"Who are those guys?" a junior detective asked.
"Those guys are the Sorcerers, SBI. You've seen those corpses, right? That wasn't done by normal killers, it was done by a Curse," the senior detective explained.
"But one of them was a kid," the junior detective remarked, still trying to process the scene.
"Listen, it's out of our jurisdiction now. The SBI is taking over. Let's go write it down as a transfer of departments," the senior detective instructed.
As they walked away, the junior detective couldn't help but glance back at the sorcerers, clad in black, working with an air of professionalism and urgency that set them apart from the regular police force.
Inside the Theatre.
"Can you see it?" Haibara asked Yuji.
Yuji squinted his eyes and began to see the residuals of cursed energy. "Woah! I can see it!" he exclaimed.
"Of course. An independent man must be able to realize something is off before seeing it," Nanami said coldly.
"You know, it would be nice if you could give praise or something," Yuji retorted.
"Don't worry about Nanamin, it's just the way he is. Good work, Yuji," Haibara praised.
"I don't praise or speak ill. I conform to the truths and judge by that. That is the way I am," Nanami stated.
"You're still so serious, Nanamin," Haibara remarked as the trio followed the remnants.
As they continued, Yuji's thoughts drifted back to his first meeting with Kento Nanami and Haibara Yu.
"I can't lead you this time; I have work to do. Don't count on Suguru either; he has already left with his students," Satoru said nonchalantly. "Instead, I have called over my kouhai that I can depend on."
"This is Kento Nanami and Haibara Yu," Satoru introduced, putting his arms around both of them.
"Please stop saying it like that," Nanami protested.
"Hi! I am Haibara Yu," Haibara greeted cheerfully.
"It's like both of them have different ambiances," Yuji realized, noting the contrast between Nanami and Haibara.
"There are a lot of strange Jujutsu Sorcerers, but both of them worked as salarymen before coming back to sorcery," Satoru explained.
"Graduated from a salaryman? Why not be a sorcerer from the get-go?" Yuji asked.
"We should start with the introductions, shall we?" Nanami said. "Nice to meet you, Itadori-kun," he added.
"Ah, nice to meet you too," Yuji replied.
"What I learned from Jujutsu High is that being a sorcerer was shit," Nanami said. "But what I learned from working at your average corporation is that it's an even bigger shit. Thus, I went back to being a sorcerer. At least a sorcerer has better benefits than the regular 9-to-5."
"Don't forget Hiroshi-senpai gives away free vacation trips, fully paid!" Haibara added.
"That too," Nanami said, adjusting his glasses.
Then it was Haibara Yu's turn. "Hello, Itadori-kun. I am Haibara Yu, like Nanamin, a Grade 1 sorcerer. I also tagged along with Nanamin as a salaryman, but I quit halfway because it's not for me. I like to help people where I'm needed; that's why I'm a sorcerer!" Haibara said cheerfully.
"Good to know that being a sorcerer didn't kill off the cheery attitude, Haibara," Satoru said.
"Yes, I am Yuji Itadori. Please take care of me!" Yuji said.
"Itadori-kun, please don't think that Gojo-san and I are of the same mind. I have faith and trust in him, but I don't respect him," Nanami said, his tone serious. Upon hearing this, Satoru was visibly annoyed. "HUUHH?"
"I hate the way the higher-ups do things, but I am someone who strictly follows the rules and regulations set up," Nanami continued. "Our conversation has become needlessly long... to put it simply, I do not approve of you as a sorcerer."
"Even though you are carrying the bomb that is Sukuna, please exert yourself to prove your usefulness."
"That's a harsh criticism, Nanamin," Haibara said, turning to Yuji. "Don't worry, Itadori-kun, we'll teach you!" Haibara said, giving an encouraging gesture.
"Recently, I've been made to realize how weak I am, to the point that I hate it—how weak and useless I am... but I'll become strong. I have to become strong, at least to choose how I'd die," Yuji declared.
"All this talk about dying is pretty depressing, but being weak... I've been there. I almost died too, but I was saved by my friends and fellow sorcerers," Haibara said.
"Look, Itadori-kun, being weak is a cycle. You've been a sorcerer for what, a few weeks at most? It takes time to become strong, and that's why we're here," Haibara encouraged.
