—[Fushiguro Residence]—
After proving his worth, Gojo took Megumi back home at full speed, despite his protests. With the deal sealed, all that was left was to inform Tsumiki of the situation and pack up for the move.
Click
"Oh, Gojo-san, Megumi, you're back already," Tsumiki's voice echoed from upstairs, followed by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.
"Yes, we're back," replied Megumi loudly, his voice carrying a tone of irritation.
"That's good, I need your help. The debit card your dad left before he disappeared isn't working anymore, and I don't know how…" Tsumiki's sentence trailed off as she reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Megumi, all disheveled and bruised.
"My goodness, Megumi, what happened to you?" she cried out, running toward him.
"It was all the fault of the white-haired idiot," said Megumi, causing Tsumiki's gaze to shift to Gojo with an intensity that would shake even the strongest.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't play the victim; you nearly killed me," Gojo responded immediately to prevent any misunderstandings.
"Well… ignore my current state, Tsumiki, and pack your things," Megumi told Tsumiki.
"Huh? Why?" Tsumiki asked, tilting her head in an adorable way.
"Well… that's because… you're being adopted," replied Gojo, spreading his arms wide.
"Eh?!!!!!!!!!!" Tsumiki's surprised shout could be heard throughout the neighborhood.
—[1 day later: Satoru's Mansion Backyard]—
We see Gojo and Megumi facing each other, standing in the middle of a huge garden filled with various plants and Japanese sculptures. Right after all the Fushiguros' belongings were transported to Gojo's mansion, Megumi asked Gojo to start his training, which is why they are at their current location.
"Well… I know you said you wanted me to train you, but from what I saw in our fight, you still have a lot of tricks up your sleeve. I need you to show them to me if you want this training to be effective," Gojo requested of Megumi.
Hearing Satoru's request, Megumi responded, "Sure, no problem. Where should I start?"
"How about starting with the Shikigamis you've tamed, and then show me the rest?" Gojo suggested.
"Alright, I currently have seven tamed Shikigamis, which are…" Megumi said, then began summoning his Shikigamis.
"[Divine Dogs]"
"[Nue]"
"[Toad]"
"[Orochi]"
"[Max Elephant]"
"[Escape Rabbits]"
"[Piercing Bull]"
Upon being summoned, all the Shikigamis looked at Gojo with hostility, but were immediately calmed by Megumi, who managed to settle them, making them sit obediently, waiting for orders.
"Are you satisfied?" Megumi asked, raising an eyebrow.
"More than satisfied. It's incredible that you've tamed so many Shikigamis at your age. I haven't read of any other Zenin who accomplished this. Congratulations! You've just set a new record," said Gojo with a smile.
'This kid surprises me every day. Maybe in the distant future, he could pose a challenge,' thought Gojo.
"Well then, what else do you have to show me, kid? Surprise me!" Gojo ordered with a challenging look.
What followed was a display of mastery over a Cursed Technique so skillful that even the most experienced sorcerers in the Jujutsu Society would have felt humbled.
Megumi began by showing Gojo his ability to manipulate his shadow with remarkable skill, shaping it into various structures and weapons, revealing the versatility of his technique. This initial demonstration captured the potential of his abilities, but it was only the beginning.
He took the exhibition to another level by performing partial summons of his Shikigamis. He made Nue's wings sprout from his back, frog tongues emerge from his hands, and even summoned snakes from his arms or any part of his body, showcasing the prowess reminiscent of the legendary sannin Orochimaru.
Not stopping there, Megumi also replicated high-caliber cursed techniques. He used Max Elephant's pressurized water, launching it from his hands as an alternative version of the Piercing Blood technique. He covered his body in Nue's electricity, attempting to emulate the powerful technique of Kashimo, a Heian-era sorcerer known for his formidable power.
To conclude with a final demonstration, Megumi revealed spatial applications of his Cursed Technique. He explained to Satoru his ability to store energy and matter, unveiling his intangibility. Additionally, he mentioned that he used this ability to physically strengthen himself, as the requirement to store matter involved bearing its weight with his own body.
'Alright… I take back the "distant future" part. Just the future,' thought Satoru.
