[General POV]
Himiko hummed to herself as she stood alongside several other students. Like a regular relay race, she and everyone else would have to run down their assigned track until they reached their awaiting teammate. Once there, they would pass on their baton to the next person to continue the race.
The length of distance each runner would need to sprint would determine how many members each team held. But in Himiko's case, she would need to run a total of 5 Kilometers before she could reach the awaiting Chino Shizuko.
It was a long distance for any one person to run at a constant fast pace. The ideal solution would have been to have five members in a team to reduce each member's overall run time. However, due to Soata's well-known quirklessness status during the first years, no one else wanted to join their team. Not even those within their oddball group of friends from their class.
"Sorry, Himiko-chan." From beside Himiko, Hikari said with regret as they watched the timer count down from a floating balloon in the sky. "I would have joined your and Shimizu-kun's team, but I... I want to win and transfer into the hero course."
Seeing the regret in Hikari's eyes, Himiko's initial frown softened into a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Hikari-chan. It's just a game. No hard feelings,"
"Really? You're not... upset with me?"
"Nope! But you're buying me lunch for a week! Okay?" Himiko smiled as she leaned forward. The timer on the ballon was now at 00:00:05. Hikari blinked in shock at Himiko's statement.
"A w-week?! But I-"
Ding!
As the buzzer echoed across the vast race track, signaling the start of the race, Himiko's focus sharpened. With a burst of speed, she dashed forward down her lane, the wind whipping past her. Behind her, Hikari, caught off guard, ran after her with a startled cry.
As she ran, Himiko watched as she quickly passed her fellow competitors with ease. "Looks like all that running through the mountains wasn't a waste of time. Still, Souta-kun is such a slave driver when it comes to training." Even as she ran, Himiko watched as those with speed or running-based Quirks quickly ran beyond her.
"Hooh, look at them go."
As Himiko surged forward on the race track, adrenaline coursed through her veins, amplifying her every movement. The rhythmic thud of her feet against the ground was drowned out by the cheers of the crowd and the sharp gust of wind rushing past her ears. Ahead, the race track twisted and turned, presenting a series of obstacles designed to test each runner's agility and speed.
The first obstacle loomed in front of her—a series of hurdles lined up like a gauntlet. Without a moment's hesitation, she leaped over the first hurdle, her legs propelling her upward with precision. Himiko could feel the exhilaration bubbling inside her even though she didn't much care about the Sports Festival or the cheers around her.
"This is sorta fun!"
One by one, she soared over the hurdles, her focus unwavering as she timed each jump perfectly, landing with graceful determination. Behind her, some of the competitors tripped and failed at clearing the hurdles. Resulting in Himiko chuckling at their lack of athletic skill.
As she cleared the last of the hurdles, an uneven patch of ground appeared before her, littered with small cones and flags. A quick sidestep to the left, a swift pivot to the right, and she danced through the maze of obstacles with a fluidity born of countless training sessions.
'Even though I can't use my Quirk here, these obstacles are easy enough for me to get past by without it.' Himiko thought as she ran.
Suddenly, a low mechanical wall rose up next, requiring her to scale it with a burst of strength. Himiko reached out, gripping the edge, and hoisted herself up and over in one swift motion. The moment she landed on the other side, she glanced back at Hikari, who was trailing behind and struggling to hold on to her baton and art supplies.
"You can do it, Hikari-chan! Fight on!"
"A-ah, Right!"
The final challenge was a narrow balance beam that stretched across the track. With little time to spare, Himiko quickly sped through the beam with ease. Her incredible balance and nimbleness allowed her to quickly pass the students with their speed-based Quirks.
Finally, Himiko reached the end, jumping off the beam with a triumphant flourish. The track opened up before her once more, and she could see Shizuko waiting patiently at the exchange point. With a final surge of energy, Himiko sprinted down the remainder of the track, her heart racing in sync with her pounding feet.
For Himiko, today was not just about competing at the famous UA festival for fun.
Himiko was making a profound declaration not to her classmates or to the hundreds of people watching but to her family.
Himiko wanted to show them all that she was always more than what they thought her to be.
"Go, Shizuko-chan!" Himiko yelled as she gave the awkward blue-haired girl the baton.
"We're not that close. Please refer to me as Chino-san." Shizuko said as she sped off.
Himiko smiled widely before she leaned on her knees to recover her breath. Standing up straight, she looked over to a flying camera and made a peace sign.
x x x
Chino Shizuko is a student in Class 1-J. Part of the Business course at UA High School.
Throughout her life, Shizuko was known for her extraordinary intelligence, a fact that was evident in her top scores at school and her knack for solving complex problems that left her peers bewildered. This intelligence also allowed her to gain the number one spot on UA's written exam.
With an uncanny ability to absorb information, she could engage in deep discussions about quantum physics or the intricacies of ancient literature at the drop of a hat.
Yet, despite her impressive intellect, Shizuko often found herself at odds with the world around her.
Her social interactions, while well-intentioned, frequently felt like walking through a minefield. Shizuko's awkward nature made her hesitant in conversations, her words often tumbling out in jumbled phrases, betraying the clarity of thought she had in her mind.