"Even if you didn't say that, I'd have made you approve of me, you know...so wait a little more," Yuji said determinedly.
"That's the spirit!" Haibara exclaimed.
**Back to the Present**
As the trio ascended the stairs, Yuji asked, "There was no one besides a boy in the surveillance cameras, right?"
"Yes. Apart from the boy, there were only the victims," Nanami replied.
"So the culprit was a curse?" Yuji inquired.
"Correct. It's quite possible it was the boy, but SBI identification says that Junpei Yoshino is a regular civilian," Nanami explained.
"But... Nanamin, don't you think he can see curses? After the information about curses and sorcerers went public, some civilians began to admit that they can see curses, and the SBI has begun to record these individuals," Haibara Yu said.
"Quite possibly one of the unidentified ones, but let's focus on the task at hand, Haibara," Nanami said.
As they arrived on the rooftop, they found cursed spirits. Yuji was about to rush up and exorcise them when Nanami stopped him.
"Stop," Nanami said, halting Yuji. "I'll clean that one up. You take care of that one over there," Nanami gestured to the cursed spirit partly hidden from view. "If you think you can't win against it, then ask Haibara or me for help."
Haibara was already poised to assist both of them.
"Aren't you looking down on me a bit too much?" Yuji asked.
"It's not about looking down. You are a child; we are adults. We have a duty to prioritize your well-being before ours," Nanami said.
"Itadori-kun, sorcerers have greater survivability when working in pairs. Although you've escaped death multiple times, that does not make you an adult. It comes with experience," Haibara added.
"Simply put, the accumulation of little despairs makes you an adult," Nanami concluded.
As the trio fought curses, Nanami taught Yuji about "revealing one's hand" and how it increases the power of the user's cursed technique. During the battle, Nanami took a photo of their opponent and realized that their opponents weren't curses since curses can't be seen by common camera lenses.
The specimens were taken to Jujutsu High for further analysis.
"They're humans... ex-humans," Shoko said.
"Bodies forcibly contorted with sorcery," she continued, examining the specimens.
"Loosely, their cause of death is from the shock of having their bodies forcibly contorted... so," Shoko turned to Yuji, "you can relax. You didn't kill them."
As Yuji and Nanami left the infirmary, Yuji was still affected by the deaths of the innocent. "That hobby is terrible..." Yuji said, clearly disturbed.
"Even so..." Nanami responded as he pulled out his phone. "Their deaths still weigh on me," Yuji added.
"The residuals were a bluff. We were enticed," Nanami said, dialing the phone. "Haibara, any clues?" Nanami asked over the phone.
"I've managed to track down the suspect near the sewers. However, that kid Junpei I saw came out, so maybe try to gauge if he can see curses?" Haibara suggested.
**Sewers, a Few Minutes Earlier**
Mahito and Junpei were conversing.
"Special Grade Imaginary Cursed Spirit. There are some cursed spirits labeled as such. A cursed spirit is a collection of cursed energy flowing out from humans. Even if they don't exist physically, fearful common perceptions that humans share make it easy to manifest as a powerful curse," Mahito explained.
"Fearful common perceptions that humans share?" Junpei asked. "Are you referring to famous monsters or ghost stories?"
"That's right. There are many of those, like Ms. Hanako or the Nine-Tailed Fox. Jujutsu Sorcerers classify them as Special Grade Imaginary Cursed Spirits and deal with them accordingly. The same goes for unknown and powerful curses. They are usually categorized as such too. I guess that's all they see. But what people usually fear are not myths like this," Mahito explained.
"Are you referring to natural disasters?" Junpei asked.
"It's great that talking to you doesn't give me stress," Mahito said happily. "Humans… They fear the earth, the forest, and the ocean. The cursed energy flowing into them is too great. Before they took form, they hid out of sight as they gained knowledge. I'm proud that every one of them is my comrade."
"What kind of curse are you, Mahito?" Junpei asked.
"Human. I'm a curse born from the hate people feel for one another," Mahito explained eerily.
------------------
Yuji was tasked, alongside Ijichi, with finding out if Junpei could see curses, while Nanami and Haibara ventured into the sewers to exorcise Mahito.
