"No, no one's bullying me," Yuta Okkotsu quickly reassured, although he looked a bit disheveled, his attempts to calm Rika had clearly improved.
"Everyone's just messing around. Akira is back, along with Ms. Gardevoir."
"Ah, Gar-chan is back, welcome back."
Rika quickly forgot her earlier displeasure upon hearing that her best friend had returned, waving happily at Gardevoir, who stood behind Akira.
"Gar~" Gardevoir floated over, affectionately nuzzling Rika.
This had become part of the everyday life at Jujutsu High, just like the sibling rivalry between the two pandas and the ongoing standoff between Akira and Yuta's summoned spirits.
But this seemingly ordinary scene caused Darkrai's body to tremble ever so slightly.
Up until now, Darkrai had remained silent, like a shadow, watching without interfering.
"What's wrong?" Akira, as Darkrai's trainer, immediately noticed.
Darkrai let out a low hum, and Akira instinctively furrowed his brow.
Although he couldn't communicate as freely with Darkrai as he could with Gardevoir, Akira could still sense Darkrai's feelings. After all, Darkrai was a Pokémon he had personally hatched.
Darkrai was being drawn to Rika. Darkrai was intrigued by her.
If it were any other cursed spirit, Akira wouldn't hesitate to hand it over to Darkrai as a plaything. But Rika? That was another story. Not only was she too powerful to capture, but more importantly, she was Yuta Okkotsu's girlfriend.
As a firm believer in true love, Akira wasn't about to engage in any underhanded behavior, especially not with the girlfriend of the "True Love War God" himself.
But then, a thought struck Akira. Darkrai was known to be drawn to nightmares—could it be…?
"Did you sense a nightmare on her?"
"Mm-hmm!"
Darkrai nodded and shook its head, gesturing with its shadowy arms.
"A nightmare, but not just a nightmare… something beyond a nightmare?"
Akira's mind began to race.
Darkrai's ability…
Rika's origin…
Right! The meme. And the system's notification about memes.
Pancham was born from the panda meme, so Darkrai must have been born from the nightmare meme.
If Darkrai's birth was influenced by nightmare energy, then the purity of Rika's meme must rival that of Panda's.
There could only be one conclusion.
"Rika Orimoto isn't just a vengeful cursed spirit—she is a nightmare! Rika is her own nightmare."
From a human perspective, cursed spirits could be considered manifestations of humanity's collective nightmares. In that sense, Rika was undoubtedly a Nightmare God!
Gojo Satoru let out a chuckle, pulling down his sunglasses slightly. His sky-blue eyes peered out through the gap, focusing on Akira and Darkrai.
"That's an interesting take. Your new Pokémon really does resemble Rika, just like how Pancham mirrors the real Panda. Your ability seems to create corresponding Pokémon based on curses. Did I guess right?"
"More or less."
It really was the best explanation, even if it wasn't scientifically sound—this was jujutsu, after all.
"Cursed energy comes from curses, but you go against the grain. How did such a strange power even come to be?"
"And you're one to talk? Your Six Eyes are the most unique ability in the world. We're in the same boat."
"That's true. I'm the last person who should be questioning this," Gojo said, adjusting his glasses.
Gojo's Six Eyes were a unique ability, not technically jujutsu, but eyes that heightened his perception to an extreme level.
On a microscopic scale, he could observe atomic-level movements and structures. On a macroscopic scale, he could see miles away as if through a high-powered telescope. In the mystical sense, he could discern the flow of cursed energy and even glimpse the essence of souls.
Compared to his Six Eyes, things like advanced microscopes or high-resolution telescopes were laughable.
The only downside was that his eyes couldn't be turned off like the Sharingan or Byakugan. Using his vision for extended periods overwhelmed his brain with too much information, which is why he always wore a blindfold or sunglasses to reduce the amount of light and information intake, preventing mental fatigue.
"Even though you might not need it, I'll still give you some advice," Gojo continued, his tone growing more serious. "Abilities as unique as yours will attract attention—people who want to exploit, transplant, or study them. My Six Eyes are the same. If I hadn't been born into the Gojo family, I probably would've been abducted before I could even grow up. They might've even gouged out my eyes."
"Thanks for the warning. I'll make sure to grow stronger as quickly as possible."
Akira nodded. He had already considered this the moment Hayami saw his Ralts. That encounter had only reinforced his determination to train relentlessly.
Potential threats weren't limited to just the Kamo family. There would be others out there who coveted the existence of his Pokémon.
It was clear how precious a place like Jujutsu High was—full of people who were genuine and trustworthy. That was a rarity.
One of the reasons Akira had taken on the role of assistant and invested so much effort into helping his classmates was because he knew he needed strong allies for the challenges ahead.
"Until I—no, until we've all truly grown, I'll rely on you to shield us from harm."
"Don't worry. You and your mother have taken over most of my teaching duties. I've got plenty of time to deal with those stubborn higher-ups. Do they really think I wouldn't come to Kyoto? Even with all their so-called Grade 1 and Special Grade sorcerers, they're no match for me."
Gojo's usual carefree demeanor was replaced by a chilling confidence, the kind that came from knowing he was the strongest.
Fushiguro Megumi's rebellious streak wasn't just due to adolescence; his adoptive father's influence played a big part as well.
"You can't be too careful, though. Since everyone knows they can't beat you head-on, they'll try something underhanded. Like nullifying your cursed technique or using special tools or techniques to seal you away. I've done some research. For nullification, there's the Heavenly Inverted Spear of Time, the spear from creation myths. And for sealing, there's the relic left by a sacred monk—the Prison Realm."
"The Heavenly Inverted Spear isn't something you need to worry about. As for the Prison Realm, it's been missing for years."
"Just because it's missing doesn't mean someone won't find it. If someone's out to get you, they'll dig up anything that might be a threat to you. Why else would they come after you, if not with something that could actually work? They're not suicidal."
"Hmm, I guess that makes sense," Gojo pondered. "So, what should I do?"
"The best option is to get those things into your own hands. If that's not possible, at least figure out their mechanisms or activation methods and prepare countermeasures. Schemes only work when you don't know about them. If there's no surprise, it's all about raw strength. And who have you ever feared in a straight fight, Gojo Satoru?"
Akira's true intentions were finally revealed. He wasn't pretending anymore—his goal all along had been to give Gojo Satoru a heads-up.
Ever since arriving at Jujutsu High, Akira had been waiting for the right moment. He couldn't just walk up to Gojo and say, "You're not invincible." Now, at last, he had his chance.
In the original story, Gojo was caught off guard and sealed by the Prison Realm, which allowed the villains to execute their long-laid plans. If Gojo hadn't been sealed, the antagonist Kenjaku wouldn't have dared to act, not even with a thousand years of scheming. Kenjaku had already failed twice against the Six Eyes and was probably suffering from PTSD.
As long as Gojo remained unsealed, Akira and his allies could act with confidence.
Now, Akira could pursue what he wanted without worrying about covering their bases.
Kenjaku, Mahito,
Jogo, Hanami, and Dagon,
And Sukuna, along with all the other cursed spirits and sorcerers lurking in the shadows—
Were they ready to have their necks washed?