through the looking glass - cloudyyun - 呪術廻戦 (2024)

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

[2005]

"I hate curses. I hate them with every fibre of my being."

"I'd find it strange if you didn't, but that sounds oddly charged." Satoru's eyes peaked over his shades. "It's personal?"

Suguru sighed. "Reina's first word was 'monster'. And it was the word she said the most. She's been able to see them since birth. Cursed spirits, I mean."

"…What?" He breathed, taken off guard. "That's-" Unheard of. Nonsensical. Absurd. "Terrifying."

He chuckled bitterly, "At least you have tact about this. 'Terrifying' is an understatement. It ruined her life."

[1993]

There was her mother, pale skinned and flushed with exertion, sweat clinging to her black hair, but despite her visible exhaustion, there was shine in her dark plum eyes. She was beautiful.

Her mother had been beautiful, yet the only thing she had been able to see at that time was the grotesque creature perched atop her shoulders, tendrils moulded into her bare neck and creeping down her collar. It was an abominable thing, in a murky blue-grey colour and with a clumpy, peeling body.

Even as her mother embraced her tightly towards her chest, whispering lovingly, all she could hear was the chittering and whining of that monster.

"I wish…" It keened. "I wish… Please, please, please live."

"I love you," My mother said underneath that. "Geto Reina." She said. "My baby."

"Please don't go on without me."

She could only scream.

[1998]

Her awareness comes into sudden, glaring focus as she gasped, toppling out of her bed from the force of her movement. She braced for a fall, but then remembered-

Or was it really a matter of remembrance? This was a futon.

She was five.

Monsters exist.

She was Geto Reina.

And then there wasn't even an option for her to dismiss that dream as just a dream.

"Rei?" A croaked murmur startled her. There was a shift of her bed covers. "Are you okay?"

She turned to see her brother sit up, rubbing at his eyes. He was three years older than her. Eight.

Suguru shuffled towards her on his knees, dragging the blankets. With an unexpected ease, he gathered her in his arms and patted her back.

To her, it seemed unnaturally practised. To Reina, this was a routine that kept her sane.

"It's okay." He spoke gently, repeating one thing only. "It's okay."

Because when Reina wasn't even one and he was three, that was the only thing he knew to tell her. Her face creased with discomfort.

"It's worse, Nii-san." She didn't know what, but something was. Everything was worse.

He paused, tensing for a moment before he relaxed again, hold tightening. He shifted to sit cross legged and looked up at her, gripping her hands. "The bad dreams?"

She nodded glumly and tears dripped onto their linked hands. She didn't elaborate. Her mind was whirring right now, processing far too much information in what should be a five year old's lifespan.

She knew there was something more to her existence- but she couldn't recall a name besides Geto Reina, nor an age besides five and a few months.

However, she did know her brother: in fact, it was far more than what she knew about herself.

"Let's go outside." Suguru decided as he removed his hands to thumb at her tears, turning around and leaning down. She jumped onto his back, linking her hands around his neck.

The way her brother walked, silent and undetectable, and the way he closed the door slowly so there wasn't even the slightest sound unnerved her.

Yet Reina knew why, because her memories were as much hers as the blood that flowed in her veins.

She glanced around as Suguru set her down. She could recognise now that it was an apartment and a pretty shoddy one at that. They were actually relying on savings now, after their father had been fired from his job because of his alcoholism problem four-five years ago.

It wasn't like it was a domestic abuse thing. He took some casual jobs sometimes and provided necessities for the two siblings most of the time. He drank, but he hardly hit them.

"…Rei?"

"Sorry." She murmured, wondering why an eight year old could be like this.

It could only be because of her.

Without her, their mother wouldn't've died, their father wouldn't be so distant and Suguru wouldn't be forced to mature like this. In the original story, he never had this sort of difficult past and he still turned out like that. What would happen now? Would he be worse?

"Why do you always say 'sorry', Rei?" He smiled with such tenderness it hurt. "I'm your brother. This is my responsibility to you."

He said it with such ease.

She knew, however, that responsibility wasn't enough. Not when she might be killed in a single line of dialogue, without even having her face remembered.

"Just responsibility?"

"H-Huh?" Suguru jerked, then his brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Is it just because you feel like you have to take care of me?"

Her brother, she could recall, would go on to become a mass murderer after killing their parents, even though it felt impossible and downright stupid to even think of. Well, in this universe, their mother had already died and the extra addition in lieu of her was… Reina.

His motive for killing them was simply so that he wasn't a hypocrite in the pursuit of his final goal. So if Reina isn't a sorcerer…

It was a very possible event as well: her brother had already manifested his cursed technique by her age.

It felt absurd to even consider it though.

Her brother was gentle, far too kind for his own good and was as righteous as a child could be. He didn't even know how to raise his hand at her. And more than anything, Suguru cared for her; she knew it because it was engraved as deeply as her name.

Her name was Geto Reina. Her brother loved her.

Two equally irrefutable facts to her.

But then, was she Geto Reina? Did her brother love her?

Geto Suguru was a fictional antagonist. He wasn't meant to exist in the same plane of existence as her. Curses weren't meant to exist. But that ability of her brother's which awakened three years ago- She didn't even attempt to reject the reality of it.

"What- What do you mean, Rei?" He pulled her closer to him, as if she'd run away, as if the action could speak for itself- for whatever he couldn't reply with verbally.

But she would never run away. She couldn't even if she wanted to. Where else could she go?

"I'm such a burden to you."

"What? No! Of course you're not-"

Where else, but to her inevitable death at his hands?

"Aren't you only nice to me because I'm your sister?"

"I- I don't-" He looked close to tears himself now, shaking his head in confusion.

"If I wasn't your sister, would you care about me? You wouldn't, right?"

She felt numb, so the next words escape her mouth before she even thinks of them. It escapes her like a breath.

"You could even kill me."

There's a moment of pure silence as the words registered. Her eyes widened. How could she so blatantly-

"Reina!" Suguru burst out, before he tensed, glancing at the door in paranoia. With an agitated expression, he lowered his voice which now wavered with a delicate emotion. "Rei, why would you think that? I would never- I would die for you, Rei. What are you talking about?"

Tears were actually swimming in his eyes now, a muted purple so deep that it looks black.

Suddenly, she couldn't take it anymore.

The sky dipped and the trees behind her brother started whispering. There was a buzzing in her ear.

"Can't take it." It mocked her and goosebumps raised all over her skin. "I can't take it anymore."

"Ah f*ck," She tipped her head back and blinked the blurriness out of the night sky. She didn't know who was talking now. Who she was. What she knew. What to do. "I hate this."

Suguru would never stop hating the sight of those monsters crawling over his sister- much less the sight of that puce-coloured miasma, hissing as it leaves her skin.

And there was another one of them, small, like a spider, but with eyes like a human's and teeth like a human's.

"I can't take it anymore." It whined. "I can't take it anymore."

"Reina," He wiped at his eyes hurriedly with a sniff, pushing down his emotions. "Stay still for-"

"Ah f*ck."

Suguru's eyes widened at the profanity and he looked back at his sister. He'd never heard it come out of her mouth before. Only their father's. Did something happen? When he wasn't here?

It sounded strange coming out of her. He didn't have any chance to linger on it as she tipped backwards.

He reached out to catch her. "Rei-"

"I hate this."

"What?" Suguru swallowed. It felt like there was something stuck in his throat and the emotions he was trying to keep in check kept coming and coming-

Reina ducked around him and stumbled down the stairs. Suguru watched for a second, never feeling more stressed in his entire life, before he startled himself into action, shoving on his slippers and running down the stairs after her.

She was already halfway across the road, barefooted. He didn't even need to chase far as she tripped and fell not a few metres away from him.

Suguru sighed, shoulders slumping as he closed the distance between them, hauling her up from her armpits and holding her against his hip like his mother used to do for him- a vague, blurring memory.

He decided to walk further from their apartment. It's not like that place was really comforting for Reina anyway.

Suguru reached his hand up a bit to pinch the monster off her neck, squeezing it until it disintegrated.

"Feel better?" He asked tentatively.

The quiet sniffles against his shoulder erupted into wails. With a bit of panic, Suguru tightened his hold on her, patting her back carefully, gnawing on his lower lip in worry.

She had always been pretty quiet… His father had also said it was strange. Reina cried a lot, but it was hardly ever loud.

'Not when the monsters can hear you.' She'd explained two years ago with far too much clarity in her speech.

"I'm so sorry," Reina blubbered as he sat down on a bench. "I should die."

Suguru felt his face crease and watching it, she wailed again, clutching at the front of his clothes.

"Reina, I don't want you to die." He took a long inhale and squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again. "I definitely don't want you to die, okay?"

He wanted to demand more- Why would she think that? Where did it come from? How could she say something like that?

"I'm just making you more stressed, Nii-san." She cried. "I don't want this. It's all my fault."

"It's not your fault, Rei." Suguru's hands were clammy with sweat. "I'm-"

He was her brother. She was family. Family that he cared about a lot. He would never want to hurt her.

"Did something happen?" He watched her face carefully and refused to cry. He was the older brother. It was his duty- but, she had dismissed that. His 'responsibility'. It wasn't enough, but he didn't know what else he could say. "Was it the dream? What happened in the dream?"

Or maybe, he shouldn't've brought it up?

Reina shook her head and he snapped his mouth shut.

"You don't want me to die, right?" She asked quietly.

"Of course not."

"You care about me too, right?"

"Of course."

"What if we weren't blood related? Will I still be your sister?"

"Well, of course, we'd still be family." He frowned in confusion. "We are blood related though."

"I know." She sniffed. "I killed Mama. Do you still love me?"

"…Did Tou-san say this to you?" Suguru gritted his teeth. "Did he say that?"

"…No."

"You're lying." His frown deepened.

"He didn't say it to me." His sister pressed. "I'm not even meant to remember things from back then."

"'Back then'?" He echoed, slightly teasing. Well, he attempted it. "You're only five, Rei."

"Nii-san's only a few years older than me. You're a kid too." Reina huffed. "Tou-san's not mean to me. He said it on my first birthday."

"Well," Suguru breathed through his anger. "Tou-san's wrong. Don't care about that at all. Kaa-san wants you to have a happy life. Kaa-san loves you. Obviously, I love you too. So don't feel sad or say things about dying. Okay?"

He jostled her when she remained silent.

"Okay." She nodded, fist against her mouth.

She wondered if he'd still say the same things, nine years later.

Chapter 2

Chapter Text

[2005]

"The reason why she's quiet. The reason why she doesn't like showing strong emotions. The reason why she can't sleep peacefully. The reason why she freezes so much." Suguru continued. "It's all because of cursed spirits. And since they're just a deposit of human emotions- barely having their own will- I can't do anything to avenge that. Unless that miracle happens, they'll never go away and Reina will never have a truly carefree life."

"You're there though. For her, I mean." Satoru pointed out, feeling out of place all of a sudden. "You two are disgustingly close. I don't think I've ever seen siblings on such close terms before."

"That's because you didn't have a good family environment, growing up." He replied dryly. "And I wouldn't be so confident to say we're close siblings. After all… why would she ask me those things?"

"What things?"

Suguru stared at the other blankly. Then he smiled sunnily, "None of your business."

"Hey!"

[Early 2001]

"Like usual, I'll leave these two with you." A tall, willowy curse- Mother- appeared and Suguru handed her a small curse, which she named 'Pygmy' (or the Japanese-d 'pigumi') after its large ear-like appendages, which wiggled on her hand, letting out a little squeak. "Pop Pig if anything happens."

Suguru didn't have any idea where she got the knowledge of pygmy possums from and she couldn't prove that it was a real animal- especially in Japanese, so he just called it 'Pig'.

"Okay." She nodded, letting it crawl into her uniform pocket. "Have fun at class, Nii-san."

"You too. Try stay out of trouble." He mussed her hair. "Make friends."

Reina nodded again. She wasn't as good at lying when she was speaking aloud. She knew she couldn't make friends.

Nearly seven years old, this was her third year in school.

She had been pretty confident in her interpersonal skills before she actually tried to socialise. The effect of living with curses for her entire life was greater than she had ignorantly expected.

Not to mention, six, seven and eight year olds, as it turns out, are difficult to read.

All they really focused on was the fact that Reina didn't have a mother and her father never came to pick her up. Her voice was naturally quiet and she was used to cowering in on herself.

This made her an easy target to mean kids.

She could defend herself. Kids were scrappy and pain was more mental than physical, but the curse she calls 'Mother' was told to protect her, so Reina didn't get many chances to even scuffle.

The curse chilled the area and slowed the movements of the children. Children as they are, they got scared.

'If you attack Reina, it feels like you're walking in mud.'

'If you attack Reina, it gets cold all of a sudden.'

'If you attack Reina, you get cursed.'

'Reina is cursed.'

She still doesn't have friends. How could she when a curse hovers behind her all the time? When curses cling to the desk chairs and windows and they're all she can see?

(Her teacher hesitantly informs ten year old Suguru of her listlessness and he nods along, but never speaks to her about it.)

And Reina had came to the realisation that she actually had quite a bit of cursed energy, but a horrifying lack of ability to control it.

It didn't make sense.

It explained everything.

(Why there were so many curses in their house compared to everywhere else. Why small, weak critters would form whenever she was upset. Why they mimicked her. Why they blinked when she blinked. Why they speak like she speaks. It had been her all along.)

Curses are basically harmless most of the time. It's when they grow when they become dangerous.

So, around her, they become volatile.

Curses love her. They feed on her, but they don't hurt her. She just hurts everyone else.

(Her brother had screamed when he saw them in grotesque clusters, like colonies of bacteria, patches of mould- She remembered. He'd clutched her arm so hard it bled, then he'd beg for forgiveness as if there was anything to forgive. He'd wake up screaming and he'd keep screaming until she, two at that time, cried. Then he would stop and pretend everything was okay and at that time, she had known no better of her ever-trustworthy, larger than life brother.

He'd thrown up after absorbing his first curse- the one adamant on hovering over her; the one she had instinctively or otherwise called 'Mother' for its purple eyes, black hair, swollen stomach, and whispers of 'I love you'- but he had just pushed her out of the room at that time, barring the door, so that he could absorb more.

She could only hear the scrambling and shrieks of the cursed spirits and the retching of her brother. She had cried silently in terror. He'd thrown up already, but he kept going and going until her room, crammed full of those curses, was empty.

He didn't know how else to get rid of them at that time. The curses had been weak and he had been powerful, but still, he had been barely five at that time.

She had been two, so she didn't know what to make of the stench of vomit and the disarray of the room. She had thanked him then, with so many tears. Now, she wished he had just left it be. His suffering was so much worse.)

She tries to feel happy. Or better yet, she tries to feel nothing.

On her seventh birthday, her father grieved, her brother hugged her and she finally accepted that wielding cursed energy was beyond her.

"Nii-san." She asked, fingers pinching his sleeve.

He turned and smiled and removed her hand from his arm to hold it. "Yes?"

Reina thinks: 'In six years from now, I wonder what his answer would be?'

Because Geto Suguru will come to despise non-sorcerers and someone like her, who exacerbated the formations of cursed spirits, was more than something qualified to be called 'a waste of space'.

Her existence was actively detrimental to the world and therefore, to her brother.

"You love me… right?"

But she also thinks: 'If Nii-san wants to kill me, I think I'd just let him.'

It's his eternal dissatisfaction and inability to achieve contentedness that she didn't want. Her brother, who always gives everything to her with a smile and still never scorns her. It's wrong of her to question him, to doubt him, but while her life didn't mean much if her brother wanted it, she still wanted to stay with him. She still wanted that confirmation.

She just wanted him to keep loving her the way he has. It kept her from drowning.

And the memories from another life pale in comparison. She hardly remembered anything of that- of the well-written character 'Geto Suguru' at sixteen years old and then at twenty-seven years old. That all hardly fuelled her incomparable attachment to him.

Throughout this whole life, her brother had been everything good in a world that drove her to insanity. If her brother wasn't here, she would've grown up with the company of cursed spirits, in terror then in numbness. She would've rotted away right then and there, without ever getting to grow.

It's horrifying to even think about.

"Of course." Suguru affirmed immediately. His grip tightened and his eyes grow panicked at once. "What- What is- Why do you ask?"

Reina had never doubted his response. Not when every action and smile he directs to her is filled with such tender care.

"Just checking." She leant her head against his chest so that he couldn't read her expression.

Even she didn't know what she was feeling.

'Dying would be okay,' She thinks. 'If he still says that six years later.'

He held her so tightly yet so carefully and he buries his head into her neck.

She realised belatedly that she couldn't read his expression either.

[Late 2001]

Her father holds her hand as they attend Suguru's grade school graduation ceremony.

But the hall is loud and filled with the stench of tears, so even her father's rare affection doesn't matter. Mother plucked a small curse from her shoulders and consumed it, stretching out its long purple tongue ridden with white patches and discoloured warts.

Suguru frowned more than he smiled as he stared down at her.

This was the kind of nuisance she was.

Chapter 3

Chapter Text

[Early 1994]

They hardly came near her and much less attacked her because of this tall, monster woman that always stood over her, but they stared and stared at her, chittering and shuddering, skittling like centipedes in her brain.

Geto Reina hated it. She'd found it repulsive, by her instincts.

Long, thin fingers, with white skin and three knobby joints, caressed her face again.

As usual, she froze, unable to move, and held her breath. She was rooted to the spot.

The woman bent over and her long, seaweed hair curtained around the child. Purple eyes, bulging from its sockets, eerily round and straining with green veins, gazed at her. She had no nose, but a mouth that stretched from one side of her face to the other. The woman smiled at her, and her teeth were black, numerous as a row of kernels on a cob.

This monster woman, that was something between the beauty of her mother and the ugliness of that monster, always told her that she loved her.

"I love you." This monster spoke like her mother, but she was not beautiful.

Reina's breaths come out strained as a puff of putrid air wafted over her.

"Rei, what's wrong?" It was her brother, four but unfathomably more intelligent than the average child.

"Nii…"

"Yes, it's me." He sat in front of her and the monster woman isn't there anymore and Reina can breathe. "What's wrong, Rei?"

"Monster…"

"M-Monster?" Suguru repeated, swivelling his head around, looking scared himself. "There's no monsters."

But his voice shook.

She stared at him silently and wondered what he was saying- what he meant when he said there were none.

"Rei, I checked." Suguru repeated shakily. "There's no monsters. Don't be scared."

The monster woman's hair was still on Reina's shoulder, squirming like an earthworm against her neck. Long, thin fingers, with white skin and three knobby joints, caressed her face once more.

"Rei," Suguru called, and she returned to him. He wrapped his small arms around her. "Don't be scared."

[Late 2001]

There's a large curse that erupted not too soon after the principal announced dismissal. The hall is most likely empty, but students are still walking leisurely away from the building, as if something that could kill them wasn't just a few dozen metres away.

"Suguru," Their father asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Tou-san," He replied and pushed Reina closer to their father. He was still facing in the direction of the cursed spirit. Suguru made a subtle gesture to resummon the Mother curse: it was still the strongest he had. "I just forgot something-"

"Wait-" Reina reached and grabbed his hand. She pointed at the sky with the other. "Someone has it handled, Nii-san. Let's just go."

"'Someone'-" Suguru's eyes widened. "There's other people like us."

'Like you.' Reina corrected in her head.

"Probably."

"What's going on, Suguru?" Their father glanced at her as well, but he still doesn't like saying her name. Maybe there had been a curse for that too.

"There's someone I want to meet here, Tou-san. You go back with Rei first. I'll be fine."

"Oh," The man looked uncertain, but he'd long since forfeited the right to control Suguru. "Alright then. Come on… Reina-chan."

His breath still stank of alcohol, but his mouth is framed by smile lines. Reina doesn't want to disappoint this man, whose life she'd ruined with her curse.

