to stand in front of the car for some reason, crossing her arms.
Megumi knew she was capable, but wasn't something like this too much? "Are you sure you want to-," he couldn't complete his words before the car was already in front of Lin. From inside the vehicle, the black haired man could hear the shouting voices of two people.
Lin sighed, bringing her right hand forward and placing her hand on the hood of the car with near unrivaled speed. Nimbly, she leapt upwards while her stand was still on the moving vehicle, jumping over it and landing on the other side safely.
The sound of brakes had long since rung off, the car turning to its side while it skidded to a halt. Megumi was at the forefront of it, standing emotionlessly as it continued to approach further and further....
...Until it stopped right as it was about to ram into him.
Megumi continued to stare silently into the tinted windows, not seeing anybody inside. It was then it rolled down, revealing the sight of... four people in the car. Their outfits showed that they looked worse for wear.
Disheveled, the red haired Sankta woman inside, Megumi recalled being named Exusiai, spoke out to him while pulling something out. It was a wrapped box, two of them to be precise, and handed it to him with an enthusiastic movement.
"Penguin Logistics~!" She gave him a wink and smile, not matching with the appearance that told of a battle previously fought, "right on time too, eh~?" Exusiai looked rather happy.
"...I wasn't expecting a package this early," Megumi took the item, too tired to deal with whatever antics they had.
"Oh! Megumi!" A woman called out to him from behind Texas, the Lupo woman named Sora. Or, a disguised Lupo named Sora, "were you there during the idol show! We all practically know that you su-"
Before she could finish, Texas grabbed her by the mouth and pulled her back, "she's excitable today. Don't mind her." The woman held a blank expression while doing so.
Sora flailed about in her arms.
"Whatcha' getting on about there?" A woman who Megumi didn't recognize spoke up. "He the guy that summoned that gigantic dragon? Woah, he's really scary too," the woman pulled out a pocky stick from her mouth while speaking.
"Hey, that isn't a way to greet somebody, Croissant" once the package left her hands, Exusiai turned back to call back to Croissant.
"I don't mind," Megumi responded to them, secretly putting the two packages into his shadow inventory.
From the side, while Penguin Logistics bantered in the car, Lin Yuhsia walked up to his side.
"Your entrance was quite something," Lin placed her right hand on her hip while assessing them. "Though, I must say, the package was delivered much earlier than expected."
"Hehe~!" Exusiai turned to her with a confident look, "no matter where you are, Penguin Logistics always delivers!"
"That's good to hear," Megumi placed his hands in his pocket, turning to glance around the array of buildings around them. For some reason, he felt a disturbance in the shadows, as if figures were moving through them.
Well, they were indeed moving through them, and he was sure Lin Yuhsia also knew of that.
"You guys," Texas had already let go of Sora, but her Lupo ears started twitching, "they chased us all the way here."
"Eh, those guys?!" Sora called out to them, an annoyed look on her face, "I thought we dealt with all of them."
"Enemies, it seems?" Lin turned to glance around the buildings without a change in her looks. "Hm, I'd guess they're after all of us. Blood Hounds?"
"Yup!" Croissant called out from the wheel, "so, you guys wanna help us out, or nah?" The woman bit the rest of her pocky stick, given from Texas. "We could do well with a few extra hands."
"I don't see why not," Megumi let his hands leave his pockets, "are we going to...?"
"Alrighty then, you two!" Croissant called out to them, "get in the car, we're steppin' on it!" The woman motioned for Megumi and Lin.
"Oh, I'll take top position!" Exusiai unbuckled her seat belt and jumped out of the car window, both the two people in front of it casually moving out the way. "Can't believe I'm working with Lin herself, eh?" The woman grabbed the ledge of it, before flipping herself on top of the car.
"Mm," Texas kept her sights trained on Megumi for a moment, for Lin opened the car door and stepped inside gracefully.
"I'll see what I can do from here," Lin muttered out, all the while she watched Megumi close the door after she entered. "Not coming in?" The mouse lady tilted her head.
"I'll go up top," Megumi didn't give much of an explanation, before leaping on top of the car too.
"Oh seriously?" Sora called out from inside the car.
"I don't think you can convince him," Texas took another pocky stick out and bit down on it.
"Alright you all, the gas starts now!" Croissant smiled while slamming her foot on the gas pedal, accelerating the car.
"Woah! Now that's more like it!" Exusiai had a KRISS Vector on her back, pulling it out while crossbow bolts whizzed past the car.
From behind the vehicle, two black cars appeared out from the corner of the buildings identified as abandoned warehouses and came out, tailing them.