Simple exchanges felt daunting; she would often misinterpret the subtleties of humor or struggle to read the room. This led to many moments of cringe-worthy silence or misunderstandings that isolated her further from her classmates.
"Ugh, it's that weird girl again."
"Yeah. She's so weird. She's always staring at us. What's up with that?"
"Get lost, weirdo! Go back to the library where you belong!"
Such words were the tip of the iceberg of what was said to or around her.
Despite her peer's jeers and mockery, Shizuko's brilliance shone brightly in academic pursuits, but when it came to forming friendships, it was as if she had missed a crucial chapter in the social manual. Her peers admired her intellect but often felt perplexed by her peculiar quirks and the way her thoughts seemed to circle around ideas, making it hard for them to connect with her on a personal level.
Leaving her alone and isolated.
Determined not to let her awkwardness define her, Shizuko sought ways to bridge the gap between her intelligence and the complexities of human interaction. She immersed herself in books about social dynamics and even tried attending workshops. Each small success nudged her forward, but the journey was a bumpy one filled with missteps and self-doubt.
Deep down, Shizuko knew she possessed a wealth of ideas and potential friendships if only she could learn to navigate the labyrinth of social cues that seemed to elude her grasp.
So, one day, she came to the conclusion that if she joined the country's most famous hero-based academy, UA High School, Shizuko believed that she would meet others like her and ultimately connect with them.
Unfortunately, she quickly found out she was wrong to believe such a thing. Even after joining UA, Shizuko was still met with isolation and hurtful comments about how "weird" she was.
"Maybe I joined the wrong course?" Shizuko said, thinking that perhaps those in the hero course would be more open-minded to her intricacies than those in the Business course who seemed to have the IQ of room-temperature water.
Normally, those within the Business course didn't bother to participate in the Sports Festival due to the event not benefiting them in any way. But for Shizuka, it was her chance to get out of her current school curriculum.
While she didn't care much about the heroics part of the Hero course, Shizuko would bear with it.
So, she formulated a new plan for using this year's Sports Festival to transfer out of the Business course and into the Hero course. If she could join their ranks, surely she would meet some like-minded people and end her isolation.
"Go, Shizuko-chan!" Himiko yelled as she gave Shizuko the baton.
"We're not that close. Please refer to me as Chino-san." Shizuko said as she sped off to begin her part of the relay.
As she ran, a slight warmth grew in her chest from how Himiko referred to her with a smile.
'No, focus on the goal at hand.' Shizuko thought as she watched her fellow students pass her due to low speed.
The first obstacle loomed large—a set of towering walls designed to test her strength and agility. As she approached, Shizuko focused, recalling the countless atomic and molecular structures she memorized throughout her life.
Shizuko's Quirk was called Alchemy.
Using her high intelligence and Quirk, she can change any object into another as long as she has scientific knowledge of their atomic and molecular structure. Meaning that she can transform any known physical substance into another.
Placing a hand on the ground, Shizuko instantly calculated the molecular structure of the ground beneath her and activated her Qurik. Streams of lightning danced around her, and a soft hum echoed below her. In an instant, a large hand made of stone and dirt rose from the ground and carried her over the wall.
"Holy crap! Did you see that!" A student with dog ears screamed as he struggled to climb the tall wall. "What kinda Quirk is that?!"
"S-so cool!"
"Shit! I gotta hurry!"
Landing on the other side, Shizuko hopped off the hand and began running again. Her breaths came out quickly as sweat covered her body.
"Perhaps Father was right... I should have... invested some time to build my... physical prowess." Shizuko gasped as she continued running.
Next came a series of slanted hurdles they called the "Spike Challenge." With a deep breath, she activated her Quirk to create a bridge over the hurdles, allowing her to run over each of the obstacles. A few competitors glared at her as they watched her breeze by the challenge, but she tuned them out, focusing solely on her own rhythm.
The wind whipped past her as she ran with all her might toward the following challenge: a treacherous zigzag of tall metal cones.
Shizuko's heart hammered in her chest. "M-my heart is beating too quickly... I need to rest. Otherwise, I may pass out." With awkward footwork, she wove slowly through the cones. Her speed was all but gone as she completed the challenge. Those who were once impressed by her Quirk now all passed her quickly as they laughed at her sluggish pace.
Her final hurdle loomed ahead: a wide pit filled with foam blocks designed to test her agility on landing.
"I-I can't... I'm so tired." She muttered as she leaned on her knees to catch her erratic breath. Lifting her head, Shizuko peered out from behind her hanging bangs to see Souta waiting for her before the rope climb challenge. Oddly enough, the tall, black-haired student who accepted her into his team was moving his lips.
Using her lip-reading ability, Shizuko quickly realized what Souta was saying to her.
"You can do this, Chino. Just take your time."
'Does he... believe in me?' Shizuko thought with wonder as the new sensation from earlier filled her chest once again. Looking down at her baton, she took a deep breath and nodded to herself.
Shizuko placed a hand on the ground and launched herself over the pit with the help of a speeding platform. Those below her all watched with envy and shock as she once again skipped through the obstacle due to her Quirk.