"You go first, Tou-san." She felt guilt sour her mouth at the expression on his face. "I want to stay with Nii-san."

"Oh." Their father faltered a bit. He smiled kindly. "Alright then. I'll make soba for you two tonight, so make sure you come home on time for dinner."

"Of course." Suguru returned a smile reassuringly. "Thanks, Tou-san."

He watched as their father turned and walked away, waving hesitantly at them.

"Are you okay, Rei?" Suguru extended a hand and she clasped it.

Reina swung their hands and thought about that expression he had as he watched her from up on the stage. Exhausted worry. A burdening care that overshadowed the certificate he held in his hand. It was meant to be an important day for him.

"…I'm okay." She smiled up at him. She lied, just this one time. He could probably tell. Squinting at him, Reina returned the question. "Are you okay?"

He laughed and pushed at her forehead, pulling up her fringe and ruffling her hair. "Of course I am. Now, shall we go see what that black thing is…?"

Suguru motioned his chin towards what must be a 'Curtain'. By the time they had finished talking, the black thing in the sky had fully settled into a dome.

"It looks like a barrier or something." Reina wondered. "Although, it's pretty obvious… isn't it?"

Walking up to it, Suguru prodded at it curiously with a stick. Then his finger. Reina yelped and snatched at his arm. The lack of precaution was really-

"I'm fine, Rei." Suguru chuckled and she sighed. "It doesn't look harmful at all. I can go right through this."

He stuck his hand in then out. In and out. Reina cringed. She didn't remember all the types of barriers, but these kinds were almost definitely harmless. Still, it made her wince every time Suguru would do something reckless like this.

"Weird. I don't know what this material is. A hologram?"

"Are you going to go in?" Reina asked, touching it hesitantly as well. She had to force a bit more, but she could stick half her hand in as well. She made sure it was her non-dominant just in case- her right hand, which was odd, considering she had memories of being right-handed before.

"It might be a bit dangerous…" Suguru reasoned. "But if you can go straight through this and it's not solid, then most likely they put down this dome thing pretty far from the monsters and whatever damage they're doing. It's too dangerous for people passing by otherwise."

"Then why would they put it up?"

"No one's really staring, so maybe they can't see it? Maybe it's to hide it from them."

He was right. Surprisingly, for a ten year old. But Reina's brother was always intelligent.

"True. Oh, Nii-san, just use a monster. Let it go in and see if it gets killed." She grabbed Pygmy from her pocket and handed it to him. "Well… Pygmy's bad at flying since its so lazy. Maybe get another one."

"That's smart." Suguru nodded, depositing Pygmy back onto her shoulder. "I didn't even think about using them as landmine triggers like that."

As a cursed spirit manifested, he reached out, trying to grab at the black mass again.

"Hm, but it's still pretty confusing because-"

Then suddenly, it started to dissolve. Suguru yelped and withdrew his hand abruptly.

"Did I break it?" He stared at his palm worriedly.

"You didn't break it, kid." It was a large man with tan skin, black hair and facial hair. "Was it you that was sticking his hand in and out of the barrier?"

"…Uh…"

"I'll take that as a yes. You're a sorcerer. Can't believe I just found one in the wild." His stared landed on Reina. "…Two? One point five?"

"A… 'sorcerer'?"

The man gave us a long stare. "Come with me. Let's explain it somewhere more private."

"There's a school for it?" Suguru's eyes widened. "Can I join?"

"Not now. Even the elders have a limit to their corruption: we don't put children into that sort of frontline danger. …Well, clan children aside…" Yaga Masamichi explained. "You can join after you finish Junior High."

"Okay, is there an application process?"

"…You're oddly excited. I'll give you my contact, but things are pretty straight forward otherwise. You'll see that there aren't a lot of sorcerers around, so even if you have the worst student record in history, you'll probably still be accepted. Until that time, try your hardest to stay alive and don't go doing any foolish things. Don't worry about training or anything either."

"What about my sister?"

"Your sister?" He glanced at Reina. "You aren't a sorcerer, are you? Although you have quite the bit of cursed energy to say the least… It was the only way you could bypass the barrier. Another question would be why you could see it…"

"I can see cursed energy. And curses." She provided, that term sounding strange after all the times she called them 'monsters'. Then after a beat, she added, "Since birth."

Her brother grimaced at her side. The suited man who'd sat at a desk a little far from them, sorting through a folder of files and notebook by his side, suddenly turned to look at her.

Seeing her curious look, he turned back around, shaking his head slightly.

"…Excuse me?" Yaga raised a brow. "How old are you?"

"Seven."

"Oh my, that complicates things…" He murmured, leaning back against the chair. "You're certain you can't control cursed energy? Remember how I said curses are more frequent around cursed energy-dense areas like hospitals and graveyards? Well- how do I say this…"

"I'm the walking embodiment of that." Reina finished. "I know. I'm not that stupid."

"I see." Yaga sighed contemplatively. "That… must've been hard. It's ultimately up to you, but you would be heavily encouraged to remain on campus grounds as soon as we take you in."

"Can I come at the same time as my brother?"

"I don't assume it'd be a hard feat." He nodded. "You won't be exorcising either. Though, hopefully we'll find a way to manage your situation or trigger a manifestation of a technique."

"Is that possible?" She asked sceptically.

"Well, it was never thought to be." He examined her. "But a non-sorcerer has never possessed this amount of cursed energy before either. In the first place, cursed energy as a whole is shrouded in mystery. Maybe you'll even have a late awakening."

"Will it be dangerous?" Suguru asked, brows drawn together.

"The fact that she can hurt small curses purely based off how much she's got flowing off her is dangerous enough already. You're lucky that a Special Grade hasn't come around to eat your sister up yet, kid."

He shot the man a wide-eyed look. "She's just seven, Yaga-san. Please don't say such things."

"I can imagine that much will barely shock her." Yaga huffed and rubbed at his temple. "There's been a few cases like Reina's in the past: non-sorcerers being able to see cursed spirits. But it always fluctuates. It's never constant, and it's certainly not since birth. Definitely not with that amount of cursed energy. Either way, they've all been met with a terrible end."

She knows.

Suguru shifted uncomfortably besides her.

"You're lucky to have your brother." The man told her.

She knows.

Reina glanced at the tense set of her brother's shoulders and tipped over to lean against his arm. She changed the topic. "Can you tell me more about Binding Vows?"

"About what exactly?"

"Mmm, actually before that, is there anything that can restrict cursed energy output? Like, uh, cursed energy shackles or something?"

"There're talismans. But they're not so convenient like that." Yaga nodded slowly. "The only ones we currently have aren't meant to be used on people long-term, if that makes sense. And it's certainly not wearable, if I'm thinking what you're thinking. If you want to restrain even half of your current cursed energy, it would be a complicated process."

"Isn't it worth it considering how- how harmful I am to the world?" She ignored her brother's eyes on her.

"Perhaps." He laced his fingers together. "But the higher ups are… difficult, sometimes. It'll be an easier process after your brother is officially affiliated with the school. It's overall an expensive process, as I'm sure you wouldn't want to be wrapped up in talismans like a mummy. We'd need to condense it and store it into a lasting, removeable and wearable object for your ease, and… how do I put this: if your brother proves to be a- valuable asset, they'll be more inclined to take your comfort into consideration."

It made sense. It wasn't like they could currently afford something like that, but something about the phrase 'valuable asset' just rankled her. Suguru didn't seem to take the implications well either, but in this world, even something like her comfort needed to be bought.

Reina nodded, "Then, for the Binding Vows, can I restrict my cursed energy output in exchange for something?"

"Oh… like a Heavenly Restriction… but willingly?" He frowned. "I don't think so. At least not to the extent of a Heavenly Restriction. They're basically people who are born into sorcerer families but with little to no cursed energy in exchange for heightened strength and senses."

"That sounds like a good trade off." Suguru muttered.

"Not when Clan Heads are uppity traditionalists." Yaga drawled right back. "But back to your question, Reina, in the first place, the amount of cursed energy you have doesn't benefit you, since you're unable to control it. It's waste product for you. I don't think it would work that simply."

She wasn't surprised, but again that oddly non-absolute wording- Does that mean if she makes a complex and detailed enough Vow, it would work? She placed the thought aside for now.

"Can I share it then?"

"'Sharing it'…" Yaga considered. "I don't think outright sharing raw cursed energy was done before… I've seen it happen through cursed techniques, but even then, it's not cursed energy at its base form. So it's uncertain. A lot of what you're asking is uncertain, Reina, because you're a strange case. Who would you share it with? Your brother?"

Suguru, probably still processing the info dump from the start, blinked at the address and shrugged a shoulder, looking down at her. "Whatever's best for Rei."

Yaga glanced at him, assessing, before deadpanning. "Your brother already has more than enough anyway…"

"He could always do with more." Reina shrugged. "Or just with anyone- More than one person."

"Hmm, well first of all, don't try it. At least not unsupervised." Yaga squinted in thought. "Look, each person has their specific amount of cursed energy they can hold at their optimal state and also the rate at which it replenishes. You both have enormous, let's say, containers and they're all filled to the brink. It's not like it's a limiting factor: it just means that it's not a permanent change and overall not too useful for you, Reina. Even if you share some with your brother, it'd be burnt off fast and your cursed energy will fill again."

"It doesn't need to be a permanent change. I can just act as a supplier."

"I see. Then that's more probable, but still highly unlikely to achieve."

"Are there mechanisms to store cursed energy?"

He nodded, looking surprised. "There are, but again, for you, who can't control it, it will either be impossible or convoluted."

"But it's not 100% impossible."

Yaga tipped his head, "It's not. Hypothetically, let's say, in terms of the recipient: your brother naturally has properties compatible with absorbing cursed spirits. That should extent to cursed constructs as well. Since cursed energy can be inheritable, it's most likely safest between the two of you. However, if you want to develop a Binding Vow like that, you'd need to think it out really carefully."

"Shouldn't it be pretty straightforward though? If it's between two people, it's just an agreement."

"The percentage payoff isn't determined." He shook his head. "No one's ever tried this before, so this is hypothetical- to reiterate, but say, if you want to give 100% of your cursed energy away to your brother, that's neutral for you. It's registered as a benefit, but it acts as a deterrent. However, since you want to give it away, you must pay something to make that happen."

"Like, sacrifice some blood?" She asked hesitantly when he stopped talking.

Suguru twitched by her side. She squinted at him again and he slowly met her pseudo-glare. He smiled, strained. Maybe talking about stuff like this in front of her brother was inconsiderate. Suguru was upset.

…Not at her though, right?

Foregoing manners- because Yaga really didn't seem to care about formalities: must be a sorcerer thing- she pulled herself onto Suguru's lap and tipped her head back to look at him upside down.

"Rei," Suguru placed his hand on her forehead and tipped her head back forward. He still linked his hands around her stomach though and dropped his head against her shoulder. "That's rude."

"Yaga-san doesn't care." Reina told him, which was even ruder.

But the man called them both by their first names and told a seven year old that her terrible life was lucky, so she didn't have much politeness to spare. Respect, of course. But politeness was on another, more superficial level. This man was one of the few- or perhaps one of the only people that had ever treated the two of them with such seriousness. She had a lot of respect for him. And gratitude. There wasn't a need for politeness.

"So, could I?" She asked again.

"…I don't think you need to bodily injure yourself for that." Yaga said awkwardly. "It might be temporary immobilisation or just a- cursed energy payoff, like what I meant to say… But for your brother, he only gets benefits."

"If I'm doing it willingly, then he wouldn't need to sacrifice anything, right?"

"Perhaps. But he's also the one who would mainly facilitate the Binding Vow as the one with the ability to manipulate cursed energy. It could just be, like say, he receives 50% of your cursed energy instead of the 100% you give."

"Oh, that's it?"

"That's it, hypothetically. Again, this sort of thing doesn't usually happen and 'one-sided' deals hardly ever occur, since the jujutsu world is so dog-eat-dog down to the end of it."

"What if I regard it as a benefit? There would be less payoff, right?" Although she doubted she could ever do that. Maybe she could gaslight herself for the next few years: increase the worth of what she wanted to give away. "You said my output alone let me be able to interact with cursed spirits?"

He nodded, "Ordinary non-sorcerers don't release any cursed energy usually. When they're upset, they release a little bit and it usually drains them up pretty quickly. Sometimes this leaves them sick afterwards."

In other words, burnouts or breakdowns.

"However, since you have so much, I don't know if it's because of constant stress or not, but you're always leaking cursed energy and it's already more than the amount released by stressed non-sorcerers- more than your above average dying non-sorcerers. If your emotions were to become… volatile, you'd release much more on top of that. In that case, you would be fully capable of erasing low level curses as a by-product- like a side effect of it."

"And create one in the process." Reina sighed. It was never a winning situation. "Well, whatever. You told us not to try anything before Nii-san goes to your school, right? I'll just think about it til then."

"Exactly. Don't go experimenting on cursed spirits." He rubbed his forehead. "Unless it's with your brother's curses. Damnit, I can't believe I've met such a strange pair of siblings. I do not have enough sleep for this."

"Sorry for the trouble." Suguru dipped his head. He sounded uncertain, like he wasn't too sure whether he was sorry or not.

"It's nothing. Finding a powerful sorcerer like you can only be a good thing. …Oh. Speaking of which, how many cursed spirits do you have?"

"Seven hundred and four."

Yaga did a double take. "Wow. Okay. Okay. Can you summon a few, uh, 'strength representatives' from your collection of curses? From the amount of your cursed energy and your technique alone, you'd probably be placed at Semi-Grade 1- No, definitely Grade 1 as soon as you enrol. This seems like potential Special Grade material."

His eye twitched and he blurted out, "Seriously?"

"You underestimate yourself, kid." Yaga tapped at the paper he'd placed on the table and the notes he'd scribbled out. "You've been born with one hell of an ability. And for usual sorcerers? I'd guestimate they could, at the current stage of your technique, absorb a few Grade 2 curses max before they run out of cursed energy."

"Oh… I mean, I'm not absorbing any strong ones." Suguru informed, unsure. He summoned one he'd caught in the park the other day. "I usually get these ones. This is about the average one I absorb-"

"Kid, that is a Grade 3 curse. No, I'd even say Semi-Grade 2." He rubbed his temple and sighed. "I don't even wanna ask… Your strongest one?"

The park cursed spirit collapsed into nothingness and Mother rose in its stead.

Yaga stiffened before sighing once more. "…You got the obstetric unit curse. Do I even want to ask how?"

"What do you mean? Obstetric…"

"Hospitals have a lot of curses because there's a lot going on there. Typically curses for each ward develop over time. Humanoid and feminine- vague as it is, wet hair, smile, tall and thin frame, and swollen stomach. They look different each time, but that's undoubtedly the labour ward curse."

"Labour-" Reina put a hand against her mouth.

"And we were getting nervous because the build-up of cursed energy had suddenly vanished…"

"That mon- curse is- isn't our mother?" Suguru stammered a bit, holding her tighter.

"Suguru, a curse isn't human. It is definitely not your mother, nor likely is it the lingering spirit of your mother." Yaga laced his fingers together and looked vaguely pitying. "I'm assuming it stuck with Reina until you absorbed it. That might've been because it was attracted to Reina's high level of cursed energy."

"…There was a cursed spirit on my mother." Reina said quietly.

Her brother stilled and she felt fear.

"You remember?" Yaga murmured quietly. "Everything?"

"All seven years." She confirmed with a slow nod. Because she didn't remember everything- Not her past one. Neither her name nor her age, nor whether or not anybody loved her.

Her brother's breath hitched and his grip tightened once again, pulling her closer against him. "You didn't tell me this, Rei…"

This was his graduation ceremony day. And this happened. That cursed spirit in the hall earlier as well- Perhaps that was because of her too?

Her gaze drifted to the side. The suited man was looking at them again, hand poised over his notebook. Was he taking notes on the conversation? Well, she wouldn't be surprised if he was.

This was a future Special Grade sorcerer and his out of place sister here.

"But it didn't match your description." She continued belatedly. "That cursed spirit was like- It was like it killed h-her."

She knew it within herself. And she knew it was her.

"That cursed spirit-" She didn't want to say these words. Not when her brother's heart was thudding so violently and his grip was so desperate. "-Did it come- Did it kill her because of me?"

There's a deafening silence before Yaga shook his head rather quickly, "You shouldn't make assumptions like that, Reina. It will only hurt yourself."

It's not a 'no'.

"It was wrong of me to interrogate you two on such a sensitive subject. I believe your mother was just unlucky-"

To bear Reina.

"-And perhaps this curse's resemblance to her was due to her dying wishes to stay with you."

Or perhaps she had not only cursed her mother to death, but beyond death as well.

"You may dismiss the curse now, Suguru." Yaga said gently. "We've got all the information we need."

He reached into his bag and pulled out a teddy bear. Then he stuck his hand into the bear's mouth and pulled out twin daggers.

"Here are some cursed tools. You can use one each or use them together." Yaga placed them onto the table between them. And their curiosity made them lean forward to stare. "Semi-Grade 1. They're expensive. Use it to keep you alive. You'll need to buy your own sheath."

Reina and Suguru glanced at each other. They probably couldn't afford to buy one off the bat.

"You got money too?" She asked hopefully, even as Suguru winced at her bluntness. Reina had long since lost her money-hungry shame.

Yaga blinked at them, real slow. "I don't have any on me right now. Just take Lilac."

"Lilac?" Reina echoed, glancing at the- indeed- lilac bear.

It blinked then jumped onto Reina's lap, "Hi!-"

Suguru yelped and smacked the bear, then groaned, shaking his hand off. "Ow, what is that made of?"

"Normal stuff. And cursed energy." Yaga chuckled wryly. "Don't worry, Lilac doesn't speak apart from the first greeting."

"Is cute. Thanks." Reina patted the bear's head. She knew that independent cursed- Was it called cursed dolls? Or cursed beasts? Cursed objects? Well, she knew that he was hiding the existence of them, so figured that this bear wouldn't be a walking, talking bear with its own sense of individuality.

It was still cute though, despite the uncreative name.

"Make sure you don't hurt yourself with them though, children." Yaga reminded them. "I know I said don't worry about training, but things unrelated to cursed energy like flexible manoeuvres, hand-to-hand combat and physical strength are always better to have."

"Oh, we already started martial arts?" Suguru blinked. "I guess we'll have to take it seriously now then."

The dojo master was nice, so he'd let Reina stick with her brother, even just watching at the sidelines half the time. Suguru was good at it, but she remembered that it had been his speciality in the original story.

Suguru told her that their parents were masters at it, so they both did it for fun and to stay out of their apartment for a while longer. But since their mother was dead and their father was… the way he was, maybe she'd affected that somehow too? Hindered his progress that way?

"Okay, this was a good catch. A lil too good to be true." The man mumbled to himself like Suguru was a rare fish. "Anyway, here's my phone number."

"I don't have a phone."

"…Here's the school address." He sighed heavily, scribbling down a place. "It's just for an emergency anyway. It's easy enough for me to find you later on."

"Train fares are expensive." She informed the man. Then made a grabby motion with her hands.

"Reina." Suguru whacked her hand scoldingly. She stuck her bottom lip out at him.

"The school can reimburse it if you do have to travel." Yaga chuckled. "Cost of living is mostly covered and you get paid when taking on missions, even though most of it will be akin to minimum wage at first for training. It'll be different for you two though, since Suguru has a powerful technique and since you, Reina, would be a ward and not an actual student. Sorcerers are high risk occupations with little people in the workforce. You'll be fine, money-wise. Still, I can't believe a seven year old is so worried about these things."

That was actually an alright deal. …Though considering it was a life or death situation, perhaps not.

"Just remember: stay alive, don't get yourself into trouble, don't try anything stupid. Okay, kids?"

"Yaga-san is weird." He told her as he placed the folded piece of paper in a curse's mouth. He hefted her up on his back and sighed. "Reina, you can tell me anything that you want, okay? You don't need to keep things from me."