Megumi stood up straight, glancing a few times around while Exusiai circled around him and pressed her back against his. "I'll deal with the cars," he lifted his fingers upwards while Exusiai cocked back her gun.
"Alright then, I'll deal with those on top of the warehouses!" The woman smiled, pulling her weapon to point towards the abandoned buildings. Without much thought, the Sankta unloaded heavy yet precise fire at them.
The street was lit up with the sound of a rifle rapid firing, echoing across the landscape and dropping bodies like a drunken rave party.
The car swerved to avoid the countless crossbow bolts raining down on them, while gang members peeked out of the windows of the two black cars to point crossbows at the white car.
Megumi lifted up his right hand in a pistol sign, before unleashing his attack.
DISMANTLE
Invisible slashes in rip roared through the air, scraping off the enhanced steel of the gang members' cars. However, it wouldn't last long before the slashes ripped straight clean through the objects, sending sparks flying and the vehicles veering off course and crashing into the warehouses.
The same markings as Ryomen Sukuna appeared on his arms and face.
A small dual explosion rang up, the vibrations shaking the street and sending smoke along with burning fuel upwards towards the air. Like clouds reaching up to heaven, they would disperse before ever reaching the stratosphere.
"Damn!" Exusiai grinned, "I guess I gotta ramp up my efforts, huh?" She wasn't going to lose to the man, and continued her voracious fire towards the enemies up top, moving around the car.
Megumi followed along with her movements, keeping his hand upwards and trained towards the other gang members camping up top. Fixing his balance after the car took a deft U-turn, he fired off another Dismantle towards the rooftops, this time in a formation of slashes.
The well-dressed men in black didn't know what hit them, their crossbow bolts having been proven useless to their speed, and their positions not providing any safe cover for them. Blood flew up into the air, their bodies being split in brutal ways, as if having been thrown through a Yanese industrial machine.
"They've got explosives!" Croissant yelled out from the front of the car, while the mobile vehicle completed its course.
Multiple objects were flying through the air, shaped in all odd shapes.
"I'll deal with that," Lin extended her arms, touching the windows of the car, "pardon me, I'll pay for the expenses." Not long after, the glass seemed to have orange like fissures, before they blasted open and shot outside.
With great force, the objects veered through the air like homing missiles and intercepted the explosives, making them detonate in the air and releasing mini fireworks that reverberated across the scene.
Exusiai continued to fire, her halo and wings glowing much brighter. Suppressive fire continued to pressure the gang members, making them yell and lower their heads. Their chain of command was starting to be dismembered, both from her shots and...
Fushiguro Megumi's pointing, firing off invisible slashes that they couldn't see.
"We've got a grenade launcher up front, they're gonna fire!" Croissant called out once more, seeing a gang member pull out with a large cylindrical gun.
"I'll deal with it," Megumi replied, lowering his hand to reach into his shadow inventory. Pulling out Dragon Bone, he entered a drawing stance and...
The grenade launcher fired off, a grenade approaching the vehicle at a pace that would leave any normal human being staring at it in despair.
Secret Art: Falling Blossom Emotion
A blue aura enveloped Fushiguro Megumi, his hair billowing in the wind before the blunt edge of Dragon Bone batted the object back at its sender.
The mobster looked up at surprise, dropping his weapon and attempting to run away.
BOOM
They were unfortunate with their decision making, having already been too late with their action.
Megumi continued to survey the scene, seeing all the enemies either cowering in fear and lowering their head, or deciding to do a head on approach. "They're charging us," he called out to Penguin Logistics and Lin inside the car.
"I'll deal with them," the sound of a pocky stick being bitten with a resounding crack was heard. Leaping out of the car, Texas brandished both of her handles, igniting her blades with her Arts. All the while the car was still braking to a stop.
"I'll join you then," Lin leapt out next, landing on her feet and bending her knees. As swift as a mouse she stood back up and manifested a glass sword with decorations laced upon it. "A direct confrontation is not my type of method, but I'll see this to the end." Raising her fingers to point to the sky in front of her body, a glass barrier erected itself around her and deflected all bolts.
Megumi leaped off the car, while Exusiai decided to stay on top and reload her gun, and then moving back to her firing position. The car accelerated once more.
Megumi, Texas, and Lin moved into a small triangular formation while the gang member surrounded them.
"If you use that chain dance of yours," Lin remarked while turning to Megumi, "you could clear them out without a hitch."
"Hm?" Texas was curious about what they were talking about, raising her sword to deflect a projectile.