As Nanami and Haibara walked through the sewers, they encountered and exorcised transfigured humans. "If you're going to come out, do it now. They may look distorted, and it's too late to save them, but it's unpleasant to kill humans," Nanami said, his voice calm but resolute.
Mahito emerged from the shadows. "I'm glad. It would've been troublesome if either of the Big 3 came, but if they were too weak, then it wouldn't make for a good experiment," Mahito said, a twisted smile on his face.
"I hate working overtime, so let's end this," Nanami said, his tone businesslike.
Without warning, Haibara disappeared, blending into the shadows.
Nanami and Mahito immediately engaged in combat, their movements a blur of intense action. Just as Nanami smacked Mahito's arm with his blunt sword, Mahito's arm was smashed in two, a clean break that caught the curse off guard.
This attracted Mahito's full attention. "I'm pretty sure I blocked it... with cursed energy. So, it's that kind of technique, huh?" Mahito mused aloud, more intrigued than pained.
"What do you mean by 'that kind of technique'? I don't like abstract questions left for others to decipher," Nanami responded, his voice steady.
"Oh good, you seem like you don't mind talking," Mahito said.
"That depends on who I am talking to," Nanami replied coolly.
Out of nowhere, Haibara appeared and struck Mahito from behind with such force that a hole was made in Mahito's chest. Mahito, startled, fell to the ground.
Haibara Yu's cursed technique, Phantom Strike, has two phases: Invisibility and the Empowered Strike. Haibara's Empowered Strike can deal four times the damage of his regular attacks. The drawback is a cooldown period of 15 seconds.
Looking at Mahito, who was not moving, Haibara asked, "Is he dead?"
"Unlikely. I'll deal a lethal blow just in case," Nanami said, glancing at his watch. "5:30 PM," he noted internally, preparing to attack the fallen Mahito.
Suddenly, Mahito split into two, simultaneously attacking Haibara and Nanami. Haibara saw this and quickly went invisible again, dodging Mahito's grasp. Nanami used his blunt sword to block Mahito's hand.
Both fighters distanced themselves from the cursed spirit, reassessing the situation.
"Not bad," Mahito said as he merged back into one. He glanced at Nanami and looked around, trying to locate Haibara. "What rank are both of you?" he asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Grade 1"
"No wonder you're strong, lucky me perfect for experimentation" Mahito said.
"Hey, the soul or the body—which one came first?" Mahito suddenly asked, his tone cryptic.
This question confused Nanami for a moment.
"You know, like the chicken or the egg," Mahito continued. "Does the soul dwell in the body, or is the body built on the soul?"
"I'll humor him," Nanami thought and then answered, "The latter."
"Wrong. It's the former," Mahito said, his eyes gleaming as he explained. "The soul should always exist before the body... the shape of the body will always be dependent on the shape of the soul. I'm not healing; rather, I'm reinforcing the shape of my soul," Mahito said as he began to play with a miniature human figure.
"You get it now, don't you? My cursed technique can touch and reshape the soul." Mahito then used his cursed technique.
"IDLE TRANSFIGURATION," Mahito intoned, manipulating the miniature human in his hands, making grotesque shapes with it.
"I make humans smaller and store them... it's pretty hard, you know," Mahito said playfully. "An ordinary man dies when transfigured. I wonder about sorcerers."
Nanami interrupted Mahito, glancing at his watch. "It's close to 6. I will clock out by 6," he said seriously.
Mahito suddenly attacked, elongating a transfigured human towards Nanami. With precise timing, Nanami sliced it in half. Mahito then threw a few more transfigured humans that elongated toward Nanami. As Nanami jumped to avoid them, Mahito prepared to attack again, but Haibara struck him from behind, splitting Mahito's head in two.
"I found youuuu," Mahito said playfully as his head returned to normal. He lunged at Haibara, who expertly parried and dodged, fully aware that being touched by Mahito could mean certain death. Haibara did his best to avoid Mahito's grasp, his movements precise and calculated.
Nanami, on the other hand, observed that the transfigured humans were still alive. This realization brought a grim expression to his face.
Haibara vanished once again, utilizing his Phantom Strike technique to evade Mahito. "Hmm, slippery," Mahito remarked, his gaze shifting back to Nanami, who had just discovered the barely alive humans.