She grimaced. "Are you mad at me?"

"How could I be mad at you?" Suguru tipped his head back so it knocked against hers.

"You didn't look that happy before, at your ceremony." She laughed weakly. "You're always so stressed… I just want you to be happy."

"It's because I care about you." He said sincerely. "I was just worried because- I'm not sure if I want to graduate. It means we'll be far away again. The junior high I'll go to is in the opposite direction from our place than here."

They walked in silence for a while as she took in the words. Abruptly, she suggested, "I can just be homeschooled."

Her brother screeched to a halt and she bent around to look at him.

"Nii-san?"

"Homeschooling?"

"Yeah, I'm smart."

"Hoh, such confidence." He arched his brow. "Who's going to teach you?"

"Me." She said, with even more swagger.

"Nuh uh." He shook his head.

"Yuh huh." She nodded firmly.

"Nuh uh."

"Yuh huh."

"Nuh uh."

"Yuh huh-"

Chapter 4

Chapter Text

[2002]

"Why are you so quiet?" The new kid demanded, shoving a finger at her sternum. "Everyone else is enthusiastic to receive Sensei's tutelage, but you're not even making any noise when we're going through kata or counting push ups."

Seriously.

Reina smiled politely, neither warm nor cold, and lowered his hand with hers. "I don't see how my being quiet disturbs you. Sensei knows my attitude when it comes to his teaching."

It wasn't exactly his business. He was quite shameless for bringing in this kind of behaviour when everyone else typically kept to themselves, chatting quietly to their friends otherwise, and focused on what they were doing. It was comfortable company, even if she was alone if not for in spars.

"So you do know how to speak?" The boy taunted.

He was bully material. These kinds of kids who just wanted to pick a fight and watch reactions unfold from their words- Reina had dealt with these kinds of children a lot.

So, she nodded, then turned away to resume her cooldown stretches.

"Hey-" He grabbed at her arm and pushed, voice raising. "Are you ignoring me?"

The others started to stir at this; although, mild-mannered, they knew to mind their own business, the others here didn't exactly condone this kind of attitude. This boy would be put in place or kicked by the end of the week, depending on the instructor's mood.

Either way, she wasn't going to be doing that. "I wasn't ignoring you. I nodded. This typically means affirmation."

Reina immediately thinned her lips. That was blatant sarcasm in her voice. Predictably, the boy grew angrier. She sighed internally as he yelled in her face, waiting for his spiel to finish.

"-You to a fight!"

The last words registered, and she spoke, a little dumbfounded, "I would advise you to… obtain more experience before-"

"Yeah, shut up, you coward! Unless you're scared you'll lose?"

Reina carefully did not raise her eyebrows at that. "You, on your first day, would like to challenge me for a match?"

At least she had an interesting story to tell that dinner with Suguru.

[2002]

"Sorry," Suguru smiled politely as he flicked a curse out of existence. He opened his palm slightly and caught the swirling black orb, tucking it behind him. "There was a leaf on your jacket, miss."

"Oh, thank you, young man." The woman smiled back, grabbing at her shoulder as what must've been a chronic sore disappeared. Her eyes widened slightly. "That was very kind of you."

"No, no, it's nothing."

"You don't needa go around helping everyone, Nii-san." Reina bit her lip, discontent.

She pulled out a packet of mints and tipped a few into his hand. A stop at the convenience store for some food was definitely out of question now. Suguru was already so strict with limiting snacks, claiming it was actively wasting money to cause detriment to health. And he calls her money-sensitive?

Judging by how hard he was clenching his jaw right now, dinner was probably out of question for him as well. There was a dull crunch as he chewed on the mints. …Yeah, dinner was out of question.

"It's not your job to do that. …Yet." She grumbled quietly.

Suguru didn't get into any trouble like actively searching for cursed spirits like Yaga had warned them against, but a lot of cursed spirits gravitated towards her, and they always came out from hiding whenever she walked by them, so it was a moot point: trouble actively searched for them. Or rather, her.

If he got paid 1000 yen for each curse he'd exorcised, how much money would they have by now?

In frustration, Reina quickened her pace, dragging Suguru behind her. Their apartment was in sight already. Then he raised the arm she was holding up abruptly, unlatching it from her hand.

She stumbled and began to turn around with a frown etched on her face, "Nii-"

Her brother threw an arm around her torso and chuckled, making her balance tip backwards instead.

"Hey!" She protested, grabbing onto his forearm as he shook her side to side.

Suguru laughed again, aloud. "Don't look so serious, Rei. I'll feel bad if I see them and do nothing. It's just a little effort for me and a long time change for them. I like helping people."

But he doesn't have to absorb them.

She doesn't tell him this because she knew his reply to that already. It was a habit. It was so he could get stronger. It was because he felt like he was cleaning the world- like he was able to use this evil for good.

(So he had more cursed spirits he could use to protect her.)

She slumped against his arm and his stance widened to support her full body weight.

"So long as it makes you feel happy…" Reina mumbled because now, at least, he hadn't said 'obligation'. "But you don't owe them anything, Nii-san."

"I knooow." He swatted at her head, provoking a yelp, then scrubbed at her hair, thoroughly messing it up. Should she give up on her fringe at this point? "You tell me all the time, Rei. You've gotten good at nagging."

"I don't tell you all the time." She ducked out and then grabbed his elbow, hauling him towards their apartment door.

"Sure you don't."

"I tell you as much as needed." She kicked off her shoes, heading to the kitchen counter immediately. "Extra sugary or nah?"

"You should be glad I have so much patience for you." He huffed fondly. "Extra."

"Okay." Must've been a bitter curse. "How many do you got now?"

"One thousand, five hundred and twenty-eight." At the blank look on her face, he laughed. "One, five, two, eight. How are you still bad at numbers?"

"You were saying it too fast…"

She wrung the two halves of a lemon dry and mixed in a generous spoon of stored simple syrup. After filling it up with water, she shovelled teaspoon after teaspoon of sugar until Suguru did the funny thing where he made an ambiguous dissuading noise, increasing in volume, until he shook both his head and his hands and said 'stop stop stop' at increasing speeds.

Then she unscrewed her mason jar full of honeyed lemons and took a few slices out, letting it plop into the drink. She had a whole system for it at this point. Even the granulated sugar was a calculated move: mixing was fun.

And also the spoon in the glass made him drink slower.

"You feel full?"

"Sort of."

Suguru's technique never made him physically full, but his repulsion of it affected his appetite at varying levels. Although lemon was an appetite suppressant, he could at least still have it no matter what curse he consumes. He needed the additional calories in the sugar as well…

Suguru snickered as he accepted the glass, then said, "My appetite's bad, but I won't throw up if I'm the one cooking."

Of course he said it immediately after taking away potential splashing supplies. Suguru began walking towards the living room, sitting on the couch and directing an innocent smile at her.

Reina's eye twitched and she scowled, embarrassed. "My cooking's not bad. It's not that hard of an activity anyway. If you follow everything, then you can't get something that tastes too terrible…"

"You're right. That's why you amaze me sometimes, Rei." He sipped at his glass, elegantly and punchably. There were clinking noises as he mixed his drink in the ensuing silence.

"…It's not bad."

"…It serves as a nice appetiser before ingesting curses?"

Her jaw unhinged. "Nii-san!"

"I think Pig could do better." It felt like a boulder slamming over her head.

"P-Pig can't even roll over anymore!" She cried helplessly, collapsing to her hands and knees dramatically. She then shuffled towards him: her real intention was so that she could use his knees as a head rest.

"Tired?" Suguru brushed at her hair. "Your fringe is starting to cover your eyes, shall we cut it?"

"It's hardly ever on my face anyway cuz you keep ruffling it. I'll get a bald spot on the top of my head soon because of you."

"Your hair's so fluffy, Rei."

"Thin hair." She mumbled. "I wanna've hair like yours, Nii. 'Is so pretty."

He hummed, two hands hauling her up from under her arms, picking her up. One was cold from holding the glass drink. "You should go take a nap now."

She yawned, blinking her eyes open as he walked to their room. "When's Tou-san coming back?"

"He's out today." He patted her back before setting her down. "Unlike yours, Tou-san's cooking is actually really good, so we wouldn't even have that debate about your culinary skills or lack thereof if he was home early. I think he said about 11pm?"

"What's new?" Reina murmured wryly. Although she couldn't blame their father either: being in the proximity of so many curses because of her… he must've been affected too, even worse as it was after his wife's death. How great of a father he must've been if not for her.

"Also… my cooking isn't bad."

"Whatever you say, Rei."

Because she started homeschooling herself after Suguru went to Junior High (she'd won the argument after beating him in an algebra worksheet), Reina had plenty of time to catch up to him in hand-to-hand combat.

Honestly, she was always there at the dojo when he went to school. She didn't need to learn all of that anyway. One, because she either just knew it all or she understood things really quickly. Two, because she'll die before she reaches adulthood anyway.

Whenever Suguru would start nagging her, she'd just fill out a portion of his homework and he'd shake his head and tell her he was going to keep an eye on her.

Still, however familiar Reina had gotten with her instructor, it was still far more nerve-wracking going by herself than with her brother.

It was harder to speak without him around and she realised how intently he listened to her when she had to actively raise her voice to talk to others.

It was ironic how the person whom she loved the most, the person who loved her the most and the person she was certain would kill her were one and the same.

…Speaking of which, she was being oddly fatalistic about her death. After all, she was already beginning to plan out a happier future for her brother. Her survival was a potential option there.

First thing's first: her cursed energy.

She'd already talked with Yaga about her cursed energy, but she had to consider alternatives.

She would benefit a lot from being able to wield her colossal amount of cursed energy and there was someone who could give her the ability to do that: Mahito. It would probably spare her brother from a lot of worry… but Mahito doesn't come into existence until much later, although there might be another curse with a similar kind of ability.

However, there was a reason why Mahito was a Special Grade, so she wasn't getting her hopes up too high. She couldn't be reliant on that route either as it would also be too late by then, if she doesn't manage to prevent her and her brother's deaths.

Asides from that, right now and in the near future, she already had cursed tools thanks to Yaga, and she knew she would most likely get a cursed energy repressing talisman in a few years. Although Suguru ensured she never had to use those knives, she knew how to wield them.

She was convinced her dojo master was secretly a retired veteran or something- He had been the one to teach her during after hours, alone.

On that front, Reina couldn't complain about how her hand-to-hand was going. Again, if she went to the dojo practically every single weekday for all three classes held, there was no way she wouldn't get proficient.

While her brother improved at a ridiculously fast rate, Reina was pretty much equal to him in that despite not being as talented, as a result of attending about triple the amount he did.

Her only major setbacks were her tendency to freeze up randomly and the admittedly large influence of her mental state to her abilities. …Which were some pretty big setbacks, upon thinking about it.

On another note, Reina should get into contact with Tsukumo Yuki somehow in the next few years.

After all, Tsukumo was unintentionally the true catalyst for Suguru's defection. The confirmation from another Special Grade sorcerer had put realism into his bloodthirsty ruminations.

Tsukumo had merely been supplying information and ultimately it was Suguru's decision, however… it was better off if Suguru knew Tsukumo earlier and they all worked towards one of her hypotheses, before Suguru developed his intense repulsion towards non-sorcerers.

And both of Tsukumo's ideas, while seeming near impossible, aren't.

Although again, it was based off information dating more than ten years into the future.

Theoretically, with Gojo Satoru and Suguru working together, it was entirely plausible for an enlightened and powerful Mahito to be absorbed into Suguru's collection of curses. From there, it could just be grunt work: manipulating the brains of millions of people so that they wouldn't produce cursed energy. This was also assuming that there aren't conditions or limitations applied upon absorption.

Furthermore, although Mahito probably knew instinctively how to do that, the curse might not be able to under Suguru's control. From there, they'd have to find either Toji or Maki to run brain scans or something similar.

If it came down to it, Suguru could always experiment on non-sorcerers until it worked. Otherwise, they could work in the opposite way and give non-sorcerers abilities. It would be a radical overhaul to the system, but like how Gojo put it: the elders and current jujutsu world right now was too traditional and unwilling to take risks.

However, this was all assuming they're alive and on the same side by that time.

If she was to look at each event separately…

As for Amanai Riko- if Reina wanted to prevent her murder in the first place, she'd have to either murder Kong Shiu who contacted Toji or out-negotiate him or assassinate those who commissioned the bounty. If Kong Shiu was a mediator between curse users, then it would be best to not harm him. Out-negotiating the Time Vessel Association was practically impossible.

The last one was probably the easiest for her at this point. She'll be about thirteen at that time. While sorcerers aren't allowed to kill non-sorcerers, Reina was someone who couldn't be labelled a curse user and with the support of her brother, she would most likely be granted leniency.

If worse came to worst, she could always warn Suguru and Gojo Satoru ahead of time.

But on the off chance everything goes well, the butterfly effects would be drastic.

From what would happen to Riko and Tengen, to how Jujutsu High would respond- It would be far too unpredictable and likewise was Suguru's mentality.

Even going to predictable outcomes: Fushigurou Megumi would be the next important person affected after Suguru, but in the grand scheme of things, she had much less to care for him than her brother. Should she attempt to save his mother to prevent Toji from selling him altogether?

But then, if his mother was saved, Toji wouldn't take on the commission anyway. It was optimal, probably.

Although it was also unrealistic. She didn't have enough time for that, nor any real help to offer.

But maybe all this ruminating was for nought: allowing Riko to live might be a bad decision; her death was central to how the story had unfolded. There were too many unknowns.

Should she give up on that part? Or go for it, expecting it to fail, and shoot for a Plan B?

As for Kenjaku's plans… Well, that was irrelevant to her. If she avoided Suguru's death, which was her main goal in this life, that was all that mattered.

With three Special Grade sorcerers aligned with Jujutsu Tech, they would handle it much better than in canon. It's not as if Reina's interference will cause the collapse of the world: that was an insult to the people within it.

A few hours after she got a migraine thinking about the future, she went to the market.

Reina had been in the middle of putting groceries in her basket with her usual two curses besides her, when she looked up and made direct eye contact with a tall, blonde woman. She winked at her.

Blinking a few times, Reina wondered if she got the wrong person and continued putting the packet of soba noodles into the basket.

Then she paused and straightened, looking back at the woman again.

The blonde was still staring at her, large pink eyes squinted in a somewhat foxy grin. Reina felt her face heat up from the intensity of her stare.

"Nice friends you got there." Tsukumo Yuki prowled up to her. "Hello there, little lady. What kind of girls do you like? Or should I say boys? Hmm."

She met Tsukumo Yuki so randomly that she had a mental double take. It was an early enough encounter that Reina felt prepared.

Still though, this was a perfect opportunity. She may just need to rewrite all her plans.

Chapter 5

Chapter Text

[1994]

"Reina, huh?" A warm hand pressed on her head and a man bent down to peer at her. His sunken eyes stared blearily at her, dry lips parting with a sigh that smelt of alcohol. "This is the thing that you died for, my dear?"

Reina stared at her father and the groan of the sludgy monster curled around his upper arms and shoulders. Seaweed hair curtained around her and fingers of ice dug into her arm, as if to be reassuring.

"I love you." The monster said, looming closely over her father. He shivered.

"How unsettling." He murmured as he retracted his hand, clenching it into a fist. "We should have never had her. It killed you- this little thing here. What did you so love about it?"

[2002]

"Nice friends you got there." Tsukumo Yuki prowled up to her. "Hello there, little lady. What kind of girls do you like? Or should I say boys? Hmm."

Her eyes widened. This was her first thought: if this was really Tsukumo Yuki… she must be rich.

"Can you pay for my groceries?"

"I see you don't give out your answers easily." She chuckled. "Of course. This is just pocket change for me."

"Can I get more stuff?" Reina tested, with the determination found within people walking across half-collapsing bridges. The woman seemed to find it amusing.

"Sure. I could buy this whole store out if I wanted to."

It was a win. An undeniable victory in her books.

"So," Tsukumo smiled down at Reina who was munching on a mouthful of chips, legs swinging slightly over the edge of the park bench. "It might be a bit late for introductions, but I'm Tsukumo Yuki."

She felt so giddy: she had the ultimate combination of chocolate, lollies and chips. And in abundance as well. These snacks could last her so long-

"Geto Reina. I'm nine years old. This is a monster." Reina gestured at the curses. "It's called 'Mother'. This is a small monster. Its name is 'Pygmy'. Nii-san calls it 'Pig'."

"Oohh," Tsukumo hummed in interest. "You can see cursed spirits then, little lady?"

Straight off the bat then.

"Is that why you came up to me, Tsukumo-san?"

"You're a very interesting girl, Reina-chan." Tsukumo winked. "Cursed spirits were disturbed in the area. There was a brief rise of cursed spirit's strength in this area despite it not being as highly populated as Tokyo. Then suddenly the count went down. I just wanted to find the cause. You explain the former, but…"

"Nii-san explains the latter. I could see them since birth." Reina answered her question belatedly. "Even before Nii-san could. But I can't control it."

"How much do you know about this jujutsu world?"

"Quite a lot." She reached for another handful of chips. "What's your motive, Tsukumo-san? Do you have a dream?"

"What an intelligent kid. So cute." She patted her head as she crunched on her food. "You could call it an ambition, rather than a dream. Well, if you know about cursed energy and all that, I want to, simply put, get rid of the root of cursed spirits."

She didn't bother feigning surprise: her acting skills weren't exactly her strong suit.

"The possibilities are… making everyone sorcerers or making all non-sorcerers have no cursed energy." Reina dusted her hands, putting the half-eaten bag of chips back into one of her many plastic bags. "Or, by killing all non-sorcerers that possess cursed energy."

Even prior knowledge aside, it was quite straightforward.

"…You sound like you've been thinking about this, Reina-chan. Heavy thoughts for a squirt like you." Tsukumo laughed. "You're right. Those are all the conclusions I came down to as well, but not the last one. Even I'm not crazy enough to go through with it."

"Why did you approach me?" Reina repeated. "Although, this is perfect for me because I was just thinking about this too."

"Hoh, I can't believe I'm relating to a nine year old throughout my entire, isolated journey. You're my first kindred spirit, Reina-chan." She sighed melodramatically. "I already told you why I approached you. You're an anomaly."

"I'm the exact opposite of what you're aiming for." Reina inferred. "So, if you can reverse-engineer my situation somehow, maybe there's a possibility of the opposite happening: non-sorcerers gradually being born with less cursed energy than they already have."

"Exactly correct." Tsukumo nodded. "You're a bright child. Almost suspiciously so. Well, do you have anything to offer then, Reina-chan?"

"I want to work with you, Tsukumo-san." Reina started carefully. "As in your goal- I agree with it. So long as it doesn't cause Nii-san harm in any way and there's an equal trade off, I'm happy to help. As a nine year old non-sorcerer, I don't have much else to offer you."

She hummed thoughtfully, "A nine year old that talks like this? I imagine you have a lot more to offer than you think. Well, as for a trade, I assume 'money' is fine?"

"A favour. …Money is always preferable though."

"'A favour'… Ambiguous phrasing, kid." Tsukumo smiled lightly. "Just so you know, I'm a Special Grade- a big shot, so a favour from someone like me is a big deal."

"A doable favour that won't cause detriment to you." Reina corrected, internally recalculating her plans again; she didn't seem to be that against it. "But before all of that, I just have one question: have you met a sorcerer that has the ability to manipulate other people? As in their bodies, physiologically or otherwise."

"Specifically, yes. But in a general sense, can't say I have… At least, that wouldn't be the base of the technique. I've seen some techniques temporarily increase muscle usage and that stuff."

"What about a cursed spirit? In the first place, even fly heads can cause sores and weak curses can induce nightmares…"

Tsukumo raised her brows. "Cursed spirits…" She echoed. "Well, that's food for thought. There's definitely an abundant of cursed spirits capable of inducing rashes or weakening immune systems… For what?"