"Well... well... impressive. Now I know how to train you," said Gojo to Megumi before dropping a pile of books on his head.
"Ouch! Why did you do that?" Megumi replied, rubbing his head.
"Come on, I know that didn't hurt. Besides, this is exactly what you asked for. The first phase of your training will be to educate yourself. You can't keep being ignorant of so many things in this world. So, when you finish these 12 books, call me, and we'll start your combat training. And don't neglect your physical training while you're reading," added Gojo with a mischievous smile.
"Pfft, what a disappointment. I thought you were the strongest," muttered Megumi as he walked back toward the house.
"I heard that!" Satoru's voice echoed from afar.
Megumi smiled; deep down, he enjoyed the chance to feel like a kid again. However, he knew he couldn't let himself get too comfortable. So he took the books and sat down to study with the firm intention that, by the end of the day, he could say, "I gave it my all." Discipline was never easy, and becoming strong even less so, but he knew victory was sweeter when earned through hard work.
—[The Next Day]—
"zzzzz"
"zzzzz"
"zzzzz"
"Hey! Wake up!" yelled Megumi, startling a deeply asleep Gojo.
"Huh? Huh? Why the heck are you yelling so much, kid? Do you have complaints about your training?" asked Gojo, still sleepy, as he rubbed his eyes.
"First, you wouldn't wake up no matter how softly I called, and even Tsumiki couldn't wake you. So I had no choice but to yell since I can't even touch you with your Infinity on. And as for the training, I have no complaints. Actually, I finished reading your books," Megumi responded calmly.
"What?!" exclaimed Gojo, surprised. "I thought that would keep you busy for at least two weeks."
"It wasn't that bad, plus the illustrations made it more fun to read."
'Wasn't that bad?' thought Gojo, a vein pulsing on his forehead. 'Those are all my theory books from when I studied at the Jujutsu school!'
"You know what?" said Gojo, hatching an idea.
"What?"
"I don't believe you!" he declared, sticking out his tongue in a challenge.
"What you believe doesn't change the facts."
"Oh, really? Let's see if it's true… Answer! What are the three major clans?"
"Zenin, Gojo, and Kamo," Megumi answered without hesitation.
"Pff, that was beginner's luck! Let's try something harder: What's the Cursed Technique of the Inumaki clan?"
"Cursed Speech."
"What is considered the pinnacle of sorcery?"
"Domain Expansion."
"What are the ranks of sorcerers?"
"Fourth grade, third grade, second grade, first grade, semi-grade 1, and special grade."
"Black?"
"Flash."
.
.
.
.
.
The interrogation continued until Gojo was convinced that Megumi had read all the books.
"Well, I'm impressed," Gojo admitted, with a spark of enthusiasm in his eyes. "I guess now we can start your real training," he said with a somewhat sadistic smile.
"For some reason, I have a bad feeling about this," thought Megumi, feeling a chill.
—[3:00 p.m., Gojo's Garden]—
"Well, it's time to start your real training. I'll explain what it will entail," said Gojo, looking at Megumi.
"First, you'll improve your hand-to-hand combat. Then, I'll teach you how to use barriers and curtains. Once you master that, you'll practice controlling your shikigamis. And finally, you'll fight me with all your strength, so you can get used to real combat. How does that sound?"
"Great, shall we start?" Megumi asked enthusiastically.
"Not so fast… I need to bring someone first," Gojo said before teleporting.
Swoosh.
"I'm back," he announced, appearing alongside a brown-haired woman who looked around his age and wore the sorcery school uniform.
"Megumi, this is my friend Shoko. She'll be… useful in your training. Treat her well," Gojo said with a smile.
"Hello," greeted Shoko, flashing a peace sign.
"A pleasure," Megumi responded, nodding politely.
"Well, with introductions done, let's begin."
Thud, crack, "Ouch!"
"Shoko, heal him."
Thud, crack, "Ouch!"
"Shoko, heal him."
Thud, crack, "Ouch!"
"Shoko, heal him."
...
...
...
—[2 Weeks Later]—
"Alright, now repeat after me," Gojo said.