"Oh, sorry, sorry. I practiced a lot, so their shapes change, but they don't die immediately... brain consciousness? It's still not perfect," Mahito said nonchalantly, his tone eerily casual.
"The sweat of the soul trickles like that, so don't worry. Let us continue," he added, addressing Nanami.
"I'm not worried. I don't bring personal feelings to work," Nanami responded seriously.
"Hahahahah! What a bad liar! Your soul is trembling," Mahito burst out laughing.
Suddenly, Mahito closed the gap and touched Nanami. Reacting swiftly, Nanami focused his cursed energy on the spot where Mahito was touching, shielding himself from Mahito's cursed technique.
"Gaaack!" Nanami exclaimed as he felt the searing pain on his abdomen, despite using a significant amount of cursed energy to block Mahito's attempt. The burning mark left by Mahito's touch was a testament to his lethal technique.
"Did I surprise you?" Mahito asked, only to be sent flying by Haibara, who appeared in front of him with a fierce palm strike. "Nanami!" Haibara exclaimed.
Nanami waved, trying to mask the pain, "I'm fine."
Nanami's cursed energy spiked, his expression hardening. "Too bad. Now I'm in overtime," he said, taking off his coat, a sign that he was ready to unleash his full power.
Mahito emerged from the dust, a twisted grin on his face. "I can reshape my own soul, too. A Jujutsu Sorcerer may use cursed energy to protect their body, but they have never tried to protect their soul with it. Because to do so, you need to be conscious of your soul first. Otherwise, you can't protect it. But it seems like you're subconsciously guarding your soul with cursed energy. Otherwise, you'd be my pawn now. But if I strike your soul a few more times, you won't be human anymore! I won't let you escape! Is that all, Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerers?" Mahito taunted.
Mahito noticed Nanami's cursed energy spike. "What's this? His cursed energy is rising. Time-related constraints? Was he limiting his cursed energy? This is interesting!" Mahito said, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Nanami, his voice steady and resolute, began to explain, "My cursed technique is to force the seven-to-three ratio into weakness when dividing the enemy into equal parts. Not only the height and limbs can be divided equally, but I can also use it on the head, body, upper arm, forearm, and so on. And my cursed technique works on non-creatures as well."
Mahito's eyes narrowed as he listened. "He is divulging his cursed technique," Mahito thought, intrigued by the revelation. "I guess you're serious now," he said, a hint of excitement in his voice.
Nanami, now fully engaged, dashed towards Mahito, his blunt sword charged with intense cursed energy. He aimed a precise strike, targeting the seven-to-three ratio on Mahito's body. The force of the attack sent shockwaves through the sewer.
As Nanami hit the walls around him with sheer force and Haibara dealt heavy blows to Mahito, the cursed spirit found himself heavily injured, riddled with holes and broken limbs. Within a few seconds of intense combat, rubble began to fall around them. Nanami, seeing the opportunity, delivered a final blow to the surrounding structure, causing it to collapse onto Mahito.
As Mahito lay crushed beneath the rubble, Nanami left him with a few parting words, "Better fix that leg if you survive. We shall take our leave." Both sorcerers then exited the scene, leaving Mahito buried under the debris.
A few hours later, Yujaku arrived near the rubble where Mahito was buried. Suddenly, with a peculiar sound, Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk, Mahito emerged from the wreckage, seemingly unfazed by his previous injuries.
"Unlike his appearance, he's really reckless! But that disappearing guy was a pain to deal with," Mahito exclaimed, reflecting on the battle.
Kenjaku approached, observing Mahito's condition. "-You had a great fight," he remarked.
"Yuta! Those guys were interesting, I learned a lot," Mahito said to Kenjaku with a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Is that so?" Kenjaku replied.
Mahito, now more animated, continued, "Even if I'm crushed, I won't die if I maintain the shape of my soul. Consuming cursed energy is also a type of self-sufficiency. And no matter how I change my soul, there's no risk at all. I'll try something bolder next time. Yuta, give me clothes."
Kenjaku, not amused by Mahito's nonchalant attitude, asked, "No... Where are the Jujutsu Sorcerers you fought?"
Mahito shrugged, "I have no idea. He said he's going to retreat for a while. Maybe they're still under the rubble."
