The council chamber smelled faintly of old wood and incense. A semicircle of elders sat at an elevated dais, their expressions carved in the same weathered stone as the walls behind them.
Banners bearing the crests of the Clans hung motionless in the stale air, and in the centre of the floor stood Yuki Tsukumo.
She bowed her head just enough to acknowledge their authority without surrendering to it.
One of the oldest men present adjusted his robes and said, "Special Grade Tsukumo. Your report."
Yuki's voice was steady, stripped of any flourish."The mission to eliminate the lightning-affinity Special Grade Cursed Spirit was successful. I was assigned oversight of Mahito, acting under Gojo Satoru's permission, to assess his capabilities.
During the engagement, a civilian hostage was taken, an elderly man. Mahito engaged directly, shielded the man, and healed him instantly upon contact."
A murmur rippled through the elders. One of the Zen'in clan representatives leaned forward, sceptical. "Healed? You're certain?"
"Yes," Yuki replied without hesitation. "Immediate and complete restoration. No residual injury. It was done through direct contact, without the use of reverse cursed technique as far as I could detect."
An Ino clan elder narrowed his eyes. "That's… certainly not in his nature."
Yuki let the remark pass. "Following that, Mahito initiated a Domain Expansion. It spanned roughly one hundred meters in radius, double his previously recorded capacity. The structure was… unconventional.
Almost transparent barrier, not made to hold anything in or out, almost seamless with the surrounding environment. Inside, his control over soul manipulation was absolute. He was able to draw in and extract the Special Grade's cursed technique upon defeating it."
The chamber fell into a hush.
Finally, a Kamo elder broke it. "A Cursed Spirit with adaptive growth, mastery of soul manipulation, and the ability to absorb techniques…" His lips thinned into a grim line. "Gojo is already a problem. Now he fosters this."
Yuki's gaze didn't waver. "Mahito is evolving at a pace I've never seen before. His Domain was refined, deliberate, and inhumanly precise. It is starting to look… unnatural. And if he continues on this trajectory, he will become something that not even the standard Special Grade classification will fit."
The tension in the air thickened. Some elders shifted uncomfortably, others masked their unease behind neutral expressions.
"This is dangerous," an elder from the Gakuganji school muttered. "We cannot allow another figure outside our control with that level of power."
Another countered, "If he remains under Gojo's watch, perhaps we can-"
"Gojo Satoru answers to no one," the Kamo elder snapped. "And neither will this Mahito if we are not careful."
The Zen'in representative spoke next, voice measured but edged with contempt. "Two uncontrollable annoyances, one human, one curse, both under the same banner. It will upset the balance that's kept our clans in power for generations."
One of the quieter elders finally said, "Then we make our stance clear. Mahito remains under Gojo's supervision, but with regular oversight from Special Grade Tsukumo. If his actions stray from acceptable limits, she is to act immediately to exorcise him."
Several nods followed, though not all were in agreement. The vote was quick, but the undercurrent of fear was undeniable. They were not just afraid of Mahito. They were afraid of what he represented, proof that Gojo's vision of the future was already taking shape.
Yuki kept her posture relaxed, hands loosely at her sides. She gave no sign of the thoughts she held back, the image of Mahito's calm smile after absorbing the lightning curse, the strange glint in his eyes that didn't quite belong to a monster.
When the meeting was adjourned, she walked out into the cool hallway without looking back.
She felt glad. She had the perfect excuse to keep in touch with Mahito and explore his technique further... Yeah. That was all it was.
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The afternoon light over Tokyo Jujutsu High was almost blinding after the shadows of the council chamber. Mahito followed Gojo through the open gates, his eyes flicking from the training yards to the weathered dormitory walls.
"And over here," Gojo said, his voice carrying that easy, singsong lilt, "we have the training field. Nice, open, perfect for working out all your frustrations without breaking the good china."
Mahito's gaze lingered on the sparring 2nd year students in the distance. They froze mid-practice when they saw him, their stances faltering as whispers began to ripple.
Gojo noticed but didn't slow his pace. "Ignore the staring. They'll get used to you… or they won't. Either way, you'll get plenty of space to yourself."