"[That which frightens more than darkness itself, that which is darker than black… purify impurities]"
"And… voilà," Gojo announced, spreading his arms to reveal the perfect barrier that rose as he finished his words.
"Now it's your turn."
"[That which frightens more than darkness itself, that which is darker than black… purify impurities]"
"Done," said Megumi, admiring the barrier he had just formed.
Gojo looked at him, surprised. "Okay, this is probably how my teachers felt when they were training me," he thought.
"Well, next is for you to practice adding conditions to the barrier and modifying its hardness."
—[6 Hours Later]—
"Interesting… you can modify the size, strength, and shape of your barriers, but it seems you can't add conditions or make binding vows, right?" Gojo observed after analyzing Megumi's progress.
"That's right," replied Megumi, with a hint of frustration.
"Don't worry about it; you just need to know how to create curtains, and it's not even that essential. Most sorcerers have someone specialized in that who accompanies them," said Gojo, downplaying his concerns.
"Well, next is to tame the shikigamis you're missing. Don't worry; if anything goes wrong, I'll fire a Purple and end the ritual," assured Gojo, giving a thumbs-up.
"I'm not nervous," Megumi replied.
"Then, what is it? You seem like you want to tell me something," Gojo asked, noticing Megumi's thoughtful expression.
"While reading the books, I realized that, by taming the Deer shikigami, I'll automatically gain access to the reverse curse technique, but I don't want to acquire it that way. I want to learn it on my own," Megumi explained with determination. "Could you bring Miss Shoko again, please?"
"Just that?" replied Gojo, shrugging. "Alright, though I should warn you that when she explained the reverse curse technique to me, I didn't understand a thing." With a flash, Gojo disappeared and reappeared with Shoko seconds later.
"Alright, kid… what are you up to? What the hell are you doing?!" yelled Gojo upon seeing Megumi stabbing himself with a kitchen knife.
"Relax... everything is under control. That's why I asked you to bring Shoko, so she can heal me if my plan fails," Megumi explained, calmly stabbing himself.
"Oh no! Gojo's driven the poor kid insane," thought Shoko, staring at Megumi in shock.
"Well... if you say so," replied Gojo, expressionless.
"Alright, here comes the most important part. If I can't heal myself in 30 seconds, Miss Shoko, could you help me?" Megumi asked politely, smiling as he stopped stabbing himself.
"O-O-OK," stammered Shoko. "This kid is scary," she thought.
"Great," said Megumi, encouraged.
He believed that if he could experience firsthand how his body generated reverse cursed energy, he would be able to replicate it instantly. His method was inspired by Hakari Kinji, whose gambling technique flooded his body with constant cursed energy, forcing his system to activate reverse cursed energy naturally.
Although Megumi didn't possess Hakari's technique, he had his own [Shadow Inventory], where he accumulated cursed energy. He believed that if, instead of just replenishing lost energy, he pumped a much larger amount into his body, he could induce the same phenomenon that Hakari experienced.
Standing there, bleeding, Megumi let all the cursed energy he'd stored in his inventory flow into him like a roaring tempest. And in that instant, he felt a wave of euphoria like on the first day he arrived in this world and realized the limitless potential of his cursed technique. In the blink of an eye, all his wounds disappeared as if they'd never existed.
________________________________________________________________________
A/N: Sorry if these training arcs feel tedious. This and the next chapter will be the only ones showing training in such detail. In later chapters, I'll just mention how much time the protagonist spent training, what he did, and his improvements.
A/N: Honestly, I was really surprised to see that from the very first day I launched my P@treon, someone was already supporting me there! Thank you so much, Tobias Sinkewicius. It fills me with joy and motivation to know that my work, even with so few chapters, already has people who believe in it.
I want everyone to know that I deeply value your support, whether you're on P@treon or simply following the story. Each of you is a crucial part of this project, and your enthusiasm drives me to keep going. Thank you for joining me on this journey!
A/N: If you want to see 5 chapters ahead on Webnovel, you can join my P@treon.
link: p@treon.com/Wade69
Next chapter: How to Tame Your Mahoraga