Silly author note: BREAKING NEWS: Yuta Okkotsu Wins Again Using Power Of Friendship And Premium DLC Spirit.
===
Waking up without pain was a weird experience.
Shinra lay in his dorm bed, staring at the ceiling, and realized nothing hurt. Not his ribs. Not his face. Not the thousand tiny cuts and bruises he'd collected during his rooftop death match with the King of Curses.
He poked his chest experimentally. Nothing. Flexed his fingers. No stiffness. Even his swollen eye was back to normal.
Did I...
Relax, ROB's voice cut in. You didn't spontaneously develop RCT. Shoko happened.
Shinra blinked. Shoko?
Ieiri Shoko. The school's medic. Only person in the entire jujutsu world with RCT who isn't named Gojo or Sukuna. She patched you up while you were unconscious. A pause. Well, mostly unconscious. You said some things.
Shinra sat up quickly. What things?
Something about "Fraudkuna needing Mahoraga to hold his hand." She laughed. I think she likes you.
Great. Awesome. Wonderful.
Shinra swung his legs out of bed and stood. His body felt fresh, ready, like yesterday never happened. RCT was insane. One day you're broken into pieces, the next you're good as new.
Man, he thought, I need RCT.
You don't have RCT.
I know. I'm saying I need it.
You need to earn it.
Shinra paused mid-stretch. Okay, so give me a mission for it.
No.
What do you mean no?
I mean no. ROB's voice took on that smug quality Shinra was starting to hate. You want rewards? You entertain me. Yesterday was entertaining. Today? You've done nothing. No missions, no chaos, no content. Why would I give you RCT for free?
Shinra stared at nothing. You're serious.
As a heart attack. You want RCT? Give me a show. Make me laugh. Make me gasp. Make me say "damn, that was crazy." Until then? No RCT for you.
This is extortion.
This is business, baby. Now get dressed. You've got places to be.
Shinra wanted to argue. Wanted to point out that he'd just fought SUKUNA and nearly died. Wanted to mention that most systems would throw rewards at their users for that kind of performance.
But arguing with ROB was like arguing with a brick wall. A brick wall that could send you to Rent-a-Girlfriend.
He got dressed.
---
The cafeteria was chaos.
Not surprising chaos. Comforting chaos. Panda chaos.
The giant panda was at the stove, apron still saying "KISS THE COOK," spatula in hand, smoke rising from at least three different pans simultaneously. Inumaki sat at the table, nursing a rice ball and watching the disaster unfold with what might have been amusement.
Maki was there too. Reading. Ignoring everything.
"GOOD MORNING, SHINRA!" Panda waved the spatula enthusiastically, flinging something that might have been egg onto the floor. "BREAKFAST IS ALMOST READY! I HAVE INVENTED A NEW RECIPE!"
"Last time you invented a recipe, we had to air out the cafeteria for three days," Maki said without looking up.
"THAT WAS CHARACTER-BUILDING SMOKE!"
"That was a health code violation."
"SAME THING!"
Shinra grabbed a seat across from Inumaki, who gave him a small nod. "Tuna mayo."
"Morning to you too." Shinra glanced at the stove. "Is it safe to eat whatever he's making?"
"Salmon."
"That bad?"
"Bonito flakes."
"Got it."
Maki finally looked up from her book. Her eyes scanned Shinra checking, assessing, the way she always did. "You look better than yesterday."
"Shoko's good at her job."
"She's the best." Maki closed her book. "Heard you fought Sukuna."
Shinra blinked. "News travels fast."
"Panda told everyone. Panda tells everyone everything."
"I DO NOT!" Panda yelled from the stove. "I ONLY TELL PEOPLE THINGS THAT ARE INTERESTING! WHICH IS EVERYTHING!"
Maki ignored him. "One finger Sukuna or full Sukuna?"
"One finger. Yuji was fighting him for control the whole time." Shinra shrugged. "I just... kept him busy."
"You fought the King of Curses and lived. That's not 'keeping him busy.' That's a miracle." Maki's eyes narrowed. "You're stronger than you look."
"Thanks?"
"It wasn't a compliment. It was an observation." She stood, stretching in a way that was completely casual and definitely not distracting. "I'm heading to training. Got to keep sharp."
She walked out without another word.
Shinra watched her go.
Down boy, ROB snickered.
Shut up.
You're staring again.
I'm observing. There's a difference.
There really isn't.
Before Shinra could retort, a blue screen materialized in front of his face.
DING!
[SPECIAL MISSION: The Heavyweight Rematch]
Objective: Spar with Maki Zenin and defeat her.