"I don't mind an audience," Mahito said lightly, scanning the grounds. "It's fun to see how people react."
"Right," Gojo replied with a wide smile, clearly amused by the whole situation. However, he still felt the need to add something else. "Just remember, fights are off-limits for you unless they're volunteering. I mean it."
"Of course. Not that I'd ever fight seriously against fledgling Sorcerers~" Mahito was not bothered by that rule one bit.
They passed by the kitchen, the library, and the old stone staircase leading to the faculty offices. Gojo narrated each landmark like a tour guide at an amusement park, dropping in the occasional warning masked as a joke.
"This is the main dorm building. Hot water's limited, so you might want to take your showers at night. Also, don't eat Panda's snacks unless you're ready for a fight you can't win~"
Mahito smiled, slightly amused at the prospect of Panda attacking a Special Grade curse for stealing his snacks.
Eventually, Gojo stopped in front of a small detached building at the edge of the grounds. He fished a key out of his pocket and tossed it without looking. Mahito caught it smoothly.
"Your quarters. Not bad, huh? Plenty of privacy and peace. You'll be fine here."
Mahito looked at the door, then back at Gojo, his smile slow and unreadable. "Peace is nice… but I'm more interested in the opportunity to spar with you~"
Gojo adjusted his blindfold slightly, grinning. "Oh, you'll get it, that's for certain~" He had also read Yuki's reports; he was curious about clashing domains with Mahito by that point.
Before Mahito could reply, the sound of voices cut through from the courtyard behind them, quick, familiar tones.
They turned as Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, and Nobara Kugisaki came into view.
"Hoh, I'd better take my leave~ I bet you have plenty to talk about with my students. Bye bye~" Gojo disappeared just like that, vanishing in thin air, but Mahito was sure that he was still watching one way or another.
Alas, it was going to take a while before Gojo left him out of his gaze.
Yuji's expression shifted the moment he recognised Mahito. There was no hostility in it, but a wariness tempered with something almost like relief. "So… you're really here. Thought I'd only see you again in another fight."
Mahito's grin widened, faint amusement curling in his tone. "And yet here I am, on friendly terms. Fate's strange, isn't it?"
Yuji nodded slightly. "You helped us against that Forest Curse. I haven't forgotten that."
Kugisaki stepped forward, arms crossed but eyes bright with curiosity. "Ya also helped me against that werido. Didn't think I'd be saying this to a curse, but… thanks."
Mahito tilted his head, his voice just a shade lighter. "You're welcome, though I don't recall doing it for gratitude."
He didn't feel the need to put up appearances anymore. He was just being himself.
Megumi, however, didn't relax. His gaze stayed fixed on Mahito, his cursed energy already subtly shifting beneath the surface. "Gojo-sensei may trust you… But I'll still keep an eye on you."
Mahito just smiled when hearing that, slightly amused. "Don't worry about it. Besides, Gojo himself is keeping an eye on me."
Megumi didn't look convinced. His eyes narrowed slightly, and Mahito could feel something strange revolving within his soul, ominous and rhythmic. "If you are dangerous, I won't hesitate... Even if it costs my life."
The air grew heavier at that, the implied threat settling between them.
Mahito only chuckled. "You'd go that far? Interesting." It wasn't shocking; Rather, he was surprised that Megumi hadn't threatened to summon Mahoraga during their first encounter.
The young sorcerer did it so much to the point where it was almost like a muscle reflex. It certainly hindered his growth.
Yuji glanced at Megumi, tension flickering in his tone. "Heyyy! Lighten upp~ He's been nothing but friendly up to this point."
Kugisaki smirked, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You're no fun, Fushiguro. Let's see what he does first before you threaten to blow yourself up or something."
"It's fine to be wary, I don't mind." Mahito shook his head, still smiling as if he hadn't just been threatened. Still, he couldn't help but leave Megumi with one last comment. "Don't be so trigger-happy. Value your life a little~"
Still, as Mahito turned toward his quarters, he could feel Megumi's eyes on his back, watchful, ready, maybe a little confused.
'Ah... This is going to be fun~' Mahito smiled internally as he finally stepped into his quarters.