"If the ability to wield cursed energy existed in the differences in the brain then technically… technically it's possible to allow people to become sorcerers or to lose their cursed energy by manipulating it."

"That's a very far stretch." She hummed. "But a stretch that I hadn't considered."

Then what had Tsukumo considered? She was young now, but later into the future, what did she do? How come a Special Grade had nothing to show for an ambition they put their all into?

"One day, I think a cursed spirit able to manipulate the physical body will appear." Reina picked at the salt from under her nails. "A really strong one that can do things like change the brain to give them abilities. Or to take them away."

"On what basis?"

Dark pink and clear purple. They stared at each other. Well, she just needed to make it up. Or rather, anything goes.

"On the basis that manipulation- a sort of human speciality- is something that provokes complex negative emotions. If cursed spirits are made from negative emotions, then what's something that has always, consistently been an enemy of humans? That would be: humans themselves. In a community, there's always outcasts. In peace, there's still disagreements. In love, there's still resentments. Usually."

Tsukumo hummed encouragingly and rested her chin on her hand. If anything, Reina had always had an insane bullsh*tting ability. She just never saw fit to use it. It wasn't like she was lying either: this was most likely what Mahito was born from.

"…The common denominator of many negative human to human interactions is some sort of bodily or psychological distortion. Whether it's warfare, assault, mental abuse, or even just jealousy or spontaneous desires to inflict harm- There has surely been a strong cursed spirit born from the pure hatred of humans themselves. And if there's a cursed spirit born from humans, their ability would only be what humans are best at: manipulation. At least, that's the picture I was getting."

Tsukumo's eyes still bored into hers, expression unreadable. Reina stared back, a little nervous. Tsukumo had a different presence when she wasn't making any casual expressions. It was more intimidating. Especially because she was pretty.

"Also," Reina added. "I just know."

The woman barked out a laugh. "No offence, but what kind of nine year old are you?"

Well, how was she meant to answer that? Reina was still Reina. She was nine years old but had memories that expanded from beyond that.

Lowering her tone, Tsukumo murmured, dissolving into rambling mutters. "I'll take a close look at the cursed spirits record because you're right. The possibilities for cursed techniques are endless and bodily manipulation shouldn't be rare. I literally encountered a curse created by a fear of buttons the other day, so why not humans themselves? In the first place, only having sixteen registered Special Grade curses is ridiculous… If anything, they should be coming around every so often. Unless… they're periodical. Special Grade curses that always come back, ridiculously strong, after a set period of time. "

There were only sixteen?

"There are things like that?" That must've been what Yaga had talked about with curses that 'develop over time'.

Tsukumo turned to look at her again, "Yes, spider curses, created by arachnophobia, are Special Grade, and consistently spawn about every seven years. It's almost like they choose to gather strength before forming. And they usually have the same abilities unless there's an active change of the specific fear."

This was… more information than she was expecting. She hadn't remembered this sort of thing in the original story, but it had also been confusing for her at times.

"Getting back on track, let's say there is that possibility of that curse existing." Tsukumo shook her head. "Our priority- or at least, the priority of the higher ups' would be to eliminate such a dangerous curse immediately. They're paranoid geezers. Corrupt too, when it comes down to it."

Yaga said the same thing… that the elders were too focused on maintaining the status quo, even if it meant letting younger sorcerers die.

"What if we can control that cursed spirit?"

"Cursed spirits are intrinsically evil, for a lack of better words. Negotiation is pretty much out the window." Tsukumo pursed her lips. "Unless we're talking about Binding Vows."

"No, I mean, what if there was another ability that lets the user control that curse."

"Hmm, I see." Her eyes glinted. "That's a very powerful ability though. It's on an entirely different level to Shikigami."

Reina worried her lip nervously. Is she even allowed to tell her these sorts of information? It felt like betraying her brother.

"Nii-san… has that ability. He's pretty powerful. I've seen a few other sorcerers as well before and he has more cursed energy than all of them."

"Reina-chan… how much can you see?"

"Huh?" She didn't expect another question directed towards her. "Cursed spirits. Cursed energy. Everything from density to flow if I focus enough."

"Huh. Interesting. Continue."

"Um, Nii-san's ability lets him absorb cursed spirits. And he'll get strong." She babbled. "Or there's other strong people like you that can help make it weak before Nii-san can control it or something. But then, you'll just need to figure out how to make people not have cursed energy. Since apparently even doctors dunno all about it."

"That's… actually really interesting." Tsukumo whipped out a small notebook. "So those cursed spirits by your side are your brother's then. Not like Garuda."

Reina peered at the cursed spirit by her side. "Nii-san puts them with me when I'm alone to keep me safe. I think it's draining though."

The time, the distance, the baseline cursed energy output required to keep the technique running- Besides, Mother was also his strongest curse, so she's either a strong Grade 1 or a Special Grade, after feeding off her cursed energy for two whole years before Suguru absorbed it.

"And that favour of yours that you were talking about before?"

"Oh, yes," She reordered her thoughts. "There's a man named Toji. He might've already taken up his wife's name of Fushiguro, but he's born from the Zenin Clan-"

"I know him…" She nodded slowly. "Question is how you know him."

"I know things." Reina said with a nod, as if agreeing with a statement Tsukumo never made. "His wife is giving birth soon and then she'll die. Can you save her?"

"Can I ask the reason?"

"Yeah."

"…What's the reason?"

"No reason."

Tsukumo felt her lips twitch. "You're funny, Reina-chan. Give me that. Yoink." She grabbed at Pygmy perched on her shoulder and crushed it. "I assume your brother will be alerted. Let's meet your dear Onii-chan, shall we?"

"Ah." Reina slapped her forehead. "Nii-san's gonna kill me."

"…Let me get this right," Suguru pinched the bridge of his nose. "You asked a stranger to pay for your groceries? Then you took more? That's so impolite! And Rei, I told you junk food is bad for you! Did you eat an entire bag of chips in one sitting?"

"I only ate half-"

"Reina!" He exclaimed exasperatedly. He then turned to Tsukumo. "Before everything else, thanks for covering my sister and sorry for the trouble she's caused you."

"Oh dear, it's no problem. It barely made a dent in my bank account." She waved off. "Anyway, you didn't answer my question, what kind of girls do you like?"

"Um." He glanced down at Reina in confusion. "I'm not really interested in dating."

"That's an entirely different question." She sighed with a pout. "Well, Suguru-chan? Are you going to address anything else?"

That's exactly what Reina was thinking. She'd been prepared to defend herself… just not over her eating chips.

"Ah, if you'll excuse me," A vein twitched on his forehead as her brother's polite smile tightened. "I'm trying very hard to ignore the fact that a Special Grade sorcerer, who has a weird obsession concerning a minor's romantic type, has asked to commit human experimentation on my little sister."

"Hey, the phrasing makes me sound bad…"

"I thought you'd be more caught up on the 'monsters come from humans' bit." Reina murmured.

After all, he originally only heard this through Tsukumo.

"What?" Suguru blinked. "Oh, wasn't that pretty obvious? Monsters- Or well, cursed spirits are made from cursed energy. Since cursed energy is found in humans, or that's what I assumed, then they could only be leaked from humans that can't contain their cursed energy."

Oh. Like Reina. That's why he knew. She was practically a demonstration for him since day one.

It wasn't a bad thing that he knew this early- possible even a good thing, but it still felt like a shot to her stomach.

Suguru moved all the shopping bags to the floor then lifted her up slightly depositing her closer to the edge of the bench, further away from Tsukumo. He sat down next to Reina, leaving a sizeable gap between him and Tsukumo, staring unashamedly back at the woman's bemusem*nt.

"You know what I'm concerned about?" Suguru swivelled around and jutted a finger in her chest. "You trust strangers way too easily. Where is your self-preservation?"

"Intact. Tsukumo-san was a sorcerer. I could tell."

"What if Tsukumo-san was an evil sorcerer?"

"Then I'd be dead."

Suguru let out a strangled noise, scratching at his hair. "The- Look, I want you to not be dead, okay? So that means you don't do stupid stuff to increase your likelihood of becoming dead. Okay?"

"Well… I'm not dead." She said, a little guiltily. She didn't expect to stress him out this much.

"She has a point, you know? If I wanted to talk to her, Reina-chan doesn't have much of a choice."

"Excuse me?" Her brother said icily.

"Okay, okay, calm down, Onii-chan." She waved her arms in front of her. "You're making me sweat, lil guy. I wouldn't've forced her. I'm just saying. I'm Special Grade, y'know? Besides, your 'Mother' curse is only partially hidden, any sorcerer worth their salt would be able to detect something different cuz of- Never mind, I stand self-corrected."

Reina had enough cursed energy that any sorcerer 'worth their salt', as Tsukumo said, would recognise something off about her anyway. There wasn't any point in discretion when there was nothing discrete about the whole thing. Usually she sensed them far before they sensed her: that's why no sorcerers have been dispatched for her.

Tsukumo, however, was really the first sorcerer that she couldn't really sense. Her cursed energy was packed so closely within herself and its flow was so casual that she overlooked the colossal amount she had.

"But man, it's still so weird hearing two brats talking like this. Your speech patterns completely defy average human development statistics, ya know? You converse like adults."

After a short pause, Suguru opted to admonish Reina more. "That's besides the point… And I have another point: why are you asking this random stranger sorcerer to save another stranger? Who even is Fushi-something Touka or whatever? Did a shady looking man approach you?"

"I'm not that stupid!"

Suguru shook his head and grabbed her shoulders imploringly. "Look, Rei, I know you're a good girl. But if someone shady looking, like a guy with weird behaviour, a homeless guy or a guy covered in dirt or a guy smelling weird or any guy approaches you, don't engage with them."

Her brows furrowed as she processed the list of 'guys' Suguru was talking about. "Not all homeless or dirty guys are shady!"

"Any person that approaches a nine year old girl is shady."

"…Point." She shook her head. "'Sides, I'm not 'good'. I would never help someone without benefits as a nine year old girl with hardly any strength to incapacitate a potentially armed adult."

"Then who is that Fumito Jisuke, or-"

"Fushiguro Toji-"

"I don't- I don't care, Rei. I literally don't care. Who the hell is he?" Suguru bemoaned. "How do you even know who he is?"

"I know things." She said ambiguously with baseless confidence, nervously sweating.

"I know you know things." He jabbed a finger into her forehead. "What specific thing granted you the knowledge of this individual? How did you come to the conclusion that this man's daughter-"

"Wife-"

"This man's wife needed saving?"

"I just know." She told him, both hands covering her forehead in defence.

Suguru jabbed his finger extra hard into her hands. "Well, I just know I'm burning all those snacks you just bought."

"No!" She gasped. "…With what? A match?"

"The stove will work. If there's a will there's a way." He intoned.

"That will is gonna affect the gas bill-"

"I thought I taught you better than this, Reina." He scolded, face moulding into clear disapproval.

"But- Well, her-" She stammered, cowed. "Her survival is pertinent, Nii."

Suguru looked unimpressed. She motormouthed.

"The world's axis will tilt and the structure of skyscrapers will collapse. The bloodlessness of the Shibuya streets depend on her survival. I know it. Otherwise the highest summit will crash into the deepest trenches and the laws will overturn themselves, and I know- I know her survival will prevent it. It's one desperate attempt to deflect the trajectory of this world's morbid fate. If it's an immovable arrow piercing through deific planes, this is merely the largest boulder a mortal can attempt to disarm its damage."

Tsukumo is wide-eyed and her brows seem to reach for her hairline. Suguru looked a little less surprised than the last time she went on a random spiel with a similar tone.

"Rei," He's outright ignoring Tsukumo now, shifting so he was completely facing Reina. Suguru opened his arms out. "C'mere. You got crumbs and salt all over your face."

She nodded slowly, wondering whether or not that was why her left eye in particular was burning.

"Did you get another bad dream?" Suguru asked plainly as he, indeed, wiped away at some salt beneath her left eye. How did it even get there?

"No, it's real."

"Okay, did a dream show you it then?"

"No, I just know it."

He let out a controlled breath. "No one told you to say this?"

"No."

"No one hurt you? Or threatened you? Or made you feel anything- a single thing negative?"

"No."

Then she paused. Suguru froze as well, fingers pausing in her hair because she apparently got it in her hair. "What happened?"

"Nothing." She continued, a little more sheepishly. "I just, er- This morning, I saw one of my old classmates and their friends in the convenience store and they were… um."

Reina didn't know where she was going with that. She internally knew she must be older than those co*cky ten year olds, but she'd felt so cowed at that time. The size and number disadvantage didn't help, but if it was just physical fighting, she wouldn't feel so terrible. It was the blatant sh*t talking.

And it wasn't like she could deny it either- 'Reina is cursed.'

"I mean," She corrected herself belatedly. "No."

Suguru blinked at her slowly. "Rei…"

Reina's eyes flicked over his to glance at Tsukumo. Her chin was perched against her hand, considering her.

"…Okay," Suguru said before she could vomit out the apology on her tongue. Really. What was she doing? "It's okay, Rei. That Fugawara guy's wife, whatever the name was- I believe you. If it makes you feel better, it's good you're helping people."

It wasn't merely her good will.

It was for the world's benefit.

Although, the concerned look Suguru was giving her might worsen if she said that. He'd already seemed to draw the conclusion that she was a little bit insane, even though she wasn't. Her proposals were rooted in logic. For the most part.

Still, she didn't know her brother would be so paranoid about non-sorcerers: Reina had assumed he got so caught up in helping them that he ignored- or something alike- how vile humans could be.

"But-"

She groaned. The 'but'. Of course there was a 'but'.

"Yes, exactly." Suguru put firmly. "But, it's far too dangerous to make deals like this. You don't know what this human experimentalist pervert wants to do with you."

"H-Hey! That's slander!" Tsukumo piped up, snapping her notebook closed. "I was fine listening to this funny conversation of yours until that point, but I'm not a pervert-"

"Okay… pervert." Suguru muttered. Reina stared at him disbelievingly; she'd never seen him be so discourteous to another before.

"Oh my, I'm so hurt." Tsukumo sighed. "Well then, what about your sister's plan?"

"Reina's…? The one about absorbing a cursed spirit that can manipulate people?"

She peered up at him cautiously. He also didn't seem to be too surprised about her suggestion of there being a 'human-based' cursed spirit.

"-If my ability really is that important, I'll do whatever I can to help, so long as Rei doesn't get involved in anything dangerous."

"Oh my. Well, isn't that cute? A pair of self-sacrificial siblings. Such a rare sight in the jujutsu world…" Tsukumo waved away her musings. "So are you joining Jujutsu High soon? I assume you were scouted, since you both have prior knowledge about this."

Suguru did the scouting. But it was semantics.

"Yes."

"Aww." She pouted, "What are you planning on doing, Reina-chan?"

"I'm going with Nii-san."

"Awwww, why not become my apprentice? Or both of you two cuties."

What? This was a very abrupt disruption from the original storyline. Besides, Tsukumo wasn't meant to be the kind of person to do that. What about Todo Aoi?

"Oh…" Suguru glanced uncertainly at Reina. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm still suspicious of you. I don't know about Rei, but I don't trust you with her either."

Reina shrugged, "Sorry Tsukumo-san. But it would sound fun."

"Boooo. Meh, fair enough. I can always visit Jujutsu High anyway. What are they gonna do? Lock me out? Ha! Anyway." She pulled out a knife, thin and simple-looking. It came with a fitted sheath. "This is a cursed tool for you, Reina-chan. A little gift so you'll remember me."

She accepted it nervously, hesitant to tell her she already had two because her brother insisted she kept both. Maybe she could santoryuu it?

Then she startled. This knife…

"Did you notice already?" Tsukumo grinned. "It sucks away your cursed energy and stores it in its blade. Albeit at a percentage rate slower, but it makes a great weapon for you, especially if you keep it on you at all times. It also automatically outputs cursed energy when it detects levels of cursed energy higher than its own- exception being the wielder. Think of it like a rechargeable battery. It's a Grade 1 tool."

Wasn't that pretty expensive? And did sorcerers always carry around weapons to give to other people?

"And for you, boy, I've got a little thing or two for you to learn. Even though you turned down my to-die-for offer, I imagine you still want to become stronger."

Suguru nodded slowly, looking wary but determined.

"You'll learn more about your technique, Simple Barriers and Curtains pretty soon in Jujutsu High, but I think you're better off working on these two things," She put up one finger, then two. "Domain Expansion and Reverse Cursed Technique. I'll chuck in a bonus- Simple Domain, since those two will be unachievable instantaneously, even for some geniuses."

"Are you going to- teach me it here?" Suguru asked with Reina still sitting on his lap and groceries at his feet.

"Well, why not? After I tell you the theory, the only thing left will be failed application. Although, I do know a few nice places nearby. First drop off all the candy that Reina-chan bought. Can't have it melting after all."

At the reminder, Suguru turned a thin glare at her. She smiled nervously.

"Ready to listen now, boy?" Tsukumo smirked, "Call me Yuki-sensei, okay? I'd love to see the looks on those old geezers' faces when they find out a powerhouse like you was raised by me."

"I'll call you 'Yuki-sensei' after you teach." Suguru scowled. "Just so you know, I don't like you."

"Aww, why not? Reina-chan loves me."

"Rei never said that!"

"Ooooh, you're green with envy, Onii-chan." She mocked. "Anyway, anyway, jeez, I can't believe I'm arguing with a kid. So basically, a Domain Expansion is like you create your own little territory-"

Reina sat idly on a nearby bench as Tsukumo overloaded Suguru with information. She jotted down dot points, adding in her own extra details as well- Tsukumo probably couldn't go too in depth or Suguru's head would implode, genius or not.

The question was why she chose to divulge so much information to Suguru. Reina couldn't figure out an ulterior motive to it. Then again, having a Special Grade Sorcerer aligned with another could only be beneficial for them both. There couldn't be any detrimental effects of Tsukumo's involvement.

The only thing she might want is to know the exact ins and outs of Suguru's technique. Then again, she couldn't see how that was a bad thing. Suguru didn't seem to care either, as he told her as much as he knew about his technique.

"More." She said. "You know more than that. I know you're not given a manual on how your technique works and it's more intuition than anything else, but you have to really dig deep within yourself and think: what is at the core of this technique? Do you have a Maximum Technique?"

"Well, I think so. I've only used it once but it seemed pretty useless. It's when I-"

But the things Tsukumo wanted to teach him were beyond just his technique: it wouldn't help her goal… No, perhaps that was just it. If Suguru got strong enough, it would be easier for him to absorb strong curses with no conditions. While Reina knew a curse with a convenient technique like Mahito likely wouldn't come around for ages, Tsukumo had no idea of knowing that.

The only problem was if Tsukumo gave up on that idea quickly. In the first place, Reina knew the response she gave was mostly bullsh*t. It would be best to find previously documented events of cursed spirits like Mahito to solidify her point. But the way she was right now, there was no chance of even doing that.

Reina started to doodle on the notepad, sketching out Pygmy. She hadn't ever really popped it because nothing that drastic happened, so she was almost used to its company. Even though she loathed cursed spirits and hated the effect they've had on her life, they've also always been there and feel as real as humans and animals. Maybe she'd been a little attached.

"First try. I hate geniuses. I guess I'll go die in a hole." Tsukumo sighed as Suguru's Simple Domain flickered, drawing further out then pulling back in like a tide.

"Aren't you a genius yourself?"

"Well I'm not that crazy." She chuckled. "Anyway, focus on what I'm teaching you. As always, everything is an exchange. Some people encase it closely around their body, some people can or can't move with it, yada yada…"

"You're saying 'yada yada' and 'blah blah' more than you're actually teaching me, Tsukumo-san."

