BANG—!!!
The dull sound of flesh hitting flesh suddenly exploded in the quiet courtyard, startling the birds resting in the trees.
A five-year-old boy with black, sea-urchin-like hair was the source of the noise.
Like a cannonball struck by a heavy hammer, he tumbled seven or eight times across the neatly trimmed lawn before coming to a pathetic halt.
'Cough, cough...'
Megumi Fushiguro struggled to climb up from the ground, his once-clean face now covered in dirt and grass clippings.
He gasped for air, his chest heaving violently.
But within those deep eyes was a look of ferocity and stubbornness completely unbefitting his age, staring fixedly at the figure in front of him.
"Too slow."
Yoru, dressed in loose black training clothes and holding an ordinary wooden sword, stood quietly in the center of the courtyard.
He watched the wobbling Megumi stand up, his voice as calm as a still pond.
"Your movements are full of unnecessary distractions, and your technique for generating power is too stiff."
"In a real life-or-death struggle, the enemy won't give you time to think about what posture to use for your next move."
Ever since Suguru Geto defected and Satoru Gojo went overseas to take on missions like a madman, Yoru had become the most idle yet mysterious presence at Jujutsu High.
Aside from occasionally instructing Kento Nanami and Yu Haibara in physical combat, or visiting Maki, whom he had forcibly taken from the Zenin family,
Yoru spent almost all of his remaining time visiting Megumi Fushiguro.
With Satoru Gojo's terrifying financial backing, Megumi and his sister Tsumiki had completely escaped their previous life of wandering and hunger.
They lived in a luxury villa with a private courtyard, had a dedicated nanny to take care of them, and even attended the top private kindergarten in Tokyo.
But material stability had not erased the wildness in Megumi's bones.
On the contrary, under Yoru's deliberate guidance and harsh training, the wildness hidden deep in his blood was taking root and sprouting at an alarming rate!
"Again!"
Megumi bit his lip, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth as his gaze sharpened even further.
He quickly formed a strange, dog-shaped hand seal in front of his chest, and a violent, pitch-black cursed energy immediately surged from his fingertips.
"Divine Dog!"
With a childish yet murderous low shout, the shadow beneath Megumi's feet suddenly boiled like water over a flame.
Two shikigami dogs—one black, one white—the size of adult wolves leapt straight out of the shadows!
They opened their mouths full of sharp fangs, corrosive saliva dripping as they let out threatening growls toward Yoru.
Despite his extreme youth, Megumi had already successfully awakened the Ten Shadows Technique passed down through the Zenin family and displayed an astounding talent that made even the higher-ups take notice!
"Go!"
Megumi didn't hesitate, directing the two Divine Dogs to flank Yoru from the left and right, cutting off all his paths of retreat.
Meanwhile, he used the large bodies of the Divine Dogs as cover, moving like a nimble leopard, silently launching a treacherous sneak attack from Yoru's blind spot!
Seeing this, a flash of unmasked admiration crossed Yoru's eyes.
*'As expected of that man's bloodline...'*
Yoru marveled silently in his heart.
Over the past period of time, Yoru had not only been observing Megumi's talent for jujutsu but had also been personally teaching him basic physical combat, breathing rhythms, and combat instincts.
He was extremely surprised to find that while Megumi looked like a cool, somewhat tsundere little boy,
The intelligence and style he displayed in battle were strikingly similar to the Sorcerer Killer who had once pushed Satoru Gojo to the brink—
Toji Fushiguro! The resemblance was uncanny!
Calm, precise, and unscrupulous in achieving his goals.
He was exceptionally skilled at using the surrounding environment, light, and even the enemy's psychology to create the advantage for a one-hit kill!
Whoosh!
Facing the fierce pounce of the two Divine Dogs, Yoru didn't even draw his sword.
He merely tilted his body slightly, effortlessly dodging the black dog's bite by a razor-thin margin.
Immediately after.
With a casual flick of his wrist, the hilt of the wooden sword struck the white Divine Dog's vital spot on the back of its neck with pinpoint accuracy, instantly turning it back into a dissipating black shadow.