"I'll try something else," Megumi clasped his hands together after dropping Dragon Bone and knelt down on one knee.
"Jewel of Plenty."
"Jewel of Turning."
The gang members were about 2 or 3 meters away from them, raising their melee weapons ranging from stilettos to machetes up in the sky. However, the moment those words were spoken, and a spike in energy was heard, they all froze like puppies in the headlight of a car.
Texas and Lin wondered what he was chanting, but could feel the rise in negative energy, having to pause themselves to get used to the sudden rise of... what could only be described as pure slaughter.
"Divine Dogs."
A gigantic shadow pit erupted from around them, the fully manifested form of the two Divine Dogs leaping out of the shadows with great fervor. Their yellow eyes left a trail in the air as they continued to rip and bite apart the enemies. After they finished their attacks, they would fall back into the pit.
Then rise up once more at great speeds, tearing apart the gang members once more, their attack being potent enough to leave chunks of their bodies blowing off entirely. All what was assumed to be twenty mobsters who had surrounded them had been cleared out within a mere 5 seconds due to the enhanced Divine Dogs.
"That certainly deals with them quickly," Lin looked at the scene, remembering those shadow creatures from their first meeting. This time though, they didn't look just like shadows, but looked as if they possessed actual flesh. 'Though, he could have done it more cleanly...'
"Those..." Texas narrowed her eyes, she couldn't but draw a comparison to the Signori dei Lupi who would appear as smoke. Especially that one, the one in which she would have to answer to complete the last part of her deal.
Megumi stood back up from his posture, dusting himself off while analyzing the scene. From his senses, all other members of the gang that had attacked them were now completely cowering behind their cover, not wishing to deal with the brunt of his attacks.
The swerving of Penguin Logistics' car was heard, the vehicle coming to a screeching halt behind them.
Exusiai in particular had stopped firing, on one knee at the top of the car and smiling, "you really showed them, huh?!" The woman had a joyous look, but slightly felt it upturned when looking at the bloody mess surrounding Texas, Lin, and Megumi. "Oh, er... that..."
"Sorry," Megumi scratched the back of his neck, "I wanted to get it over with."
"Hot damn!" Croissant peered out of the window, looking at the mess in front of her, "getting it over with? You sure damn got it over with that lil' stunt of yours!" The woman had to rub here eyes a few times to get a clearer view. "Hey, Texas, don't let Sora see that!"
"See what?" Sora was about to peek through the window, wondering what the horrid smell was, but Texas had already moved swiftly to the window where she peeked out. The fake Lupo then had her eyes covered, much to her dismay. "Hey! Let me see!" The woman flailed about.
Small bouts of laughter were heard from the Penguin Logistics gang, the only person not laughing was Texas.
Lin crossed her arms and stood by Megumi, letting out a small hum, "a rather excitable day, was it not?"
"No way," Megumi turned to her with a deadpan expression, a slight look of dismay. "I would've rather had a day without fighting." The Ten Shadows user had already felt the rest of the gang members ditching the scene, having had enough of their combined efforts. There was no reason to chase them, it would be like going after ants after they had burrowed into the ground.
"Hm, fair," Lin gave him a small glance, before a small smile made itself known on her face. "The offer is still up."
"I'll think about it," Megumi waved her off.
***
"Texas, was it?" Megumi raised an eyebrow, sitting at a bar known as "The End of the Earths." The last word in its title had brought back a few memories, but he quickly brushed it aside. It was too bad this place had too many alcoholic beverages to count, and he was more of a lightweight compared to Gojo Satoru. "You wanted to talk with me?"
The group had decided to crash out at this place, Lin opting to sit beside Megumi while she enjoyed a small drink. A celebratory occasion after banding together and absolutely crushing their enemy.
"Yes," Texas nodded, feeling her Lupo ears twitch when getting in sight of his gaze. "It's about Lappland," the woman was straight to the point.
"Huh?" Megumi looked surprised, eyes slightly widening. "That... loose cannon?" That was the best term he could describe the crazy and maniacal woman. Now that he thought about it, Texas and Lappland did look somewhat similar, but not to the point he could call them siblings. Are they perhaps friends...?
"That's a good description," Texas took out a pocky stick and chewed on it, "she attacked me not too long ago."
Lin decided to listen on from the sidelines, as she usually did. Although Penguin Logistics had caused some slight problems with her father, the Rat King; she didn't mind them as much with the help they had provided.
"...This has to do with me... why?" Megumi asked.
"She said I should meet you," Texas replied, "you beat her after all."