"Well, you're getting it anyway, aren't you? I'm better at beating people up than explaining theory. You little genius prick. I can't believe you can already use your Maximum at twelve. And you're basically the same age as that Six Eyes brat as well. Just how many Special Grades will there be now…"

"How old are you anyway?"

"How rude of you to ask a lady's age!" She winked. "I'm nineteen, B-T-W."

"You can't even legally drink." He muttered. "But, I don't know why you're making such a big fuss about it…"

"A Maximum Technique can only be achieved through realising the greatest potential of your technique. Do you hear me? It's different from Maximum Output where you pump out cursed energy and railroad through it."

"…O-kay…?"

Tsukumo sighed, flicking her hair back. "Suguru-chan, how did you figure out how to use it?"

"I just summoned a bunch and thought- 'Ah, there's so many. That's gross.' And I imagined them all squishing together and disappearing. Then they fused and spat out cursed energy. Rei told me it would be useful if I made small ones, so they're like 'spirit guns'."

It was a reference. …To something. They actually were spirit guns though.

At Tsukumo's deadpan, Suguru continued. "So, since Simple Domain is easy, is Domain Expansion similar?"

"Oh absolutely not. You should get positive energy down first. Why else did you think I brought up your Maximum?"

"Didn't you say Cursed Spirit Manipulation can't really have a Reversal?"

"I never said that. It's the way you direct it. Unlike a Lapse, you can afford to get a little pickier with what happens in a Reversal. After all, it basically takes up double if not more the amount of cursed energy you'd use in a Lapse. What does your cursed energy do exactly? How does it move? Does it move? That's also why you need to look closely at your Maximum Technique."

Uzumaki comprised of three main things: fusion of curses, expelling of pure cursed energy and one more thing that Suguru wasn't aware of yet: extraction of techniques for a one time use.

The obvious opposites would be: breakdown of curses and absorption of pure cursed energy. But… wouldn't that be far too powerful? Was that even possible? However, Uzumaki's process was complicated: why do the curses fuse only to 'dissolve' into cursed energy? So would the opposite instead be… the creation of multiple cursed spirits under his control from absorbed pure cursed energy?

So that… that there was Tsukumo's real intention.

"I want to know if you can manipulate more than just cursed spirits: like say, cursed energy itself."

Chapter 6

Chapter Text

[2002]

"She's crazy." Suguru shook his head as he properly sorted through the 'groceries' Tsukumo had bought for her. "You're crazy, Rei. How much junk food did you buy?!"

"I'm rationing it!" She insisted, rubbing at her cheek where Tsukumo had loudly smooched against as an 'apology' for neglecting her. It was at that moment where all the meagre respect she'd manage to build within Suguru crumbled at once.

"Hell like you are!"

"I'm sensible!"

"Absolutely not!"

"…If Nii-san gets Domain Expansion, you can take away all the chips. If you get Reverse Cursed Technique, you can take away the candies."

"Deal. You have to still ration it out though. Don't stuff yourself all in one day." He shook his head. "I swear I nearly got it. I'll have it done before the end of the week…"

He did not, in fact, get it done before the end of the week.

There had been two myths that was told as a fable in Tsukumo Yuki's family line. Her ancestors used to live on the edge of a forest, next to the sea.

'Treat the sea with respect. Treat the plants with respect.'

Obviously, Yuki didn't really give a f*ck.

But they said there were vengeful spirits that appeared a long time ago, who were foretold to come back.

…Recently, there had also been an earthquake with many casualties. Theoretically, Yuki thinks, there should be quite a few nature-based curses.

Yet, while there was a cursed spirit of cigarette smoke, there wasn't any one about typhoons. Japan was vulnerable to many natural disasters including earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions across its entire history.

"Weird." Yuki bent down and inspected the registrations closely, enhancing her senses and focusing her cursed energy. She slid her gaze over to roughly ninety years ago. "It looks like it's been tampered with."

("And be careful." The child had said, bright purple eyes peering at her earnestly. It was eerie. "There's someone bigger than all of us here. The world doesn't know him. He's smarter than what we can conceive of. He might be watching." )

She huffed, leaning back with a long groan.

"Reina-chan, what kind of work did you leave me with…?"

(It's hard for a Special Grade sorcerer to feel much. Especially 'fun'.

'But this,' She thinks despite the fact that this concerns humanity's livelihood. 'This is very exciting.')

He summoned a cursed spirit and slammed his fist into it, then collapsed onto his hands and knees. "I can't do it. What the hell. Isn't what she's asking for too insane?"

"It's just multiplication, Nii." Reina said languidly, loudly crunching into her third bag of chips as she pivoted into another roundhouse, shaking the trunk of the tree she was practising on. She wondered what kind of muscle-head psychopaths they looked like to outsiders.

"I knew stuff like negative times negative equals positive ages ago. It doesn't help at all…"

"You're more brute strength about things than I thought." She considered aloud. Her brother was a strategising type, but he relied more on his actual strength and basics than she thought. Simple was best, after all, because convoluted plans meant too much could go wrong. "Giving up now?"

"Not while your risk of cardiovascular diseases is still rising… Put down those chips!"

"No way. Get out." Toji slammed the door in her face. Then a muffled- "It was just a rando, babe. Probably a cultist."

Yuki snorted. Zenin Toji calling someone 'babe'?

The door wrenched back open. "Did you just laugh at me, you sorcerer f*cker?"

"Ooh, how can you tell?" She raised her hands placatingly then jammed her foot against the door before he could yank it shut. "Don't break your door now. Replacements can be pricey."

She learnt it the hard way when she accidentally yanked too hard in a dramatic entrance and the hinges gave up on her. Yuki had never felt more pressured by a nine year old in her entire life. (She ended up paying for it- the Geto apartment door.) Not like it even budged her bank account.

Toji's eyes narrowed. "Look here, you…"

"Tsukumo Yuki. Special Grade sorcerer. You finally letting me speak, Fushiguro Toji?" She sighed. As much as she wanted to, it might not be the right time to ask for his type of woman. "I'm not here on behalf of those old coot elders or whatever you're thinking. In fact, the reason why I'm here is because of a nine year old little bratling."

Now his interest was piqued, but before he could speak-

"Toji?" A soft voice rang out, "Who is it?"

"Stay where you are." He replied gruffly. "In just one moment, I'll get rid of this-"

Tsukumo was granted the absolute pleasure of seeing Toji squawking as a thin hand yanked at his ear.

"Jeez, I told you to stop being rude to everyone!" The woman, presumably his wife, huffed. "No wonder we never get any guests! Please," She turned to Tsukumo. "Come in."

"I met up with Emi- uh, the Fushiguro wife. She's such a sweetheart. She's so out of Toji's league." Tsukumo gossiped with a grin. "Speaking of which, Toji's interested in you."

Reina blanched. "That's terrifying. Why did you mention me?"

"Specifically so that Toji would get interested." She hummed, poking at her cheek. "You wanna visit?"

"No, she doesn't!" Suguru called, listening in.

"You're the first adult Nii-san has shown blatant disrespect towards." Reina informed her. "I don't want to double the list."

And she was scared sh*tless. Suguru and Toji really shouldn't meet. The notion terrified her to an illogical degree.

"Alright then. I'll tell him to shove it. So, everything you said hit a mark. Are you a seer?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go with that…" Suguru muttered.

"…Oh." Tsukumo pinched her cheek. "Reina-chan, what else can you see?"

"Nwo' mush. Alvough, I 'ave anover favour to ask for."

"Shoot away." She released her fingers, eyes gleaming.

"Can you find a way for me to meet with Tengen-sama? Anytime in the next few years. Not now though."

While the actual future was less of a concern for her, there were still things she could use. People, rather.

She could see the question in Tsukumo's eyes. Right now, she was the person Reina was betting everything on. She could trust her. Well, she chose to. It was her best choice to place all her stakes here.

So, Reina told her: "The Cursed Wombs. They can become our allies."

'Can' being the key word, but Special Grade sorcerers can be convincing.

"Sounds interesting." Tsukumo grinned. "I can do that. Just for you, Reina-chan. Just tell me whenever you want and I'll manage it."

"Thanks so much, Tsukumo-san." Reina reciprocated the smile. "You're so reliable." So reliable, that she wondered what would happen if she suddenly turned against them.

"Awww, just call me Yuki-sensei already! I'll weasel it out of your Onii-chan one day, just watch me."

"Alright then, Yuki-sensei." Reina gave in, smiling when the sorcerer pumped her fist in the air.

"Pervert-sensei is more childish than a nine year old." Suguru called.

"I'm not a pervert! Poo… my first disciple hates me."

"At least you got the honorific down?" Reina tried hesitantly.

"He's just salty because he still doesn't get positive energy."

"It's fundamentally impossible!"

"Don't say that when you don't get the fundaments!"

There was a dull thwack as Suguru took his frustration out on a Grade 2 cursed spirit.

"I'm starting to feel a little bad for those curses." Tsukumo- Yuki told her. "It's like working under a tyrant boss. Hey, now that I've got nothing to do but taunt- ahem, give a bit of advice to my first disciple, why don't we see how well you're using that knife I gave you."

"…Sorry?"

'Please not a spar with this maniac who gave Todo Aoi a fat scar on his face.' Reina thought.

"Let's spar." She winked, the way she always does.

"I said, how much do you want it?" She said lowly.

Suguru felt his eyebrow twitch a bit. Why was she so insistent? "Well, I said-"

"I know you'd do everything for your lil sis." Tsukumo brushed off. "You wouldn't die, would you?"

He cast her a sharp look. "Is it even worth that much?"

Sure, positive energy sounded overpowered and a little bit ridiculous- especially since what he had now was already potential Special Grade material- but dying was something on an entirely different level. If that was a realistic question, it was much too convoluted for him to answer simply.

(It wasn't like Suguru didn't know about Reina's dependence on him. Like how she kept him going, he knew that he kept her going. Suguru couldn't just die like that.)

"Oh, I guarantee you if you get this down, you'll be practically untouchable by the government. Especially since we're on the same side." She grinned widely. "And well, let's just say that it's the most optimal position you'd be in to protect Reina-chan."

This manipulative woman.

Suguru really didn't like her.

In the first place, her first impression was terrible. Pygmy had never suffered any sort of damage around Reina and then all of a sudden, he felt it disappear instantly. Suguru had thought something terrible had happened. And that sorcerer woman had been there.

Then all that talk about complicated jujutsu things that he wishes Reina wouldn't be involved in… He knew it was too late: she'd been involved in it since birth. Still, to think his little sister, not yet in her double digits, was scheming this sort of revolutionary plan was just… upsetting.

(And Tsukumo Yuki locked those chains upon his sister and ensured she'd forever be entangled in this cursed nonsense.)

Much as Suguru yearned for it, his sister just hasn't lived a good life and he couldn't help but wonder if he could've done more.

Besides, Reina never had any interest in people around her. Not her teachers nor her classmates- Suguru didn't think she even knew their dojo instructor's name even though she told him he was her favourite adult.

So, why did Reina care so much about Tsukumo?

It just felt unsettling, but since he'd never blame his sister, this internal turmoil could only fall onto Tsukumo.

Suguru exhaled, "Shut up now. Rei's coming."

"-Whaddya whispering about?" Reina asked, immediately pushing herself against Suguru's side, staring at Tsukumo with no little suspicion. That was a look Suguru was used to seeing on his sister's face. "Tsukumo-san, are you stressing Nii-san out?"

The sorcerer pouted. "Well…"

Her fingers curled and her gaze hardened into something hostile- perhaps even a bit fearful. (He'd never understood the fear part of it.) "Don't make him upset. I'll hate you if you do."

Suguru huffed a sharp exhale, like a laugh or scoff. Shouldn't he be happy if his sister decides to trust others? He just couldn't put his heart into it. (What would all his suffering mean if Reina-)

He turned to fully wrap his arms around his sister, pressing the side of his head against his sister's. Reina stilled, confused, but returned the embrace, nevertheless.

"Your question, Tsukumo-san-"

Even if the question was far too complex, if this sorcerer wanted a simple, honest answer, it was easy to give one.

"You wouldn't die, would you?"

"I would."

"Look kid, there's a reason why I pulled you out of school instead of visiting you and Reina-chan." Tsukumo paused then deadpanned, "So stop giving me that scowl, goddamnit!"

"You flirted with my teacher!"

"Irrelevant." She sniffed, then sobered again. "Suguru-chan, I'm going to be honest: you aren't going to get anywhere with Reversal at this rate. No matter what I do or say, nothing's happening."

He frowned immediately, feeling off-put. "It's totally your teaching style." Then Suguru sighed and decided to reply seriously, "It just doesn't make sense in my head."

"Cuz you're thinking too much." Tsukumo said slowly, unreadable. "You know why you're so strong in the first place? It's true you're talented. But there's a reason why you have your Maximum and why you're so in touch with your technique already. It's stress. Trauma. The need to survive."

She smiled, humourless. Suguru hates her. He dislikes her a lot. Tsukumo sees straight through him now and she chooses to push those buttons.

"For Reina-chan, right? But other than that, you've been having it easy recently. Which is fine and all. That's the best for children your age. It's better if you never have to encounter danger whilst living your youth."

"Get to the point." Suguru felt nervous though. "I don't get what you're trying to tell me."

"Do you want to learn it?"

"…Of course I want to get stronger. I thought we already talked about this."

"It's not enough." She cut over immediately. "Getting positive energy is intuition. You either get it like you get how to blink, or- you get it when you have no other option. I said, there's a reason why I pulled you out of school, Suguru-chan. Why you're alone."

Suguru stilled and his eyes immediately searched for an exit. "Tsukumo-san-"

"It's Yuki-sensei, boy." She purred with a smile, but a grave look in her eyes. "You care to die today?"

"What… What the f*ck-" He managed to stammer before she swung a fist at him. Suguru blocked it fairly easily, but the impact sent him hurtling across the field.

Even though he focused cursed energy there, it still felt like she gave him hairline fractures. "I absolutely do not want to die today, Tsukumo-san." He called out as he stared at the sheer amount of distance she managed to throw him.

"Then I guess you'll have to learn Reverse Cursed Technique." She chuckled. The distance seemed miniscule when she walked up to him in long strides. "Or what, you'll go back to Reina-chan half-dead? Or as a corpse? It's okay, Onii-chan. I can be her new Nee-sama-"

Okay. He scowled. Now he's really pissed.

"Toji once took my purse from me." Emi chuckled, chin perched on her hand. "Then he said he'd help me look for it."

"Shameless bastard." Yuki tutted disapprovingly.

"I can hear you." Toji yelled from the room over where he'd been death-stared into doing the laundry and now also taking care of the half-dead Suguru that Yuki brought with her.

"Right?" She laughed over him. "He even had the audacity to sigh and say, 'sorry babe, I can't find it anywhere'."

"He has balls if anything else." Yuki sighed. "Emi, you should just elope with me, sweetheart."

"f*ck the laundry-" Toji declared.

"f*ck yourself!" Emi barked. "Sit your ass back down. Do you wanna wake up that poor kid?"

There was a beat of silence and a grumble. Yuki wheezed, slapping the table in silent laughter. "Hah, oh my god, I love you."

"Thank you, Yuki-chan." Emi smiled warmly. "Although your offer tempts me, shameless, money pinching bastard as he might be, I still love him."

"Aww, how sweet." She cooed. Then she asked mischievously, "Is that why you hung around him? Is he your… type?"

It was truly crazy how it took this long for her to finally ask that question: it was usually one of the first things she says to assess the other person. It was among her 'hi, hello, good morning's.

"I'm sure you won't want to hear the romantic goo that is my reason." She chuckled brightly. "But my type, hmm… Well, I guess he's my type."

"You guess…?" Toji's dejected voice rang out.

"Is this or is this not a lady's conversation?" Emi called out back to him. "Anyway, turns out not only do his fingers wander into other people's wallets, but his nose also wanders into other people's businesses."

They both snickered.

"Well, I admit I have a pretty wild type in men. Muscles are a must." She listed, with a wide smile on her face. "And I love a thin waist with that. Tall is a preference. I'm less focused on face, more on the buff."

"He fits right in." Yuki nodded understandably.

"Genetics are on his side." Emi giggled.

Yuki's lips quirked up. Toji was oddly silent; it must be strange to hear that as the black sheep of the Zenin Clan.

"Yeah," Emi continued. "I'm less for personality. I'm pretty lenient with it at first. I always think there's something more to someone than what they show. It's led me to some pretty bad fallouts, but it's also led me to Toji, so."

"Aww, givin' me diabetes, Emi. Y'all so sweet." She prodded at her with a wink. "Well, money-grubby bastard or no, I'm glad Toji's the one for you."

"Me too." She sighed happily. "What about you, Yuki? You got a type?"

"Of course I do." She grinned. "I love a tough guy. Hard-working, you know, doesn't mind getting his hands dirty. It shows grit. I never associate with half-ass-ers."

"Ooh, you got a story time?"

"Hell yeah-"

(In the next room over, Toji was still grumbling to himself as he meticulously folded the clothes. Most of them were Emi's, but he could do at least this much to appease that crazy woman.

He glanced at the boy, completely knocked out cold on the couch beside him. Yuki had carried him, bleeding and half-dead, over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes and then deposited him wherever with a change of clean clothes, but it didn't look like he'd wake up anytime soon.

Toji sighed. They were both victims of crazy, aggressive women.)

"Why is Nii-san unconscious?" The little pipsqueak asked very slowly. "What did you do?"

Yuki felt nervous despite herself and quickly walked to their room. "C'mon, Reina-chan, gimme some faith. He's alright. Just needs resting."

"The uniform pants he's wearing right now is new. His shoes you left at the door were also new." She said flatly as she followed her. "That uniform jacket you just threw onto the chair was also new. What happened to his old one?"

Probably in a bloody mess back at the Fushiguro's place. Yuki gently dumped him into his futon.

"Uhh, I've no idea what you're saying. Anyway, gotta go. Bye!"

After Tsukumo left, she stared suspiciously at Suguru. He didn't look injured. Not sweaty or distressed. Just fatigued. What had happened? His cursed energy levels were strangely depleted.

She sighed and moved to throw a blanket over him when she noticed his shirt had ridden up a bit when Tsukumo put him down. There was a sliver of angry red skin-

Reina yanked the hem of his shirt up and her stomach dropped.

"What is that scar?!" She whispered in horror.

It stretched from his right hip over to his upper left flank, widening over his ribs. It wasn't an open wound, but it was far from a scar- which it would probably become.

Reina sighed and straightened his clothes, tucking a blanket over him. If there was such a big one on his torso, she wondered what other scars he might've gotten. She wondered if he'd tell her what happened if she asked.

Early morning, she woke up to Suguru being up and about, looking completely normal. He said nothing, but- "I'm taking away your candies now."

"You- You got Reversal?"

"Yup."

How? Just suddenly? After weeks upon weeks of zero progress-

"What… did Yuki-sensei do?" Reina asked, feeling cold.

Suguru's lips twisted wryly. "She taught."

Chapter 7

Chapter Text

It all happened so quickly.

He gave up on putting up a fight not a few seconds into Tsukumo's attacks: he was just focused on not dying. Blocking, supplementing, dodging-

But she moved swifter than he could draw in a breath and a flick of her fingers could break his bones. Tsukumo Yuki was no longer Tsukumo Yuki. Suguru's senses were condensed and confined to pain and more pain-

And he had no room to consider who it even was behind this pain.

It was just a matter of when he would die. How fast he would die.

And he felt it when a fist descended on him, from his left side- swinging down to his right across his torso. It was a strike so violent and fast that his skin tore and blood splattered, and if his ribs hadn't been broken already, they were by then.

He felt 'death'.

("Can you feel it, Nii-san? I can feel it. Can you feel it?" )

Feel what?

Yet it was strange, because it also felt like 'life'.

("It's energy.")

