I returned to the new house with Ibuki-douji—or simply 'Ibuki,' as I'd taken to calling her since our days back in Chaldea.
She was gentle and sociable, a far cry from the terrifying myths that bore her name.
I had, of course, asked for her permission to use the nickname.
She seemed to love it, claiming it sounded like an affectionate pet name.
"Wow… experiencing it in person feels even better. You went through a lot, didn't you?"
The moment Ibuki-douji stepped into the house, her eyes sparkled with genuine delight. She seemed thrilled to be here.
"Oh my. Is that you, Lady Ibuki-douji?"
"I expected your arrival, but it's truly a pleasure to meet you in the flesh."
The two Koyanskayas greeted her warmly. They showed a level of politeness and familiarity that suggested a pre-existing bond.
"Yeah, thanks. I'm glad to see you two are doing well too."
Ibuki pulled both Koyanskayas into a massive hug at once.
Ibuki's standard height was 180 centimeters. She had more than enough physical presence to envelope the two foxes.
'Good grief, that's three sets of… well.'
The three women's figures pressed against one another in a triangular formation, their curves shifting under the pressure. It was, admittedly, a magnificent sight.
"By the way, what have you done regarding your current Saint Graph?"
Koyanskaya of Darkness asked as she finally stepped back from the embrace.
In the world of Fate, a Saint Graph determined one's Class and role. In the old days, there were only seven or eight, including Avengers. By the time the mobile game era hit, the count had exploded.
Ruler, Moon Cancer, Foreigner, Alter Ego, Shielder, Pretender, Paladin, Beast…
They had increased so much it was exhausting just to keep track.
And yet, beyond the game, even more specialized Classes existed.
The more I thought about it, the more my head spun.
"Hmm? Right now, I'm a Saber," Ibuki replied with a blink.
Saber: the swordsman. Berserker: the mad warrior.
While Ibuki was fundamentally a Saber, she also possessed a Berserker variant. In gaming terms, she was a seasonal alt character.
"Ah. So you're in your standard form."
"Yeah. I think I can switch things around whenever the need arises. But, Master?"
Ibuki turned toward me, her expression turning uncharacteristically serious.
"Yeah?"
"You're sure you're not tired? Truly?"
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me, just make yourself at home."
"If you say so… but if you're pushing yourself, you have to stop immediately. Promise?"
I nodded silently. It seemed she was still bothered by how exhausted I had looked earlier.
"Alright then. If you ever need my strength, just say the word."
"Thanks. That's very reassuring."
Though it started with worry, the conversation ended on a warm note. It put my mind at ease.
"By the way, do you feel any stronger than when you were at Chaldea? Since we're in Japan, I assume you'd receive a Fame Boost?"
"Eh? Hold on."
Ibuki crossed her arms and closed her eyes, focusing her senses inward.
In the Nasuverse, Fame—or recognition—serves as a guideline for power. A Heroic Spirit's stats are buffed based on how well-known they are globally, and specifically within the region where they manifest.
While this mechanic was largely glossed over in the mobile game, it was a critical factor in traditional Fate lore. The battle between Vlad III and Karna in *Fate/Apocrypha* was the quintessential example of this effect.
"Oh? You're right. I feel quite a bit more powerful than I did back at Chaldea."
After a moment of silence, Ibuki opened her eyes.
It was exactly as I'd suspected. Ibuki-douji was a prominent Divine Spirit in Japan. If she received a Fame Boost, she was bound to become significantly more powerful.
Conversely, the Koyanskayas were beings who didn't even exist in historical records. Their Fame was effectively zero.
The vengeful spirits of the beasts that perished in the Tunguska Explosion? How would an average person ever know about that?
'Hell, I didn't know either.'
Naturally, I only learned about it through Fate, along with countless other fragments of obscure trivia.
In any case, the Fame Boost was a welcome revelation.
"Great. Then today, we'll sleep…"
The moment I mentioned sleeping arrangements, the three Servants' eyes narrowed as they simultaneously held out their arms.
"In whose embrace will you be sleeping?"
"You know my lap is soft and pillowy, don't you? You'll sleep like a log."
"Eh? Then I'm joining in too. We're competing for the right to sleep with him, right?"
The two Koyanskayas took the lead, with Ibuki jumping in late. It was chaos. Any choice was a good one, but that was precisely what made it difficult. The sheer indecisiveness was killing me.
"Well… since today is Ibuki's first day, I'll go with her."
"Ah…!"
In a split second, a wave of disappointment washed over the faces of both Koyanskayas, as if they'd been backstabbed.
"I see. I failed to consider the weight of it being her summoning day."
"To make such an absurd oversight…"
The two foxes put their heads together and sighed. Was it really that serious?
"Yay! Then I'm going to hold Master tight all night."
Ibuki flew over in an instant and hugged me close. She moved so fast there was neither sound nor a breeze in her wake.
"Whoa."