Constraints:
· No Cursed Energy
· No Haki
· No Techniques
· Physical Capabilities Only
· Debuff: Gravity (2x)
· Debuff: Neural Overload (5x Pain Sensitivity)
Reward: Something you'll really like. Trust me.
Failure Penalty: No penalty! But I'll be disappointed. And you don't want that.
Shinra stared.
Then stared harder.
Then his eye started twitching.
Are you INSANE?
Probably!
This is Maki Zenin she's I can't with NO CE? NO HAKI? And 2x GRAVITY? And 5x PAIN?
Yep!
I'll DIE!
You won't die. You'll just suffer a lot. But think of the content! The entertainment! The
There's no way. Absolutely no way. I'm not doing it.
Not doing it? ROB's voice went quiet. Thoughtful. Okay. That's your choice. I mean, I'll be disappointed. Really disappointed. And when I'm disappointed, I get bored. And when I'm bored, I start thinking about fun little side projects. Like sending you to
Don't say it.
Rent-a-Girlfriend.
I HATE YOU.
Love you too! So you'll do it?
Shinra looked at the screen. At the impossible constraints. At the debuffs that would turn a normal spar into a torture session.
Then he thought about Maki. About how strong she was. About how she'd eventually become one of the strongest in the series. About how this was his chance to measure himself against her.
And ROB did say the reward was something he'd really like.
Fine.
YES! Okay, go find her. This is gonna be GOOD.
---
The training grounds were empty except for two figures.
Maki stood in the center, naginata spinning in lazy arcs, each movement precise and deadly. She moved like water smooth, fluid, impossible to predict. No cursed energy. No techniques. Just pure, refined skill built on years of being told she was worthless and responding by getting stronger.
Panda was off to the side, doing what looked like weight training with a barbell the size of a small sedan. He spotted Shinra and waved enthusiastically, nearly dropping the entire setup.
"SHINRA! COME TO TRAIN? WANT TO SPOT ME?"
"Maybe later!" Shinra called back, already walking toward Maki.
She noticed him approaching. Stopped her routine. Planted the naginata in the ground like a flag of ownership.
"You're not dressed for training."
"Wasn't planning on it." Shinra stopped a few feet away. "But I was hoping you'd spar with me."
Maki's eyebrow went up. That single eyebrow could convey more judgment than most people's entire faces. "Spar?"
"Hand to hand. No weapons." He shrugged, trying to look casual while his heart hammered. "Want to see where I'm at."
She studied him. Long enough to make it uncomfortable. Long enough to make him wonder if she could already tell this was a terrible idea.
Then she smiled.
It wasn't a nice smile. It was the smile of someone who enjoyed breaking things. The smile of someone who'd spent her entire life fighting and winning.
"Fine." She cracked her neck. "Don't cry when I win."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
DING!
[MISSION STARTED: The Heavyweight Rematch]
Timer: 00:00
The world ended.
Gravity slammed into Shinra like God himself had decided to sit on his shoulders. His knees buckled instantly. The pavement beneath his feet cracked actual fissures spiderwebbing out from his shoes. Every joint screamed. Every muscle burned. Two times gravity meant his 160 pounds felt like 320, and his body was not ready.
Then the pain hit.
Not from any wound. Just from existing. Five times pain sensitivity meant every nerve ending suddenly had the volume cranked to maximum. The air against his skin felt like sandpaper. His own heartbeat felt like someone drumming on his ribs. The simple act of standing sent agony screaming up his legs.
Shinra gasped. Staggered. Tried to stay upright.
Maki didn't wait.
She blurred forward no cursed energy, just pure physical speed honed by years of abuse. Her fist came at his face. Shinra saw it coming. His body just couldn't move fast enough.
He got his arm up.
CRACK.
The impact was normal. Solid hit, nothing special. Maki pulled her punches in sparring.
The pain was NOT normal.
It exploded through his arm like someone had driven a nail through his bones. Up his shoulder. Into his spine. His vision whited out. For one horrible second, he couldn't see, couldn't think, couldn't do anything except feel the agony of a bruise that should have been minor.
He staggered back, gasping, arm hanging limp.
Maki paused. Her eyes narrowed.
"You okay? That was a light hit."
Light hit. She called that a LIGHT HIT.
Shinra forced his eyes open. Forced his arm up. Forced his body to listen through the screaming nerve endings.
"Fine," he managed. "Keep going."
Maki's eyebrow went up again. But she didn't argue. She came at him again.
This time it was a combination jab, cross, hook, knee. Flawless form. Perfect timing. Shinra saw every strike coming. His body just couldn't keep up. The gravity was killing his speed. Every movement felt like wading through concrete. Every breath burned like fire.
He blocked the jab. Took the cross on his shoulder. The hook caught him in the ribs.