Like the fist that tore his body into shreds was also a soothing hand.

Positive energy.

He thinks about it when the pain dulls.

Positive energy.

And his cursed energy is screaming. It's struggling. But it's not. It's there. It doesn't move by his command- It's there. It's his.

Energy. Negative. Negative.

Positive.

In that blankness between the threshold of life and death, where there was only a single thing occupying his mind, he found it.

Almost like two tsunamis crashing against each other, but also like particles of dust warping into each other-

It was a spark, yet it was absorbed.

Positive energy. He thinks and it blooms.

A warped sound buzzed against his ears.

"You got it, Suguru. You did it." His vision meshed into a single blurred view. "Suguru-chan. Suguru. Still here with me? Yoohoo, it's your amazing Yuki-sensei-"

Blonde hair and pink eyes. Tsukumo Yuki. Teacher. He did it.

"Yuki-sensei…" Suguru pushed out and the exertion hurt as well.

"Any other time and I'd be jumping for joy, but shut up for now, boy." A cool sensation seeped into him. And he knew that sensation. He recognised it. He could… create that. "Don't die on me now-"

Positive energy.

It felt like enlightenment. Like something aligned. Like he'd ascended to a different plane of existence-

The edges of his world flickered black and sparks of light pierced through his eyes, but he knew-

He knew, he knew-

"Easy…" A low voice hushed.

His eyelids shifted. The sound of blinds. The room dimmed. He felt sick.

"You're okay here, kid. I'm just gonna clean ya up, okay? Yuki owes me a new couch, f*ck."

He felt sick.

There were stings and aches- Then the sharp smell of disinfectant- It hurts-

"Oh, shut up…"

There was a pause and the stinging faded to tingles. Warm, rough skin then ghosted over his forehead.

A sigh.

"…No. No, you're okay. Cry if it hurts. I'm sure it's painful."

"-But still," Yuki exhaled heavily, dusting her hands after she wrapped up the story of her latest ex. "I'm surprised you're so at ease with all the jujutsu stuff. I didn't think Toji woulda told you."

"Oh, I had to get it out of him." Emi mimed the motion of wringing a hand towel. "It's so tied up with him, after all. If I want to know him, I have to know that as well."

"Did you know that the Zenin Clan's a little afraid of you?" She smiled in a conspiring manner.

"Ooh, you mean Toji's asshole birth family?" Emi rubbed her hands together. "Give me the goss, Yuki-chan."

"Well I dunno if you know, but Toji's definitely able to kil- uh, beat at least majority of the clan if he wanted to. But he didn't cuz you, um-" Yuki giggled. "-Mended his broken heart. Fixed the bad boy. Obviously those emotionally stunted pricks have no idea how all that works, so they have zero clue how he, an overpowered bloodthirsty disgrace that very much hates them, got 'tamed' by a 'mere non-sorcerer woman'. Totally helps that they're infamously misogynistic. They're totally scared of you."

"Toji would definitely ask how high if I told him to jump." Emi nodded, mock-smug. "Do they think I could clap my hands and send Toji at them like some police dog?"

"On the mark, you are."

"Well, that's stupid." She chuckled, then lowered her voice to a barely audible murmur- probably accustomed to Toji's insanely superhuman senses. "Toji wants to leave behind his past because he doesn't want to drag me through it or even let it get entangled in his life, so I'd never do something like that. They're irrelevant to us now."

"I honestly… didn't expect that from what I'd heard of Toji. Seeing someone take a moral high ground like that is refreshing. The both of you."

Emi smiled mildly, warming her hands on her fresh cup of tea. "Well, not exactly. I guess I do have some resentments. They've caused him so much pain after all. But if it's revenge, then it's Toji's to take, not mine. I'm not going to fuel any of his hatred; I'm just here to love him."

Yuki felt a little too much fondness at the soft tone of her voice, tracing the patterns on her cup with her index finger. She knew, because sorcerers are chronically paranoid, that Emi didn't exactly have the regular household situation as well, being out of contact with her sole living parent.

It was a wonder how these two people could find each other like this.

"And Toji… He's a good person." Emi continued. "I think when he told me- He told me, 'I wouldn't want to waste even a glance on them when you're here.' Or something corny like that. I fell so hard." She smiled, and there's nothing more completing- wholesome than an expression like that.

"Argh, Emi, you're making me wanna go pick someone up now! Aren't you only a few years older than me?"

She chuckled, "I hope you find your Toji."

"I do not want a Toji. He keeps pinching my money! Even though I already pay him for the littlest things ever!"

"Old habits die hard…" Emi murmured. "I can give him that hard death though-"

Yuki giggled, "It's fine. It's nothing unreasonable and I really do have cash to burn. I'm kinda, hehe, special in the jujutsu world after all. And besides… Toji didn't say anything when I told him to look after my cute lil disciple. Usually, he'd ask for money up-front. I know he's a good person."

Now, at least. Because a good person in a good environment may not be good anymore once plunged into the depths of suffering. When Yuki listened to Reina ramble on about the importance of Emi's life… perhaps that was what she meant.

Skyscrapers collapsing. Blood on Shibuya streets. Overturned laws. Morbid fate.

But now, Toji wasn't alone, nor with the Zenin, and he was smiling and spouting corny lines. The frown he had on his face as he assessed Suguru's injuries was that of concern. The rabid disgrace of the Zenin hellhole knew concern.

Zenin Toji- No,Fushiguro Tojiwas a good person.

"I never thought I'd say it, but Toji would make a great father. You brought out so much gentleness from him."

The wide smile that bloomed over Emi's face was radiant. "He's always had it in him."

There was a loud slam against her door. Then a quieter one.

"Was that meant to be a knock?" She asked her brother warily, closing the gas and setting down the spatula.

Suguru flipped one of the twin daggers in his hand and stood up. "I sent a Grade 3 out-"

There was a loud splat as-

"One shotted." He informed flatly. "They're not a sorcerer… right?"

"I can't… sense anything-" Wait. She straightened. "I can't sense anything. That's Fushiguro Toji."

"Damn right it is." A low voice rumbled from the vague direction door. "Brats, if you don't open the door in three seconds, I'm going to break your door down and not pay for it."

"How did he even hear us-" Suguru sputtered.

"You cheapskate," Reina fumbled, slamming her hip into the counter in her haste to get to the entrance. Yuki just broke it a while ago! "Don't- Don't you dare break the door-"

Reina yanked it open and breathed a sigh of relief. The price of replacements as well as labour and time costs would be nothing to scoff at.

She sucked her breath of relief right back in when she looked up and saw dark blue-green eyes staring right back down at her, a grin stretching from ear to ear, teeth bared.

Fear shot down her spine and her feet rooted to the spot. They shouldn't meet. They can't meet. Reina has to-

"Hey kid."

Reina felt every part of her body lock up, not a cell on her daring to even twitch. Suguru yanked her back and stepped in front of her. The man eyed her brother- narrowed his eyes as if to assess him.

No, no, no, no-

"Calm down." The man scratched his head. "I'm not here to kill ya. Lemme in."

Coming to her senses, she yanked Suguru back and stepped back in front of him. "F-Fushiguro-san, to what do I owe the pleasure…?"

"Did Yuki raise a bunch of wimps?"

"Excuse you." Suguru grabbed Reina's shoulder, preparing to do yet another position switch.

With a frustrated noise, she turned around and placed the heels of her palms against Suguru's shoulders, digging her feet in the ground as she drove him a good five paces away.

"Please come in, Fushiguro-san." She relented nervously, wincing at the quizzical look on her brother's face.

"Finally." He sniffed as he kicked off his… slippers. "You making something? Oops, did I interrupt your cooking?"

"Yeah… just fried rice." Reina mumbled as she made her way back to the stove, ignoring Suguru's unwelcome quip of- "It's the only decent thing she can make."

"You want some?" She offered meekly. "Lost my appetite anyway."

"Guess it's a good time to burn the rest of your snack stash then-" Suguru rolled up his sleeves.

"What?!" She cried, "No!"

"Then eat your food." He swatted at her head. Then he swiped the spatula from her hands. "Gimme. I'll just make extra. Go serve tea to our…" Suguru stared at Toji. Then he squinted. "…Our… guest."

"That was a really long pause." The man grinned. "Am I not welcome?"

"It sounded like you slammed a dead body into our apartment door, Fugawaki-san." Suguru retorted, raising the spatula. "You're a little bit not welcome."

Reina stared at him in dismay. The list of people whom Suguru had been outright, blatantly disrespectful to has just doubled. And how did he screw up the name that badly? Surely he was just doing it purposefully out of spite now?

(And why did Suguru so easily let her be with a stranger? Did he care less now? About her?)

"It's Fushiguro… Though in the first place, no one even knows I took on my wife's name." Toji's stare landed back on Reina again. "So, how didja know? You a stalker? Nah, if it's Yuki… are you like a fortune teller or something?"

"Misfortune teller." Suguru muttered, then ruffled her hair reassuringly. "Then Rei, do you want to handle lunch? I can steel my stomach for whatever you create-"

Reina tossed him a betrayed look. "No, stay in the kitchen. I'll go entertain our… guest."

She really didn't want them interacting after all. Although… she didn't know why. If it was because of the original story, technically it was better that they met earlier. She might just be too paranoid. With a sigh, she grabbed Toji's hand and tugged him towards their sitting room.

Not that it was a room. Sitting… area.

Then she paused, letting go of his hand… Wait, she was holding it? Reina stared at her palm, then looked at her brother who… wasn't in sight, then she looked up at Toji who had his mouth slightly agape, befuddlement in his eyes.

"Why are you looking confused, kid?" He sat down. In her spot. "Weren't you scared sh*tless a few seconds ago?"

There was a loud clang as Suguru slammed the spatula against the pan. "Don't swear in the presence of a child!"

"Sheesh, sorry, sorry, overprotective Oniichan."

"Why're you calling me that too?!"

Toji snorted. "You willing to give names? Cuz Yuki sure wasn't. Well, I guess I overheard 'em anyway. They gossip so damn loud- Yuki and my wife."

Reina felt her brows furrow in conflict. Where was she meant to sit now? The way Toji was sitting really held a lot of audacity for the way he entered.

And this man… was really bad at being a guest. There didn't seem to be a hostile bone on his body right now and if anything, he almost seemed to be a bit… clumsy despite his bold entrance. He didn't even look intimidating once she got a good stare at his face and expression. His grin was mostly scary because it seemed a bit forced.

"Geto Reina." She said slowly, then blurted- "You're sitting in my spot. Can you move please?"

"I'm Geto Suguru." Her brother called before Toji could react. "Respectfully, Towaraji-san, if you dare raise your voice at my sister or upset her in any way, I swear I'll make your life a living hell. Just letting you know, no sane adult in their right mind would get into a fight with a child about their seats-"

"Jeez, what did Yuki even say about me? I'm not a rabid, territorial dog." He complained, shuffling to the seat over. "Pissing to claim territory is gross. There ya go, princess."

"Thanks." She breathed a sigh of relief.

"You siblings are awfully close." His expression seemed outright disturbed.

"Is it awful?" She asked with a frown.

"Damn right, it fu- freaking is. Gives me the heebie jeebies. Especially since one's a pretty decent sorcerer… and the other's a non-sorcerer."

Reina stared down at her hands. "People are more than just that, you know?"

"…I know." He huffed, a sappy smile at the corner of his lips. "By god, I know."

She felt her mouth twitch. Well if this wasn't the strangest thing she's ever witnessed…

"Not that I believe in god." Toji added afterwards. "But I was just thinking about that too: non-sorcerers aren't all senseless sheeple and sorcerers ain't all that terrible. Where else do I get to crack my best dark jokes? Before Yuki barged in, I wanted to leave it all behind… and just kill whatever magical motherf*cker has the balls to-"

There was another sharp clanging of metal on metal from the kitchen.

"…Anyway, you get my point. Emi's also happy she has a girl friend that's willing to hang around with her a lot and she seems interested in jujutsu gossip because she's a non-sorcerer and they dig that, I guess."

He looked… more carefree than she expected. She'd never seen Fushiguro Toji in her life before, yet she could tell he'd never had that sort of ease in his shoulders and in the frames of his face before.

It was a drowning man who'd found a lifeline. And even more now, Reina wanted his wife to live.

"My point is that I should probably get over myself. I can't believe I'm ranting to a bloody nine year old. About my personal growth." He slapped a hand over his face and sighed. "I blame this on domestic trauma."

"The Zenin Clan is just full of sh*t." Reina nodded gravely, looking worriedly at the kitchen's direction when she heard a dull thud. "Full of narcissistic, misogynistic, narrow-minded, pig-headed scum bags. I don't really like the way they operate."

"Did your Oniichan just bang his head against the counter?" Toji chortled. "Never mind. Keep sh*t-talking them."

"Oh, no, I wasn't, um, sh*t-talking them-" Another thud. Reina whipped her head back in the kitchen's direction.

"Don't let the food burn, Onii-chan." Toji drawled.

"Can you stop?!"

"Okay, Suguru-chan." He snickered at the louder thud. "Keep going, Reina. …What."

"I don't get a 'chan'?"

"Keep sh*t-talking, Reina-chan." He acquiesced easily enough. "This is like therapy, but my therapist is a nine year old bratling with a potty mouth and a hatred for what I hate. I love it already."

"I wasn't sh*t-talking them." She repeated exasperatedly. "I just find their methods and priorities to be majorly disorganised to say the least. Fushiguro-san-"

"Toji."

"Toji-san-"

"Toji."

She stared at him in horror, feeling lost. Was it possible for her to address an adult she respected by their first name without adding any sort of honorific?

He was too old for 'nii' and her brother would probably give her hell for that. 'Oji-san' just didn't sound nice and Toji would probably hate it more. But what else was there even? Yuki! That's right. What did she call Yuki-

"Toji-sen… sei…"

He blinked. "Nice. Who's paying me?"

"No." She croaked. "Yuki-sensei." Reina then blurted. It was the person she knew who had the most money. "Uh."

"Perfect. Still call me Toji though. Anything else is weird…"

Mind whirling, Reina decided to put everything to the side, including the nth sound of her brother giving himself brain damage against the kitchen counter.

"Okay." She shook her head. "Well, Toji-sa- ah… Toji… I forgot what I was going to say, but Yuki-sensei didn't say anything about you. …I think you asked a question about that before."

"Yeah, you were the one who said stuff about me to her. How?"

"I'm a misfortune teller." It wasn't even a lie.

"Excuse me?"

"I know things."

"O… kay?"

She nodded. "Is that all?"

"No. What are your opinions on Heavenly Restriction-"

"-Completely pitiful excuse for ostracising someone and considering how you outclass much of the Zenin Clan, it proves to be even better than whatever sh*tty techniques they busted their asses off trying to perfect, so I have zero clue why those stubborn, pretentious dickhe*ds refuse to pull the mega thorn stick out from up their rears and look past their nose and acknowledge-"

"I don't know what you've done to her. She's nine years old. She never talks that much, nor like that." Suguru slowly dropped the steaming hot plate of food onto Toji's lap. "It can only be your fault."

Toji didn't even twitch and offered Suguru a chuckle.

"Watch yourself, Fujitoshi-san." His eyes narrowed further. "I hate you. For every grain of rice you drop on the floor, I'll hate you more."

"-Utterly ridiculous, even though ultimately everything is an equivalent exchange, which is what Binding Vows are for. So, while you did in fact lose some, you gained some. And what you gained most definitely outweighs whatever-"

"Rei."

She clamped her mouth shut then blinked up at him. "Nii?"

"Let's go to the counter and eat." Suguru looked like his life was fraying at its edges.

"Wha-at?" Toji huffed. "And leave poor ol' me here all alone? She was getting to the good bit."

She squinted a bit. She'd just been rambling because it was the one thing she had an exorbitant amount of information and emotions on that wasn't traumatising. She hadn't had any real amusing things to do in her short life, so ranting about these things was… almost fun.

"Don't worry, Reina-chan. Every part was the good part." Toji ruffled her head.

Suguru looked aghast, eyes pinned to the offending hand like he could burn it with his glare. "Rei… let's go…"

"…Tch." Toji didn't pout, but…

"We have three seats." Reina grinned.

"You're my favourite." He grinned back.

"No." Suguru groaned.

It was not Suguru's day. Especially when Toji decided to get his first paycheck by beating Suguru into a tree. …Or what used to be a tree. He couldn't believe Yuki would betray him like this by saying Toji's… tutelage would be a good idea.

Toji patted his shoulder and asked how the bark tasted. Reina, who was on the five minute break that Suguru wasn't allowed to have for some reason, gave him an encouraging thumbs up.

It was definitely favouritism.

Still though, he didn't know why he was alright leaving her sister alone with him. Reina was acting all sorts of strange with Toji. She didn't want him around Suguru for some reason, but she also seemed comfortable around him after the first hiccup of wariness.

He'd hardly seen her talk that much before. Gross: another person that Reina actually cared about. It was another strange sensation. A bit disquieting. Not to mention the fact that this hooligan was the reason why Reina agreed to get brain scans and whatever other human experiment stuff Yuki was scheming.

But no matter how he acted, there was an odd sense of trust Suguru had in him. Maybe it was just their first impression. He'd been half-conscious then, pain in every single cell in his body, but that had been Toji back then.

After Yuki beat him to death then dragged him back, it had been Toji who was talking to him.

His low voice had been soothing, even if he was grumbling about- "I can't believe that stupid woman's making me babysit this kid when they're oh-hoh-hoh-ing over tea-" He muttered a lot then about how his wound wasn't bleeding and about the ointment and about stupid sorcerers-

And his hands had been careful when taking his tattered clothes off. Attentive and gentle.

Suguru was always used to taking care of Reina. He trimmed her hair and wiped her tears and helped her change when she was young. He fed her and cleaned up after her and slept with her when she had nightmares.

Reina's comfort for him was different. She tries and she does help, but down to the end of it, Suguru always knew he was the older brother. She would let him cry, but he would always hold back his tears. He would shield her even if it meant getting hurt and if she tried to do the same, he wouldn't accept that.

Suguru was the older brother.

Suguru wasn't used to being taken care of.

So he doesn't know how to feel when it all comes back to him, eventually. The sting of a cloth against his irritated skin. The quiet rumble as Toji muttered to himself. The rough "sorry, kid" when he slipped a clean shirt over his head and pulled at his wound.

And that kind of uncomposed version of Geto Suguru- Toji had seen it.

"No, you're okay. Cry if it hurts."

Suguru wasn't used to that sort of… paternal thing.

Suddenly, it was hard to look at Toji in the eyes, yet suddenly, he wanted to cling to him like a child.

It wasn't until later that night when she realised how vastly things had swerved from her expectation. Again.

Suguru was still mumbling complaints against the top of her head. "You're being corrupted, Rei. First that perverted human expermentalist then this violent, no-brained brute. How do you even know those swear words?"

Cursed spirits never talked about nice things.

Reina doesn't tell Suguru that.

"It's okay." She yawned. "I'm pretty sure they won't kill me."

"And me?"

"I hope you won't kill me either." She mumbled as she fell asleep.

"…That wasn't-" Suguru sighed and gripped her tighter. "…What I meant."

Chapter 8

Chapter Text

"Okay, okay, nice… So you've figured out your Cursed Technique Reversal and you know how to use Reverse Cursed Technique. With this, you are undoubtedly Special Grade." Yuki mused. "This is a strange feeling. I wasn't surprised about that Six Eyes kid being a Special Grade cuz he's a miracle child sorta case, but you're…"

"Yeah, yeah, completely ordinary." Suguru rolled his eyes. "Non-sorcerer normie, yeah. Get on with it."

"So rude to your amazing teacher… I really thought you'd pick up Domain Expansion first, but this is the better outcome anyway. What are you calling it?"

"Rei, what am I calling it?" Suguru asked her in turn.