Kenjaku surveyed the scene, considering Mahito's words. "We'll see about that. We need to prepare for our next move."
Mahito, now dressed and ready, nodded in agreement. "Indeed. The next time we encounter them, I'll be even stronger."
As they departed, the rubble around them remained undisturbed, hiding the traces of the fierce battle that had taken place. The Jujutsu Sorcerers had left their mark, but the fight against the cursed spirits was far from over.
In the venerable halls of Tokyo Jujutsu High, the renowned trio, Hiroshi, Satoru, and Suguru, gathered around a map of Japan, scrutinizing the strategic red circles marking the outskirts of Tokyo.
"The Jujutsu Higher-ups have already rallied their forces," Suguru noted, observing the map intently.
"Well then, what's our move, Hiroshi?" Satoru inquired, his gaze fixed on the largest circle near Tokyo.
Hiroshi pointed decisively at the noted area. "Most of the Grade 1 sorcerers have congregated within the Takayama Clan. I believe they plan to make a move against the Gojo clan in a few months," he explained.
"Months?" Satoru echoed, a trace of impatience in his tone. "What's delaying them?"
"They're moving slowly to evade detection by my clan's surveillance," Hiroshi replied, a smirk playing on his lips. "But what they haven't accounted for is the vegetation around them." His ability to manipulate and sense through vegetation gave him an unmatched edge in gathering intelligence.
Suguru nodded, acknowledging the strategic advantage. "Not everyone is privy to that ability of yours, Hiroshi," he said, then shifted the topic to his own role. "So, where will I be posted?"
"In the future, there will be an outbreak of Transfigured Humans in Shibuya. I need you to stand by there, Suguru. Clean it up immediately on October 30-31," Hiroshi instructed, his tone firm yet measured.
"And me? What about me?" Satoru chimed in, eager to know his part in the upcoming events.
"Satoru, you will remain at Jujutsu High, in case they target Master Tengen," Hiroshi explained, stressing the critical importance of protecting the one who maintained all of Japan's Jujutsu barriers.
"So... the guard job? That's boring," Satoru complained, his disappointment palpable.
"Relax, if I'm not mistaken, Kenjaku will try to seal me, and I can't be at ease if the Prison Realm is not addressed," Hiroshi reassured him, hinting at the gravity of the threat they faced.
"Alright, but try not to kill any of the Disaster Curses. I'd like to add them to my collection; we rarely encounter Special Grade Curses with such intellect and speech capabilities," Suguru requested, always looking to expand his arsenal.
"Don't worry, I've got you covered," Hiroshi assured him with a nod.
"We will be sending reinforcements to the Gojo Clan later on, Satoru. Seeing as your father is the Jujutsu Commander, he knows this, but just tell him, lest he thinks otherwise," Hiroshi said to Satoru, with Gojo Satoru nodding in acknowledgment.
"What about the other clans?" Suguru pointed out. "I've got just the guy to deal with them. The only threat here is the heavily militarized Takayama Clan," Hiroshi said.
Hiroshi's eyes then gleamed with determination. "If we execute our plan flawlessly, we can reshape the sorcerer world. Once Kenjaku is handled, the Jujutsu Higher-ups will be out of the picture, and we can usher in a new era," he proclaimed, raising his cup. "To a brighter future," he toasted.
"To a brighter tomorrow," Satoru and Suguru echoed, their cups meeting in the middle with a clink that sealed their formidable pact.
From this pivotal meeting, preparations for a clandestine war began to unfold. The alliance between the Senju and Gojo clans, bolstered by Suguru Geto and his strategic placement in Shibuya, marked the beginning of a significant transformation in the world of sorcerers, setting the stage for profound changes that would challenge the very foundations of their society.
At Satozakura High, an unregistered curtain—a barrier designed to hide the presence of cursed energy and activity from the uninitiated—suddenly manifested, catching the attention of the Supernatural Bureau of Investigation (SBI). The area was promptly isolated by the SBI as a precautionary measure against potential threats or unauthorized cursed energy activity.
Yuji Itadori entered the Curtain.
A/N: What happens After 5 Minutes is Up? Will Yuta Die?
A/N: There's something Poetic about the grotesque tragedy of YU/JO or GO/YU, OR Yuta in Gojo's Body.