"Oh," Megumi rested his elbow on the bar counter and placed his chin on his palm. "...So, what should I do?"
"I don't know," Texas replied, taking a bite of her snack, "she just demanded that I meet you."
"That's it?" Megumi raised an eyebrow, lifting his head away from his palm slightly.
"Yes," Texas nodded her head with her eyes closed.
"I see..." Megumi went back to his resting position.
Texas let out a small hum, leaning on the bar table while continuing to enjoy her snack.
Lin Yuhsia, however, stared at the two with a perplexed look, interchanging a glance between the two while taking a sip. 'They really are...' the woman wondered if the light alcohol was getting to her, or if they were actually the same people.
"...Do you want one?" Texas pulled out another pocky stick, handing it to Megumi.
"I don't mind," he took it and popped it in his mouth, "you know... I thought chocolate was poisonous to canines?"
"No," Texas blankly replied, "not really."
"Strange..." Megumi muttered to himself while taking a bite of it.
A brief silence followed.
"...Those wolves you summoned," Texas couldn't help but break it, "are they related to...?" She wanted to choose her words carefully.
"They're a technique, not Arts," Megumi decided to just speak whatever he wanted, "I don't believe they're that interesting, though."
"Can you summon them?" Texas wanted to see the black one for no reason. None at all.
"Alright...?" Megumi put the rest of the pocky stick in his mouth and crunched on it. His hands then formed a wolf shadow puppet, swallowing the rest of the snack and then reciting:
"Divine Dogs."
From the pits, a black and white dog came forth, stepping outside and sitting on the ground. They looked around, up at Megumi, turning to a curious Lin, and back to Texas.
The black haired Lupo paused at them, tilting her head. The ability of Fushiguro Megumi was confusing, summoning all these different creatures that had this sort of feel to them... especially those dogs that he just summoned. Perplexing in many ways, and Texas couldn't help but find her curiosity provoked.
The white Divine Dog walked off elsewhere, to the other Penguin Logistics girls who started to swarm it with pets.
The black Divine Dog tilted their head along with Texas, the two having a sort of soundless staredown.
...
Not a second later, Texas reached out her hand and patted the wolf on the head. The animal let out a cute sound at her touch, its tail wagging while it moved its head for a full range of motion.
Unbeknownst to Texas herself, her tail started swishing lightly too, before both her hands found its way on the wolf's head. Soon enough, she began to give it a few rubs and pats with a neutral expression on her face. However, her eyes practically gave everything away.
Lin watched the scene in silence.
***
Fushiguro Megumi looked at the letter in his hand, leaning back on the office chair in Ch'en's office. It looked fancy, stamped with a seal that he recognized was from Rhine Labs. In the packages that he received from Penguin Logistics, he had gained his identification... and strangely an invitation letter to Rhine Labs Columbia branch.
Their main branch from what he's heard.
Scratching his head, he placed it back into his shadows without much thought. If he ever visited Columbia, he could go by for a visit. But for now, Megumi didn't know what to do with his life at the moment, despite receiving an identification card. The black haired man was simply waiting for Ch'en to drag him to this Wei Yenwu person.
The training had paid off, the moment he clenched his fist, a dark blue aura with black outlines appeared momentarily before flickering away. Growth, a comfortable feeling that Megumi had grown accustomed to in this new world. It was one of the few bastions he could fall back on, letting himself free himself temporarily from the predicament he was in.
...But with how things were going, he was sure that everything would be alright... or so, that was what he hoped. However, the black haired man wasn't so foolish as to think everything would go right. If he didn't fumble this meeting the highest position of power in Lungmen itself, then he'd live another day without much disruption.
Megumi sincerely hoped the information he gained about him from Ch'en would prepare him enough.
Ding
The sound of the elevator opening made Megumi turn his head in its direction. He saw Ch'en walking out, heaving a small sigh while her hands were placed on her hips. "I take it we're going to depart now?" With the time that had already passed, and the sun starting to slightly set in an orange afterglow, he could feel a sense of unease boil in his stomach.
"Yes, you catch on quick, you always do," Ch'en shook her head. "Don't screw up this one, alright?"
"I know," Megumi stood up, fixing his black haori and dusting it off. "I'll try my best."
"You better," the dragon lady motioned for him to come in the elevator, keeping her foot in between the doors so they wouldn't close.
Standing up straight, Megumi moved along, his black haori swaying behind him. His hands stayed at rest alongside him, yet were obstructed from the sight of the article of clothing's long sleeve.
It was bound to happen, but dealing with politics so early wasn't on his checklist.