Yuki hummed in interest, "Doesn't the name come instinctively to you? Did she name Uzumaki?"

"Yeah. Well, she named it before I could even think. It felt right. She said I would've named it that eventually anyway."

"Interesting, but… I'm not surprised at this point." She turned to Reina as well, expectantly. "You got any ideas?"

"Not really." Reina scratched her nape. "I didn't expect Nii-san to get Reversal. Howsabout 'Frankenstein'?"

"Thanks for the confidence, Rei…" Suguru muttered. "'Frankenstein', hmm. That sounds fancy. Is it German?"

"A Western reference?" Yuki considered with a raised brow. "I'm not even going to question how you know it."

"Rei's good at English." He shrugged with a smile. "I like it. Thanks, Reina. Although I don't know how a name's relevant."

"It sounds cooler." Yuki told him seriously. "It helps you categorise things too. You don't wanna keep calling it 'Cursed Technique Reversal – Maximum', do you? That's besides the point… What're the conditions?"

"Not many… The basic process is straightforward as well. It was what Reina hypothesised."

"Of course it is. So, you absorb cursed energy and you can condense it and form cursed spirits, right?"

"I need a lot of cursed energy. And it's harder if it isn't a constant stream or from one source only. And they're not proportionate in power- they're weaker. And when it first forms, it's a big clump like Uzumaki. They're not usable cursed spirits. I have to remould them and everything. It takes ages. But it doesn't make me want to throw up, so I like it."

"Overpowered techniques always have drawbacks. But… you sound familiar with it."

"I already made one last night with Rei after my cursed energy fully replenished. Then I experimented around."

"What?! Without your Sensei?!"

"…Is it dangerous?" Panic visibly settled over his features as Suguru stared at his sister in horror. "I- Is it- Does it- Is there adverse effects or is- Oh, no, no-"

"No, I mean, I wanted to watch it." Yuki whined with a pout, consoling him with a heavy smack over his head. "It's my first disciple making his first cursed spirit, ya know? Like taking his first steps!"

"…Oh."

"Heh. So, what happened?"

"I absorbed Rei's cursed energy until there was about half left and I created three cursed spirits. One Grade 4. Two weaker than that."

"That is… indeed less efficient than I expected. But since it was your first try, I don't think that's how it'll be. Was it lost in the process, or did you lack control?"

"Well… Both. I made one look like sort of like Pygmy since you killed it and Rei was a bit fond of it. That's how I knew I could change its appearance, but that also takes up cursed energy. It's also hard to keep in one place the longer the process goes on for. The whole thing is just much less energy efficient than absorption. It takes double the amount of cursed energy just to facilitate the technique, then some of the cursed energy I absorb gets lost in the process anyway."

"That's just how it will be at first. Practice makes perfect. Make one off me."

"What."

"You heard me. Except take all my cursed energy. Maybe leave like a tiny bit. Like one hundredth or something. I don't believe in building up improvement bit by bit. You better get that control down pat early on."

"I'm fine with that." Suguru frowned. "Though, Yuki-sensei, that's very bad self-preservation on your part. Isn't it dangerous for a famous sorcerer to be practically disarmed? I should at least experiment a bit more beforehand…"

"Aww, my dear disciple is worrying about me? Heh, well cursed energy isn't the only reason why I'm Special Grade. And my reputation precedes me. Besides, I'm with Toji nearly all the time now that Emi's pregnancy is getting… more pregnancy. I'll be fine."

"It's going to take an hour or so. At least."

"Fine." Yuki sighed. "Let's go to Emi's then."

"Wait, that's not what I-"

"Awww, you two are adorable." Emi swept them both into a tight embrace. "Yuki-chan's told me so much about you. Reina-chan and Suguru-chan, right? Pleasure to meet you two."

Reina nodded numbly, taken off guard. "Nice to meet you, Emi-san." She offered meekly.

"Yuki-sensei, you divulged information about my sister?" Suguru demanded as soon as she let go of them. "And… it's nice to meet you as well, Emi-san."

"Look, I didn't divulge information…"

"Ever snappy, Suguru-chan." Toji smirked. "Hey Reina-chan."

"Hi Toji." Reina greeted, letting him heft her onto his shoulders.

"I see my husband's already gone and made your acquaintance." Emi laughed. "I'm a bit jealous. Toji, why didn't you take me with you?"

"Well…"

"It definitely would've helped with his first impression." Suguru muttered. "Emi-san, you don't appear to be the type to nearly break down a front door to make your entrance."

"You… did what?!" Emi cast a thin glare to her husband before clearing her throat. "Well, I'll have a nice, long discussion about this later. And just call me 'Emi'. Or 'Emi-nee' because I've always wanted someone to call me that, hehe."

Reina blinked slowly, wondering if the 'Nee-san' route was viable or not. Suguru frowned: it was also hard for him to call a respectable adult without honorifics.

"The Fushiguro household is quite casual." He said, in lieu of anything else.

"Oh my, a household…" Emi chuckled bashfully. "You're right. I can't believe we're becoming a whole family."

"Wouldn't Obasan be fitting?" Yuki teased, squeaking when Emi's now infamous glare turned on her. "Well, don't look at me so, Emi-neesama; I'll get nervous."

"Shut your loud mouth right now." Toji eyed the sorcerer. "Enough chitchat. Yuki, you didn't say nothing about coming here."

"I did!"

"Yeah, five minutes ago, you did." Toji grumbled then jostled Reina on his shoulder. "Care to tell me, Reina-chan? Whatcha doing here?"

"Nii-san's gonna make a cursed spirit off Yuki-sensei."

"…Okay." He sighed. "What's new?"

"What the f*ck is happening in there?" Toji mused.

Reina stared at the massive clump of swirling cursed mass behind her brother. Despite the size, it was still incredibly high in cursed energy density. No wonder Yuki decided to erect a small barrier in the room: these levels of cursed energy would not be good for a pregnant woman, strictly controlled or not.

Any slip that Suguru makes could seep high concentrations of cursed energy out, then harmful effects could occur, intentional or not. 'Naturally' born curses could appear as well.

He hadn't exactly handled it the best the first times he tried this. The load of Yuki's cursed energy must be a dozenfold more difficult to modulate.

"I think Nii-san's finished absorbing all of Sensei's energy." Reina informed him. "That's a faster rate than when he did mine."

"Fifteen minutes is fast?"

"Yuki-sensei has a lot. And her replenishing rate is pretty fast." She explained. "It will still take Nii-san a few minutes to mentally digest it and integrate all of it into the- um, technique. Then he needs to decide what to do with it. Knowing Yuki-sensei, she'll try push him into making only one powerful curse instead of splitting it which was easier for Nii-san."

"Tell me Rei isn't right." Suguru gritted out, feeling like his brain was going to implode from the sheer intensity of containing every part of this technique. He didn't appreciate the hefty threat Yuki dealt him after he began absorbing.

(Although the threatened beatdown did help motivate him to rein in the cursed energy better.)

"Naw, Reina-chan read my mind. I want you to try create one curse from all that energy I gave you."

"That's…"

"Or, make one incredibly weak curse and one powerful one." Yuki grinned. "You know even a hundred Grade 4 curses will lose to a Grade 1 curse. There's multiple uses for a cursed spirit, I know, but I'm giving you the cursed energy of a Special Grade sorcerer. Your conditions are optimal. There's only one source so there's no need for any purification or whatever- there's a constant stream and it's abundant. You can do it, Suguru."

"I can try my hardest."

"You better. It's my precious cursed energy right there." Yuki squinted at the swirl. "Speaking of which, it's a lighter colour. Prettier as well. Than your Uzumaki I mean."

"It's pink." Suguru agreed.

"Pink, yellow, orangey. It's like a beach sunset." She grinned. "That's real strange. Cursed energy always takes a darker colour. Maybe if it's controlled, it's different?"

"Reina's was dark purple. Monochromatic. It might be individual."

"Maybe… Unless it's an aspect of your technique as well: drawing out individuality. Then it'd be a whole question of souls and that alike. Also, I'm not saying it's important, but… make the cursed spirit not that ugly, if you please… Okay, don't look at me like that!"

"I… I have Heavenly Restriction." Toji sputtered. "My- My abilities are superhuman. They're-"

Reina gave him a shy smile as she shuffled her portion of her cards.

The smaller portion.

The winning portion.

Emi snorted loudly, looking bemused as she snapped another photo. "He's rarely this flustered. This is a moment that needs to be captured."

"Shut it, woman. …How did your reaction time beat mine?" He whispered in stupefied awe. "My reaction time should be the same as the time it takes for the visual image to be transferred through the optic nerve to your brain."

"How do you know what the optic nerve is?" Emi gaped at him, genuinely surprised.

"I'm not that stupid." Toji muttered, then after her stare, he admitted: "Yuki's paying me bank to talk about my brain, so I guess I know a bit about brains now. But my point stands. There's no way you're winning."

Reina shrugged and tapped her finger on the table after she finished setting up another round.

"I'm losing against a nine year old." Toji said numbly. "I'm losing against… a nine year old. In a game based off reflex."

Reina… was a champion at Speed.

"This feels weird." Yuki didn't stare- She straight up goggled at the cursed spirit standing in front of her. "Suguru-chan, hey."

He groaned from where he was slumped against a chair.

"Why does it look like me? Or kinda, a younger version of me. You think it can transform? Does that mean if you absorbed all my cursed energy, it would be me me?"

"Dunno…"

"Then again, why wouldn't it look like me?" Yuki grinned. "f*ck, that's overpowered… I would bet it has my technique as well."

"I can't do that stuff."

"Yes, you can. You should be able to." She laced her fingers together and propped her chin against it, pondering as she assessed the cursed spirit in front of her. "You told me you had a feeling you could extract techniques from strong cursed spirits if you dissolved them in your Uzumaki. But you just never had."

"There's no point in it, so I never tried."

"Well, theoretically then, it's extremely probable you can implement, or at least inherit cursed techniques in the cursed spirits you create. You just got my pure cursed energy. You just got nearly all of it. When sorcerers are killed without jujutsu, they can turn into cursed spirits from the remnants of their cursed energy and corrupted soul. Most of them resemble their human selves and have the same cursed technique. This is- This is all completely plausible. My dear disciple, you might've just created a Special Grade spirit."

"That's overpowered." Suguru stared dumbly at his palm and let the cursed spirit collapse into inexistence. "There's a power de-buff. Surely not."

"Well, that's given. Special Grade curses are weaker than Special Grade sorcerers- by quite a lot too."

"That's still overpowered."

"Did you purposefully craft it after me?"

He wrinkled his nose. "No."

"…Did you just wrinkle your nose, you little sh*t?"

"…You didn't see my face."

"I know you inside out, dear disciple. How are you feeling right now?"

"Stop calling me that. My cursed energy levels are fine. I just feel like passing out. My head hurts. I wanna see Rei."

"Mental strain…" Yuki nodded, hauling Suguru up by the waist and carrying him under her arm. "That's really ideal. That's trainable. Can you take it out again?"

"Yeah… don't wanna."

"This is ground-breaking." She kept muttering as she made her way to the other room. "Your Lapse Maximum really must have something more to it than just recycling useless curses into energy. This is… ridiculously powerful. Then again, don't get too co*cky: the only reason why you could make something like that is because I sat there for fifteen minutes channelling my cursed energy to you. Absorbing cursed energy of sorcerers will be a tug of war. A war you'll lose the way you are right now. Although I'm planning on changing that-"

Suguru groaned. "Shuddup."

"Yeah, yeah, Yuki-sensei that blabbermouth nerd human experimentalist, yeah?" Yuki huffed, dropping him on the couch besides Reina. "Here you go, Reina-chan."

"That was faster than last time." She glanced at Yuki wide-eyed. "Significantly faster."

"Three reasons. I gave him ample motivation. He didn't mould. And Suguru is a crazy fast learner." Yuki patted his shoulder. "Crazy."

"Shuddup." He muttered again, pulling himself forward a bit, wrapping his arms around his sister's middle and passing out on her crossed legs.

Reina stared at him, then at Yuki, then at the UNO cards in her hand.

Then at the UNO cards in Toji's hand. Then the pile on the table. "Toji, you cheated."

"How did you- …Prove it."

"At this point, I'd be surprised if he didn't…" Emi sighed fondly.

"What?!" Toji looked offended. "Emi, you're turning against me too?"

"Honey, I was never on your side." She pointedly placed down a 4+ card, ignoring his grumbling to turn to the sorcerer. "Yuki-chan, come join us."

"Heavy sighs, kid." Toji munched on what used to be part of Reina's snack stash. "What's gotten you into the mood of moon-watching on the roof in the middle of the night? That's some real depressing sh*t."

It went from being Yuki's money, to Reina's snacks, then Suguru had confiscated her candy and wrapped it up with a plastic bag, intent on throwing it out somewhere. Then Toji came. Now it's Toji's.

"Please don't swear in front of Reina."

"I would never." He lied blatantly. "So?"

"…I'm just tired."

"Must be." He grunted in acknowledgement. "I'm already stressed out of my mind thinking about the foetus in my wife. Can't imagine what it'd be like raising Reina-chan since you were a squirt yourself."

"I- didn't mean that. There's no reason for me to be tired- about caring for Rei." Suguru eyed him. "I'm tired because you just punched me into two trees just before. Again. Taking your anger out on a kid after losing all those card games? You and Sensei are colluding against me."

"Sure. Sure. Well, it's fine to be tired." Toji offered him a small wrapper of hard candy. Then he rolled his eyes at Suguru's judgemental look. "Suguru, you don't need to be tense all the time. It feels like you don't believe in the existence of responsible adults."

"Well, I'm sure as hell not looking at an example of one."

"Ouch." He grumbled. "Look, I just wanted to let you know. You've got others now. You can afford to relax your shoulders a bit more."

"Never saw you as the pep talk type."

"I'm not. I'm just saying cuz you're about to burst an artery any second now these days. I can tell. I was stuck with a buncha neurotic bastards since birth, remember? You're kinda like them, a bit."

"What?!" Suguru immediately turned to look at him with a snap, alarmed. "I'm- What- Where did that come from? I would never-"

"I said 'a bit', sheesh. Calm your tit*." Toji threw a wrapper into his face.

"Don't litter…" He said morosely as he grabbed at it.

"Suguru, I meant to say you're not that flexible up here. That's what I meant." He tapped Suguru's forehead, snickering at his yelp. "Like… All this stuff about protecting Reina-chan and how you have to raise her and blah blah- She's going to grow out of that eventually. Then what? Reina-chan's gonna be friends with people and have crushes and then probably get married and have children, and then you'll just be Suguru-ojisan."

He let out another sigh and it felt like part of his soul left with it. "…She's only nine. She better not be having any damn crushes…"

"For now, yeah. But later, she'll probably lead a separate life from you- or at least, one where you're not attached at the hip. There's a possibility that she'll care about someone as much as she cares about you. So you need to learn how to be someone else without her and the duty that comes with her. You need to learn it's not all about your Onii-chan responsibility, and 'what should be'- 'what shouldn't be'-"

"Reina hates that word. 'Duty'."

"Yeah. Cuz you're rigid."

He swallowed. "I'm not. Reina is more than duty for me."

"…f*ck, this is hard to explain. I know. But for everything else? You're the type of person to default to that excuse when you get stressed. I can tell."

"Is it the childhood trauma?"

"Bingo." Toji replied dryly. "I can see the type of sh*t you'd say when you become a sorcerer. 'I do it cuz I hafta. I have these powers so I should use them to help people.' That sh*t."

"I don't talk that callously." He protested weakly.

"Just don't get too head of yourself. Why do you really care about that wacky magic bullsh*t? What are you working for?"

For Reina. All for Reina. If it even slightly helps, he'll do it. As he always has.

"Why do I need to care?"

"Who are you going to blame when everything goes wrong?"

Who? Well.

Well, he'd never blame his little sister. Never.

"Listen, it's cuz I really feel like something's off with you, but I dunno what to do about it… Like, you're just a kid, you know that? You can let things be."

"That's not…"

"I knew you'd say that." Toji huffed. "Listen to me, I know Emi still wonders why I don't feel any urge to think about the Zenin asshats, but once you realise to let things go… you can just let it leave you."

"I'm just tired." Suguru repeated, shaking his head, then hesitated. "It was just the two of us before. Now more people know about her weird habits and knowledge, and she can talk more when I'm not next to her. She's not that scared of cursed spirits… and we're sleeping over at a stranger's place now."

"Things are getting better." Toji inferred flatly. "And your traumatised ass can't handle that. Hah, that's so relatable. Should we make a secret handshake?"

"What?"

The man just slowly chewed on his food, staring at him. "Well, f*ck, I don't even know where I'm going with this." He sighed. "I'm just worried, okay? Like, like, you're kind of like a prototype for dealing with kids. I guess now that I know I'm gonna be dad, I just look at you and think- f*ck, I hope my kid doesn't have to go through that sh*t. So, I guess I just want to… Not that I see you as my kid, but like, I have no experience with it and I guess you hardly have any experience with- Oh f*ck, whatever."

"You… You're worried about me." Suguru felt really awkward now.

"No sh*t."

He could only be silent for a while, uncomprehending, drained. Then he spoke.

"Why do you think I'm… inflexible?"

"Well," Toji started slowly. "I confuse you, don't I? I'm a non-sorcerer, but I'm not puny or weak or averse to violence. I saw how you look at Emi, especially when she and Yuki yap about whatever- like you're surprised a non-sorcerer woman can be like that and get a Special Grade freak like Yuki to whine like a teen. It confuses you, doesn't it? To realise that non-sorcerers have much more going on than being just 'non-sorcerers'. Even your sister had to remind me."

"Reina?"

"Yeah. She's an odd nut."

Suguru shot him a look, although he wasn't really able to deny that. "I just don't like how everything works. And I don't get why Rei… tries to tell me things when I thought she'd think like me."

"And you find out she's right and she's somehow able to adapt a lot better than you…" Toji mused. "Wow, I'm so good at this. Maybe I should become a therapist. Do they get paid well?"

"Never in a thousand parallel universes." Suguru immediately deadpanned.

"I'm loving the faith you have in me." He muttered back.

"Lack thereof."

"Oh jeez-"

Reina sat up. Suguru had gone somewhere.

'Perfect,' She thought before leaning over Yuki. Eyes immediately blinked up at her.

"Reina?"

"Yuki-sensei," She stared down at the woman. "I've been meaning to ask you, but… what did you do to my brother?"

"…Oh-"

Chapter 9

Chapter Text

[2002]

"Rei," Suguru said carefully. "Sensei said you hate her."

She eyed him warily. "'Hate' is a strong word." Then she said, "Tsukumo-san is a dramatic person."

Suguru felt his lips seal together at the sudden honorific 'demotion'. "Unorthodox as her methods were…"

"If you say it's cuz of me, I'll hate it."

He blinked slowly. "What do you mean?"

"Her 'method' worked. It got you Reversal. Why did you want Reversal so badly? Why did you do it? If you say it's cuz of me," She repeated blankly, but in a hard tone. "I'll hate it."

"I think she hates me too now." Suguru later told Yuki, feeling utterly demolished.

"Seriously, kid?" She groaned, burying her face into her hands.

"Don't think I've ever felt that nervous in my life." He confirmed gloomily.

Reina considered this: Tsukumo Yuki's idea was not completely unreasonable.

However, it gambled too much on the risk bearing results. Furthermore, this was her brother.

Essentially, Yuki had supplemented her attacks with alternating positive energy and cursed energy, then bet on the near death experience awakening something within Suguru. On the higher possibility that it wouldn't work, she bet on herself learning to use Reverse Cursed Technique on other people.

Ultimately, all those risks were worth it and no permanent harm was done. There was undeniably a net gain in benefits.

However, this was her brother.

[Late 2002]

"Hey Reina-chan." Yuki greeted the child anxiously. She's managed to buy (wheedle) back her favour eventually, but whatever honorific that came out of her mouth still fluctuated day to day.