PAIN.
White hot. All consuming. His nervous system was on fire. Every nerve ending screamed MURDER at his brain. He stumbled back, coughing, seeing stars, tasting copper.
Maki pressed the advantage.
She was a whirlwind. Punches, kicks, knees, elbows all flowing together, all precise, all fast. Shinra couldn't keep up. Could barely see through the pain. Every hit landed. Every hit hurt five times more than it should. Every hit drove him closer to collapse.
THUD. A kick to his thigh made his leg almost give out.
CRACK. An elbow to his shoulder sent lightning down his arm.
SMASH. A palm strike to his chest knocked the wind from his lungs.
He was losing. Badly. The gap between them was a canyon and he was falling.
This is insane, he thought, blocking a kick that still sent shockwaves through his forearms. This is actually insane. I can't win this.
Then lose, ROB's voice said, calm and amused. Give up. Kazuya's waiting. He's been practicing his "nice guy" speech for you.
SHUT UP.
Shinra took another hit. Then another. His body was screaming. His lungs were burning. The gravity was crushing him. The pain was transcendental.
But he was still standing.
Maki noticed.
Her attacks didn't slow, but something shifted in her eyes. Confusion. Maybe a flicker of respect. Most people would have dropped by now. Most people would have quit. This idiot just kept taking hits and staying upright like it was his job.
She went for the finish.
A punch aimed at his solar plexus perfect form, full commitment, designed to end the spar with one clean shot. Shinra saw it coming. Saw the trajectory. Saw the exact path it would take.
He couldn't dodge. Couldn't block effectively. Couldn't do anything except
Lean in.
He stepped forward instead of back. Took the punch directly in the ribs.
CRACK.
The pain was beyond anything he'd ever felt. It was transcendent. It was religious. For one eternal second, he existed only as agony, a single note of suffering held forever.
But her fist was against his ribs. Her arm was extended. Her balance was slightly compromised.
Shinra's hand shot out and grabbed her hands.
Maki's eyes went wide. "What"
He pulled.
With everything he had. Ignoring the 2x gravity that made his muscles scream bloody murder. Ignoring the 5x pain that made every fiber of his being beg him to stop. He yanked like his life depended on it.
Maki stumbled forward.
Off balance. Shocked. No one her age should have had the raw strength to move her like that not while injured, not while slowed, not while clearly on the verge of collapse. Her grip on the naginata held, but her body lurched forward.
Shinra swept her legs.
The gravity worked with him for once. As they fell, the 2x force slammed them both into the ground with a thud that knocked the breath from both their lungs. Dust exploded around them.
When it cleared, Shinra was on top.
His knees locked her hips down pinned her completely. His chest heaved against hers, both of them breathing hard, both of them sweaty and bruised and completely tangled together. He had both her wrists pinned to the dirt above her head with one hand. One hand. Because his grip strength was absolutely ridiculous even without cursed energy. His other hand was pulled back into a massive, trembling fist aimed right between her eyes.
The dust settled.
Shinra was drenched in sweat. His face was pale from the 5x pain, veins visible at his temples, jaw clenched so tight his teeth might crack. His whole body shook from exertion and agony and pure survival adrenaline. But his eyes
His eyes were glowing.
Not literally. But the look in them that predatory focus, that absolute refusal to lose it might as well have been. He stared down at her like she was the only thing in the world, like nothing else existed except this moment and this victory.
Maki stared up at him.
Breathless. Hair messy, spread across the dirt. Her glasses were slightly crooked, one lens catching the sun. Her chest rose and fell rapidly against his, and the physical proximity was... intense. Very intense. The heat radiating off his overtaxed body was almost feverish, soaking through both their uniforms.
Neither of them moved.
For a long, suspended moment, the world didn't exist. Just the two of them, tangled together, breathing the same air, caught in something neither of them had words for.
Shinra was acutely aware of everything the warmth of her body beneath his, the strength in her wrists even pinned, the way her lips had parted slightly, the rise and fall of her chest against his. His brain, fried from pain and exhaustion, couldn't process any of it properly.
Maki's eyes searched his face. Looking for something. Finding something.
Then her lips moved.
"You..." Her voice was strained. Quiet. Different than he'd ever heard it. "Win."
Shinra blinked.
The predatory focus shattered. The adrenaline faded. The reality of the situation crashed into him like a second gravity wave.
He was on top of Maki Zenin. Pinning her to the ground. Chest to chest. In a position that would look extremely suspicious to anyone watching.
Slowly very carefully he released her wrists. Pushed himself up. Stumbled to his feet on legs that immediately tried to give out.
Maki stayed on the ground for another second. Just looking at him. Her expression unreadable.