By the time I realized what happened, I was buried in her impressive cleavage. It was magnificent enough to evoke genuine awe.
"Goodnight, Master."
Ibuki floated in mid-air while holding me. Despite the precarious height, I felt strangely secure. Buried between her warm chest, I closed my eyes. The warmth and comfort pulled me into sleep almost instantly.
The next day, after my night in Ibuki's embrace, Zenin Toji arrived with a load of meat to celebrate the housewarming.
"Boss. Congrats on the move."
"Thank you for coming."
"Just doing my job. But… is there nothing in this house? It's empty."
"A bed and some appliances should arrive today. That'll make it a proper home."
The hotel owner, grateful for everything, had arranged the luxury apartment and even bought moving gifts. It was a bit overwhelming, but I was thankful nonetheless.
"Well, that's good… but who's the other woman? She looks… skin-crawlingly strong, just at a glance."
Toji gestured toward Ibuki, who was crouching in the corner. His description was potentially offensive, but it didn't seem intended as a slur—more like a visceral reaction to her power.
"This is Ibuki-douji. Have you heard the name?"
"Ibuki? You don't mean… the child of Yamata-no-Orochi from the *Otogi-zōshi*?"
Toji's eyes widened instantly. Being Japanese and from a Jujutsu clan, he was well-versed in these things.
"Is that something they teach in the Zenin clan?"
"I picked bits up through rumors, and read some documents too. To make a living in this industry, you have to study Cursed Spirits."
"You mean the sorcery side of things?"
"Yeah."
Toji nodded simply, though his shock hadn't quite faded.
"So you knew just from the name."
"Yeah. And knowing makes it even more shocking. According to the ancient texts, she's a literal calamity. Even the Three Great Vengeful Spirits would probably look like a joke next to her."
The Three Great Vengeful Spirits. They were a topic briefly mentioned in *Jujutsu Kaisen* lore but never truly expanded upon. They weren't a plot hook; he was just stating general knowledge.
"Oh, those things? I don't know how they are in this world, but I doubt they'd be much of a challenge," Ibuki remarked from her hovering position. She sounded completely indifferent.
"Typical. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em—right?"
Toji quoted a famous saying. It felt a bit ahead of its time for this era, but I let it slide.
"Boss. Can I ask you one thing?"
"Go ahead."
I tilted my head, looking at Toji as he sat across from me. What was he getting at?
"Your women… you called them Servants? How many more can you summon?"
"Huh? Why do you ask?"
"If you have more heavy hitters, they'll be useful in all sorts of ways. You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable. It's pure curiosity."
"If you're curious, I'll tell you."
I confidently folded my fourth and fifth fingers. It was the gesture for three.
"Wow."
Toji's eyes widened again. This time, he looked genuinely stunned.
"With that much power, you could conquer the world, let alone Japan."
"I don't know about that. Strength alone isn't enough to rule."
"You have no interest in that sort of thing?"
"None."
World conquest. I'd fantasized about it once or twice, but not anymore. After saving the world twice alongside the protagonist of Grand Order, I knew exactly how grueling that process was.
'Especially Chapter 7…'
Mictlan in South America still gave me chills. It was something we could never have won with our strength alone. If Kukulcan—born from the heart of ORT—hadn't helped us, we would have been annihilated cleanly. Of course, that's not to say our power was useless. It was a victory achieved only because everyone was there.
I shifted from thinking about ORT to the villains of the original story: Sukuna, Kenjaku, and the Special Grade Disaster Curses. I compared them to ORT one by one, and they suddenly seemed trivial. In the world of *Jujutsu Kaisen*, they were horrifying monsters that drove the plot with dread and tension, but compared to conceptual planetary threats…
'I feel like I could just snipe them and they'd die.'
In game terms, they felt like bosses without any Break bars. Just simple HP pinatas.
"Boss, I suspect Cursed Spirits will be scarce for a while. Want to switch to Curse User hunting?" Toji asked, tapping his forehead. He seemed to have already decided on the answer.
"Any particular reason?"
"Summer is when Cursed Spirits spawn explosively. Until then, human Cursed Energy is just pooling and stagnating. That's why."
"Ah. I see."
I nodded at his explanation. I remembered that setting now.
"Then for Cursed Spirits, we'll just wait for news from Mr. Yaga. Toji-san, you look into the Curse Users. Just make sure to rest occasionally."
"You want to take it slow now that we have some breathing room?"
"That, and I want to use Mr. Yaga as my primary source for Curse news."
Money would come from Toji's hits. Experience points would come from Yaga Masamichi's assignments. Curse User hunting would grant experience, but it would likely be marginal compared to hunting Special Grade Cursed Spirits.
'Wait, or would it?'
Regardless, we adjusted our policy and moved accordingly. In the cold seasons, we rested. In the warm seasons, we became more active. And just like that, years passed.
The original timeline of *Jujutsu Kaisen* was moving. A certain pivotal incident was now right around the corner.