However, due to her burst of uncontrolled emotions, Shizuko forgot to calculate how much speed she was traveling. With a jerk, Shizuko flew off her stone platform and fell to the ground. Closing her eyes, she braced herself, but the pain from her fall never came.
"Gotcha." Opening her eyes, Shizuko looked up at Souta's black eyes as she rested in his arms. "You know, Chino. You have some pretty eyes. It's a shame you hide them behind your hair." Souta then placed her down and grabbed the baton. "You did well. Now, take a break... I'll finish this."
From her spot on the ground, Shizuko looked around at the lack of students nearby. Frowning, the blue-haired girl felt a pang of shame. Due to her slow speed, she had caused her team to fall behind.
"I'm... sorry for my lack of running ability, Shimizu-san. I've caused us to fall behind. You may not be able to reach the finish line in time." Shizuko said in disappointment. She slowly stood to her feet, her gaze focused on the floor. "Our loss is due to me."
"Don't sweat it," Souta said and patted her head. "I'll catch up. Just watch me."
Before she could respond, Souta leaned forward and exploded forward. Blinking in confusion, Shizuko lost track of him as he disappeared down the track.
"So that's who scored beneath me on the written exam..."
x x x
[Shimizu Souta POV]
...a few hours ago...
After spending around a half hour of gambling, I finally came upon one of the rewards I'd been looking forward to the most.
[You have pulled: Fushiguro Toji's Heavenly Restriction Body! Rank: Platinum.]
Blinking, I got up from my bed and stared at the System screen with wide, excited eyes. "It's about damn time!" Looking down at my body, I felt a swell of raw, primal power fill my muscles, bones, and skin. Suddenly, I felt another sensation.
[Error!! You now have a Heavenly Restriction. All curse techniques and curse energy are now unusable to the User!]
"...say what?" Feeling dread filled me. I tried to use any of my techniques and CE but found nothing. "Fuck! Nevermind! Take this reward back! It ain't worth it!"
Despite my cries, the System had nothing to say. Feeling dejected, I fell to my knees and wallowed in my misery. "I guess that's it..."
[...Now downloading a new update!]
[The Jujutsu Kaisen Gacha System will now overite the Heavenly Restriction to allow the User access to all their current techniques and Curse Energy alongside the benefits of the Fushiguro Toji's Heavenly Restriction Body.]
[Time to finish update: 06:23:53]
"A week?! I have to go without my techniques and CE for an entire week?" Standing up, I sighed in relief and thanked my System for its thoughtfulness. Moving around, I felt that I still retained all the strength and speed of Toji's body. "Haah, how frustrating… Still, from what I remember, Toji's strength is nothing to sneeze at. The man was capable of defeating both Gojo and Geto during Hidden Inventory. Still, that begs the question. Just how strong am I now?"
Turning to where Zaiko was, I struggled to see my inventory Shikigami. Frowning, I focused my advanced perception and slowly began to see Zaiko without actually seeing him.
"Huh. So that's how Maki and Toji perceive curse spirits and Shikighami." Walking over to Zaiko, he looked up at me with confusion at my lack of CE. "Don't worry, Bud. This is only temporary. Once the update is complete, I'll be on a completely different level."
As I patted Zaiko's scruffy head, I couldn't help but shake in excitement.
Using CE enhancement on my current body already gave me a massive burst of speed and power.
But what would happen when I enhanced the body of a Heavenly Restricted body that reached the pinnacle of physical strength?
Now, that was something I couldn't wait to test out.
"Sukuna-kun? Everything okay?" From the other side of my door, Himiko knocked.
"Yeah, everything is fine." Standing up, I walked over to the door and smiled down at Himiko. Blinking, I realized that I had also grown taller. A fact that Himiko quickly picked up.
[+25 SP]
"Wow! Boys sure do grow a lot during puberty! It's like you grew overnight." Himiko held her hand over my head before holding it over her own. "You're way taller than before?!"
Looking down at myself, I noticed that my clothes were slightly tight on me while my pant legs hovered over my ankles. Walking over to my bathroom mirror, I quickly deduced that I must now be around 183 centimeters tall. A big jump from my past 175 cm height.
"I guess puberty hit me like a truck last night," I told Himiko as she looked over my arms muscles with a blush. Blinking out of her thoughts, she looked over to my school uniform and then at the time.
[+35 SP]
"Ah! Get dressed! We'll be late for the Festival at this rate!" Himiko said as she stuffed my uniform into my arms and pushed me into my bathroom. "Hurry, hurry!"
"Yeah, yeah."
...the present...
With each stride, I grinned at the amount of distance I could cross with nothing but my pure strength and speed. It was as if I was using 10% of my CE to enhance myself! Allowing me to run at speeds reaching up to 30 MPH.
And I was barely trying!
As I dashed across my designated race track, I quickly passed those who had a massive headstart on me. Leaving them to gawk at my back because they did not expect me to reach them due to my late start.
While I may not have cared about the Sports Festival before, it was now the perfect opportunity to test out what my new body could truly do. Or at least, test the waters with a bunch of snot-nosed kids.
"Now then, let's hurry up and catch up."
-
AN:
And thus begins the homeless bum arc.