Then she sat up. Adjusted her glasses. Stood like nothing had happened.
"That was..." She paused, searching for words that apparently didn't exist. "Different."
"umm, my bad I didn't mean that to happen."
"you were moving slowly and sloppy. What happened?"
"I umm..."
"Never mind We're sparring again. Soon."
It wasn't a question.
Shinra nodded weakly.
From the sidelines, Panda's jaw was fully on the floor. Literally. He'd dropped it so hard it was touching the ground, his weightlifting barbell completely forgotten.
"WHAT...," he announced, voice echoing across the training grounds, "DID I JUST SAW!"
Shinra was panicking inside "panda, I'll give you some bamboo If you don't tell anyone about this"
"hmm, bamboo sure is a good way to silence me, ahh alright I will accept your offer and won't tell anyone."
Maki didn't react. Just walked past Shinra like nothing happened.
But as she passed, her shoulder brushed his. Barely a touch. Probably accidental.
Probably.
DING!
[MISSION COMPLETE: The Heavyweight Rematch]
Reward: Stored for later. You'll find out soon.
Shinra didn't have the energy to ask what that meant. He just stood there, breathing, alive, vaguely aware that he'd just done something impossible and also something incredibly awkward.
Not bad, ROB said quietly. Not bad at all. The position at the end? Chef's kiss. Perfect content.
Shut up.
She definitely felt that.
I will end you.
You can't. I'm a concept. But Maki? Maki is very real. And very warm. You noticed that, right?
I HATE YOU.
Love you too. Now go shower. You smell like victory and.
---
An hour later after a shower, a change of clothes, several protein bars, and approximately forty-five minutes of not thinking about certain physical sensations Shinra made his way to the front gates.
The trio was already there.
Gojo stood in front, blindfold gleaming in the afternoon sun, looking like he was about to take his students on a field trip to Disneyland instead of whatever this actually was. His smile was wide and probably hiding several layers of chaos.
Yuji was next to him, bouncing on his heels with obvious excitement. He looked completely unbothered by the fact that he'd been possessed by the King of Curses less than 48 hours ago. Pink hair, bright eyes, endless energy the full package. He spotted Shinra and waved enthusiastically.
"SHINRA! OVER HERE! WE'RE GETTING A NEW FRIEND!"
Megumi was on Yuji's other side. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week. Dark circles under his eyes. Expression permanently set to "tired disappointment." His gaze kept flicking to Shinra, then away, then back, like he was trying to solve a puzzle that kept changing shape every time he looked at it.
"Ah! Shinra!" Gojo waved. "You're alive! And only slightly late! Progress!"
"I'm on time."
"My watch says differently."
"Your watch is blindfolded."
Gojo laughed like that was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. "I like you! Okay, everyone ready? Today's the big day! The fourth first-year is finally arriving. We're heading to Harajuku to pick her up!"
Yuji's eyes went supernova. "A new classmate? A GIRL classmate?"
"Observant and enthusiastic. What a combination."
"WHAT'S HER NAME? IS SHE STRONG? DOES SHE LIKE"
"Yuji." Megumi's voice was flat. Exhausted. "Please stop."
"But we're getting a new friend!"
"We're getting a new colleague. There's a difference."
"Same thing! Friends are just colleagues you like!"
Megumi opened his mouth. Closed it. Rubbed his temples. The migraine was visibly intensifying.
Gojo watched the exchange with obvious amusement. Then his blindfolded gaze shifted to Shinra. Lingered.
"You look different," he observed. "More tired than this morning. Also, you're walking slightly differently. Did something happen?"
Shinra thought about the spar. About the pain. About pinning Maki to the ground with his chest against hers. About the way she'd looked at him afterward. About the shoulder brush that was probably accidental but felt intentional.
"Nope," he said. "Nothing happened."
Gojo's smile widened. It was the smile of someone who knew exactly what "nothing" meant and found it hilarious.
"Liar. But I'll let it slide for now." He turned and started walking. "Come on, children! Harajuku awaits! We've got a new student to collect and absolutely no chance of anything going wrong!"
"That's a lie," Megumi muttered.
"A huge lie," Yuji agreed cheerfully.
"The biggest lie," Shinra added.
Gojo just laughed and kept walking.
Shinra fell into step behind them, the afternoon sun warm on his face, the memory of the fight still fresh in his nerves. His ribs ached. His arms ached. Everything ached.
But somewhere beneath the pain, something else lingered.
The weight of her. The heat of her. The way she'd looked at him.
Something you'll really like, ROB had said. Trust me.
Shinra still didn't know what that meant.
But for the first time since arriving in this world, he was actually curious to find out.
[END CHAPTER 5]