But in the very moment the Divine Dog vanished!
Megumi's figure appeared above Yoru's head like a ghost!
He held a sharp piece of scrap metal he had picked up from somewhere, his eyes as cold as a heartless professional assassin, using the force of his fall to stab straight at Yoru's throat!
The timing of this strike was flawless.
It perfectly caught the moment when Yoru's old momentum from defeating the Divine Dog had faded, and his new strength had yet to gather!
"You've improved, but it's still far from enough."
Yoru's lips curled into a slight, approving smile.
Without even looking up, he simply tapped the ground with his toe and drifted back half a meter like a weightless leaf.
CLANG!
Megumi's metal shard struck nothing but air, leaving a deep white mark on the ground.
Before he could adjust his stance, Yoru's wooden sword was already lightly resting against his neck.
The cold, hard sensation made Megumi freeze, the ferocity in his eyes instantly turning into helpless frustration.
"I lost again, Brother Yoru."
Megumi deactivated his technique, recalling the remaining black Divine Dog. He lowered his head in dejection, and the metal shard fell to the ground with a clang.
Yoru put away the wooden sword, stepped forward, and reached out to ruffle Megumi's fluffy sea-urchin hair.
"You're only five, Megumi."
Yoru's voice softened with a hint of comfort.
"To be able to use a shikigami as cover and force me back half a step... among children your age in this world, you are undoubtedly the best."
Hearing Yoru's praise, Megumi's eyes brightened slightly, though he quickly masked it with his stubbornness.
"But... if I don't get stronger, how can I protect Tsumiki in the future?"
Megumi looked up at Yoru, his clean little face filled with a weight and sense of responsibility far beyond his years.
"I don't want to see anyone get hurt because of me anymore, and I don't want to be a burden to others."
Just then, the sliding door to the courtyard was gently pulled open.
Tsumiki, who was a few years older, came out carrying two glasses of iced barley tea, a gentle smile on her face.
"Megumi, Brother Yoru, take a break and have some tea. Don't train too hard!"
Megumi turned to look at his sister's defenseless, gentle smile, clenched his fists, and a flash of absolute determination crossed his eyes.
Looking at this precocious child who made one's heart ache, Yoru couldn't help but feel a wave of complex emotions.
In the original story, Megumi's fate was nothing short of a total tragedy.
He was hailed as a genius, yet he was always trapped in a quagmire of self-doubt, unable to fully unleash his potential.
He wanted to save everyone, only to end up watching his sister Tsumiki die a tragic death.
Even his own body was eventually taken over by the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna, becoming the demon's tool to slaughter his companions and destroy the world!
"It won't happen."
Yoru took the barley tea from Tsumiki, then crouched down to eye-level with Megumi, gripping his thin but resilient shoulders firmly.
In those deep, dark-red eyes flickered an indisputable absolute authority!
"Megumi, remember this."
"As long as I am here, as long as the blade in your hand is sharp enough, and as long as your heart is strong enough,"
"No person, no monster, can ever take away what you wish to protect!"
Yoru made a silent blood oath in his heart.
This time, he would absolutely not let that horrific tragedy of possession happen again!
He would personally forge Megumi into a peerless blade capable of severing any karmic tie!
He would let the King of Curses hidden within Yuji's body know that setting his sights on this body would be the most foolish and fatal mistake of his life!
"Brother Yoru..."
Looking at Yoru's incredibly serious gaze and feeling the strength through his shoulders, Megumi felt the anxiety and confusion in his heart completely dissipate.
He nodded heavily, his hands clenched into tight fists.
"I understand! I'll become stronger than anyone! Strong enough to protect my sister, and protect everyone!"
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled into the courtyard, casting two shadows, one large and one small, very long.
Megumi's growth rate had already far exceeded Yoru's expectations; that terrifying power hidden deep in the shadows was awakening at an incredible speed.
Would he be able to play a key role in turning the tide in the future war that would decide the fate of the world?
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