She nodded with a smile, "Hi Yuki-sensei."

Yuki let out a colossal sigh of relief, "So you know how I know how to use positive energy on others-"

Reina's expression flattened. "Yes?"

The sorcerer felt her shoulders slump dejectedly. "Well… I've been using it almost everyday on Emi. I've even cancelled all my Christmas and New Year plans." Yuki furrowed her brows. "You said she'll die, but do you know the cause?"

"…It's postnatal. I doubt it was a hired hand. If it was beyond Toji's capabilities, it might've just been a disease."

"Hopefully it's just that." Yuki murmured. "I've hung around Toji for more than just a while and I can confidently say he's at Special Grade level in terms of prowess. There's no way it could be a cursed spirit with both of us around. Since I'm ensuring she's at optimal health at all times, Emi should survive. I… will guarantee it."

At that, Reina realised that this was Yuki trying to comfort herself. Special Grade sorcerer and ex-Star Plasma Vessel, Yuki must've been pretty isolated from her peers, especially since she considered even her and her brother to be good company.

Emi must've really been like an older sister to her, so if she died, it wouldn't be just Toji that'll be affected. Even Reina herself and probably even Suguru…

"I'm sure she'll be better than fine." Reina said quietly. "After all, Emi-neesan's scenario has changed. She has you as well as Toji."

"Do you know it?"

Well…

"No."

Then that day came, abruptly.

I.2

~ “When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place.” ~

"Don't do this, Toji." Yuki stood over his prone form as Megumi kept wailing in the background. "What would Emi think?"

Toji made a noise, like attempting anger, then it died. "…Don't say her name."

"You're disrespecting her memory by being like this. Don't you care about what she wanted?"

"She's dead, Yuki. Get the f*ck out and leave me alone." He flung an arm over his face and still didn't turn to look at her.

"No."

"f*ck off." Toji repeated, a bit more heatedly.

Yuki's voice wavered, but not with hesitation- with anger and grief. "No."

He just let out a heavy breath.

"You weren't the only person who loved Emi. Grief is- Grief is not a be-all end-all. If- If her husband- If the one who loved her the most disrespected her dying wishes like that, then-"

"I wish I had cursed energy." Toji muttered. "All this- this sh*t I'm feeling… I coulda cursed her with everything. I would've given anything for her to come back. As a curse. As anything…"

"She did leave you something, Toji." Yuki whispered, eyes burning. "And it wasn't a curse, because Emi could never leave something like that with you. She left you with a blessing."

Megumi. He did name it that.

"It's not her." Toji replied brokenly. "It's not Emi. She died for that kid."

"Your son." She said. "Your son and Emi's son. Are you really going to act this way to something- someone who Emi loved that much?"

He sucked in an aborted breath. "If it meant that Emi could live, I could kill him in a heartbeat-"

And he let the kick connect, let the pain ripple across his body before he caught himself, rising to a stand before the wall behind him could collapse under the impact.

"You're lying."

There is a dull panging in his chest. It's dull because it hurt and kept hurting until that anguish sunk into his bones and took root. Waves of roiling nausea clouded his mind. He didn't want to think. This was now his existence.

"You sorcerers are so good at dealing with death. I bet this is second nature for you."

"…This isn't about me. Emi is dead." Yuki bit out. "There's nothing you can do about it. But can you live with yourself knowing your son is- knowing Megumi will grow up without his father as well as his mother?"

"I can't live with myself." He muttered in exhaustion. "What do I even do?"

"Stop f*cking around like this. Take the- the harder path because Emi made you a better person than- than this."

"Even if I spit on our past together… it won't affect her." Toji replied blandly. "There's no one to become a better person for."

"Your son. Your son, Toji." Yuki pleaded- She felt like she was begging. "I know you love him. I know you do. Don't act like this."

"I don't care… I don't care anymore."

"I know you're lying."

"He won't have a good life with me." He exhaled abruptly, like he was pushing that thought away. "Leave me the f*ck alone, Tsukumo."

"…Think about what we talked about." She muttered, carding a stressed hand through her hair, feeling raw. "If you're still acting like this next time I see you… I'll kill you myself."

Yuki's eyes snapped open and she sat up, wincing at the stiffness in her neck.

"Dozed off, Yuki-chan?" Emi smiled at her, patting her hand. "We should just go home now. No point in staying for longer than a day, especially with how smooth the delivery was. Megumi's healthy as well. Everyone's alive and safe. You can catch a proper break now."

"'Proper break'?" Yuki repeated with a chuckle. "Shouldn't I say that to you, Emi? You were the pregnant one."

"You acted as a personal physician. It was cute seeing you worry so much. It made me stop worrying."

Yuki shook her head, "Where's Toji?"

"He got all hissy about you being 'in his spot', so I sent him to drop the kids off. Jeez, I feel like everyone's more worried about this than me."

"Haha… Well, on a separate note, are you really going to name your son 'Megumi'? Isn't it a female name?"

"Traditionally yes, but Toji was discussing names before we knew his gender and it really stuck. 'Blessing'." Emi sighed exasperatedly. "He seemed pretty geared towards female names too. He told me he'd rather the child be a girl because there's a smaller chance that the Zenin would come pouncing at our doorstep. I feel like I should feel a little more hesitant, but it just… makes sense. I can't see him as any other name."

"Yes, I think that explains why Reina-chan kept using that word as well."

"Should I be worried that my boy might get bullied for it?" She clasped her cheek in worry. "Maybe I should find a different name?"

"…With all of us around, do you really think that?" Yuki chuckled. "Toji would terrorise anyone who tried."

[2003]

"I'm so sick of them two! Even Yuki-chan!" Emi sighed as she grabbed Megumi from Kong Shiu's arms to feed him. "I mean, it's so cute seeing them being like this, but… it's also annoying!"

"I see." Shiu nodded gravely. "Well, I must admit seeing this side of Toji is nothing short of amusing."

"Yuki-sensei has her reasons." Reina added severely.

"Since when did you two get so in sync." Emi chuckled, then raised a brow as a palm slapped loudly against the window to their left, dragging down the panel and leaving a visible smear.

"R-Reina, it's your turn now." Suguru huffed, streaks of blood running down his face, dirt in his hair.

"No…" She mumbled, looking in horror at Yuki's wink and Toji's grin. Shiu gave her a consoling pat on the shoulder.

"You're cleaning that as soon as you get fixed up, young man." Emi lectured, shaking her head in disapproval. "I'll never get to my dream garden at this rate."

[Early 2005]

"Egotistically staring at your own visage again, Nii-san?" Reina yelled worriedly as she slammed open the bathroom door.

Snip.

Suguru blinked at her, mouth slightly agape as strands of his hair fluttered down, missing the sink that he'd been bent over as he'd turned at the commotion.

"Oh." She sighed in relief.

After she caught her brother- sometime two years ago- staring at his reflection in the middle of the night with bile in the sink, she started knocking and calling a question whenever he spent more than a little while in the bathroom. If he spent too long, she would just barge in.

Reina would not let him develop a bathroom-brooding habit. Privacy be damned.

And… his hair cut be damned as well, she supposed. Oops.

To be fair, the 'I'm fine' he gave ten minutes ago sounded strained. Then she'd heard the clank of something metal against the sink-

Well.

This must be the reason why…

Pretending like nothing happened, she ignored her racing heartbeat and snickered at him. "You look silly."

"I'm cutting my hair." He complained, with a unicorn ponytail. A unicorn tail. And it was short. "I was just about done thinning the ends when you made me mess up."

"I told you to invest in thinning scissors."

"Don't try to avoid blame." Suguru mock-warned teasingly.

Reina stuck her tongue out. Then she offered him a wide smile. "Nii-san will look cool no matter what anyways. Unless you get a mohawk. Don't get a mohawk."

He huffed, lips curling in amusem*nt. "Why would I get a mohawk?"

"Exactly."

"Since I have to clean up later anyway, do you want me to trim your hair?"

Reina twisted a few strands between her fingers. "I trimmed my fringe myself, but it's always a bit uneven on my left side because my hair sits weird and my right hand is clumsy. Should I make all of it shorter?"

Suguru assessed her from behind his hair. "I'll try fix it, but you look fine anyway. Do you want your hair shorter?"

She shrugged.

"Hmm, you're a girl, Rei, so you can keep your hair as long as you like."

"Nii-san can keep his hair long too." She eyeballing the amount of hair in the sink in devastation. "Cuz you look handsome like that, hehe."

"Don't 'hehe' me." Suguru huffed as he tried to even out the misstep from before. "I've kept my hair long for a while already. If I'll be exorcising more curses, it might be better to have all my hair up, so having it shorter means it weighs less on your scalp."

"Don't think anything would be as hard as sparring with Yuki-sensei and Toji…"

"True that… So you wanna just keep your hair long?"

"Mhm, you can keep practising a buncha hairstyles on me."

"Exactly." He pulled the elastic band out to assess his hair.

"I like it." She grinned, "Give me the chin bits too. Like yours!"

"Chin bits? Like… mine…?" Suguru turned to look into the mirror and grabbed at the hair by his face- strands that landed from his cheekbone to the level of his mouth. "sh*t, too short… And it's uneven too. I won't be able to tie it up. It's all because of you, Rei."

"Wha-at?" She arched a brow. "Well I did you a favour then, Nii-san. You look less like an egg if you have a face-framing piece."

"…Sure." He replied dryly. "Should I do it on both sides?"

"Nah."

"Nah." Suguru agreed.

"Give me chin bits." Reina reminded him. "It's like a hime cut. It looks pretty."

"A specific hairstyle? You're asking for a bit much." He muttered mock-nervously. "After screwing up my hair cut like that, you really trust me not to take revenge out on your hair?"

"Like. I. Said, it's not my fault, Nii-san." Reina insisted. "You woulda had that hairstyle anyway! I'm a prophetess! A seer! I know all."

"Uh huh." Suguru towered over her, scissors looming threateningly over her head. "Be prepared."

He says that, but he ends up spending a solid hour making sure everything was even and smooth despite it being just a trim.

It was probably the last time they'd be in this apartment. After moving to the dorms in Jujutsu High, there was a near zero likelihood of them returning to that Geto nameplate.

There wasn't anything much to write on the letter they left behind for their father.

Chapter 10

Chapter Text

[Early 2003]

"Hey kid, heard you could also see cursed spirits?" Kong Shiu offered a small grin. "Cuz me too."

Reina stared at him and blinked in acknowledgement.

"Zero reaction?"

"I don't know what to ask." She said. "Or say. Shall I trauma-dump you since we have… a similarity?"

"Fair. I mean, if you asked me, 'are you traumatised too?' I think I'd bust my gut laughing." He snickered. "I have no clue. Well, I guess, fancy seeing another one of us. I've met a few people who can see curses before."

"Are there many?"

"Nah, not really. But if they survive, they have a presence. Guess you could say I'm here to inspect your potential as an ally."

"I'm nine years old." Then she admitted. "Almost ten."

"Ooh," He shuddered. "The double digits. How terrifying."

Reina gave him a flat look.

"Okay, stop that. That's unnerving."

"I'm most eager to have allies." Reina replied blandly. "There's no point in making enemies. 'Sides, if you're Toji's friend, then aren't we just mutual friends?"

"I would not call myself Toji's friend exactly…"

"…Then what are you?" She paused. "Toji already has a wife."

Shiu snorted, then chuckled. "Was that a joke?"

[2005]

Jujutsu High felt far off and detached from the suburbs. She wasn't at ease, dragging a small suitcase with what little things she had to pack, and worse yet, Reina was separated from Suguru as soon as they stepped through the front gate.

Suguru went with Yaga and this other man was giving her a rough tour.

"Dorms. You'll be staying here for the foreseeable future." The man gestured half-heartedly at the door with a simple 'Geto Reina' tag on it. It was strange how it was the only one labelled so far.

"Oh, I… It's far." She cleared her throat and spoke a little louder. "From my brother."

He paused, "Yes, it's separated by gender."

"As they would be." Reina nodded, feeling a little faint.

He looked at her closely, "Are you used to sharing a room with your brother?"

"Well. Well, yeah… it's-" She fiddled, suddenly realising it might appear strange to others. "It's- It was safer that way."

Weird as it may sound to others, they'd pretty much shared the same bed- or well, futon for most of their lives. They hadn't really questioned it. They only got a new one after Suguru started to get growth spurts, but by morning they were basically huddled together anyway.

It was just a habit they got: Reina, to hide, and Suguru, to shield. In the first place, their domestic situation was complicated. Suguru had to become more than just an older brother at the meagre age of three. He had to become a caretaker- a guardian. And they'd never grown out of it even after their walls were devoid of those 'monsters'.

Even when they slept over at the Fushiguro's, they roomed together. No one had questioned it. Toji just commented about how they looked like 'baby creatures' in a mildly horrified tone and Emi gushed that it was 'so cute' how close they were. But… they were both teenagers now. She supposed it was strange.

"Ah." The man scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I mean, even though the rooms are allocated, they're just picked randomly. I'm sure you could just take another room. Just tell Masamichi-san and probably ask your brother's classmates just in case."

"Oh, I can do that?" She felt her shoulders untense.

"Well, yeah, I suppose so. 'S not like we really have many people." Then he paused, suddenly looking contemplative.

A little confused, Reina murmured, "Thanks, um-"

"Oh, I forgot introductions. I'm Kusakabe Atsuya. Think of me like an assistant teacher or something. God knows occupations in the jujutsu world are all over the place."

"Kusakabe-san." She nodded. "Geto Reina."

"I know. You're the non-sorcerer kid with sh*t tons of cursed energy right?" Kusakabe placed a hand on her doorknob. "I just need to confirm something in case I misled you before- about changing rooms. Do you mind if I…?"

"It's an empty room." Reina nodded, "Go ahead."

Drawing in a breath, Kusakabe cracked open the door and glanced into the room. Then he shut it and sighed. "Sorry, kid. I did in fact mislead you. I don't think you can change rooms."

"Oh." There must be something in that room then. Something that isn't easily transferrable. No wonder the door had her name on it. What would they even put in her room?

The only thing that distinguished her from the rest was that: one- she wasn't exactly an enrolled student, two- she was a non-sorcerer, meaning three- she was unable to control the abundance of cursed energy she had.

There must be cursed energy repressing mechanisms in there. Then the only problem was why Kusakabe looked so uncomfortable and unwilling to meet her gaze.

Reina stepped in front of the man and grabbed at the door handle, twisting it. She took a deep inhale and pulled it open.

Yellow. Red.

Talismans.

She closed her eyes, drawing in another breath, then opened, clammy hand releasing the doorknob. There didn't seem to be a single inch of wall uncovered by talismans. Even the window was covered by it. They hung overhead as well.

A vibrant, blood-like red over an unflattering yellow.

It was the polar opposite of anything vaguely resembling homeliness. She hadn't had very high expectations, considering Suguru and her lived in a dump of an apartment for their entire lives, but somehow, she felt like she'd prefer a cardboard box on the street to this.

Pigni squeaked and she startled, sucking in another long breath to calm herself. Elevated heartrate, perspiration, dizziness. Fear and unease, clogging her veins.

She reined herself in, shaking her head just once to dispel it. Reina took a step in, halfway over the threshold of the room.

She froze when Pigni suddenly shrieked, disintegrating on her palm. Did it suddenly just- No, it was the room. It suppressed cursed energy, but… how strong was it to cause Pigni to disintegrate immediately like that?

She didn't want to step into the room.

Do these talismans actively eat away at cursed energy instead? Or do they purge away high deposits of negative energy?

Reina took a breath and blinked mechanically. Her heart palpitated.

She took another step in, fully within her room and glanced around, vision swooping with each movement of her head. Then she felt it-

Like something just pulled off a layer of her skin or cleansed her abdomen of her intestines. Her head spun and she adjusted her stance to stay upright.

Reina stared at her palms, squinted her eyes and focused. She had no cursed energy when she was in her room. Not even within herself. She didn't know it would feel this terrible. She felt naked.

A hand landed on her shoulder and she stilled, panic flaring through her.

"-Kid," Kusakabe called, edging his foot into the room. "Hey kid, are you alright? Eww, I'm getting goosebumps just being an arm in here."

"I was just a bit surprised." Her mouth was dry. She wetted her lips and swallowed. It hurt to swallow.

"…Pardon?"

She cleared her throat and mouthed the words, then pushed air out from her stomach. "I'm just surprised."

Reina walked back out, placing one foot after the other- Kusakabe guided her, grip tightening firmly on her shoulder. She had only been two steps into the room.

"It's pretty nasty inside, isn't it?" He said awkwardly. "Man, sh*t- I mean, damn, that's awkward."

"I suppose I'm grateful they exerted such effort for me." She said, ignoring the way he leant closer to her to catch the words. Reina felt lucky she could still breathe.

Kusakabe sighed, "No, it's a bit terrible of them, to be honest. External repression of cursed energy feels much worse. It's invasive."

"'External'?" She echoed.

"If you're surrounded by talismans, then typically they're designed to suck up cursed energy from outside to in, if it makes sense, and worse yet, they're even made to-" He shook his head. "Well, you don't need to know too much about it. I'm guessing they'll create another one for you that'll feel a little less terrible."

"Yes… I did request something like that." Although maybe she shouldn't've… She knew that it was on her for releasing so much cursed energy, but she didn't think she could live feeling like that all the time.

"If it's on your body, like a condensed talisman accessory or something, it should be better. Internal repression just cuts it off at the source, so it just feels disorienting, but not gross like that." He jabbed a thumb into her room.

Reina hummed absently, "Say, where's Nii-san?"

"The first years are out in a mission already. They should be on site by now."

"Already?" Her eyes widened. "I saw my brother like twenty minutes ago!"

"Well, what can I say? You've got two Special Grades off the bat. I heard the last one's crazy at Reverse Cursed Technique too. They'll be thrown to the wolves immediately. Although in this case, the wolves aren't exactly threatening…"

She nodded silently, feeling distant.

This wasn't ideal. About half an hour ago, Yaga had insisted that Suguru shouldn't leave any cursed spirits with her because Jujutsu High was safe. Pigni was an exception since it was weak and hardly took up any cursed energy anyway, but… Pigni popped. Suguru must've been aware.

So, Suguru might be stressed right now. What if it distracts him on the mission? Should she find a way to contact him? Speaking of which, it really was about time she got a phone.

She startled when Kusakabe plopped a hand on her head, mussing it up. "You'll be alright, kid. Stay strong. You're protected in here."

She tidied her bangs with a polite smile. She was protected, even though this room was something akin to a torture cell for her? "Thank you. I'll try."

"There's no curses on campus, but it's still better to know how to defend yourself. I have spare time to burn if you want to learn kenjutsu. Whenever you're bored, you can come find me."

"Kenjutsu?" Extended reach was always useful. Definitely. "I will. Thanks, Kusakabe-san."

He ruffled her hair, messing it up all over again, "No problem, kid."

Satoru blinked curiously as the other Special Grade- Geto Suguru, aka that kid from, like, nine years ago, paused abruptly.

Face almost eerily blank, he opened his mouth, then said robotically. "I need to go."

"Go in the bushes." Satoru drawled, knowing full well he didn't mean a toilet break. Suguru ignored him and was already turning around, cursed spirit manifesting beside him.

It was strange to witness, even though he'd told them in (excessively, no matter how intrigued Shoko was) specific detail what his technique was.

"Hey." Satoru grabbed his arm. "Ditching on the first day already? I guess my first impression of you being a teacher's pet was totes wrong. Or is it the nerves? I can hold your hand if ya want."

"Geto-kun, is there an issue?" Their manager inquired skeptically.

Satoru says what he says, but he knew it was probably his sister. Last time it was about her as well.

"My sister's in trouble." Suguru pulled lightly at his grip.

"Knew it." He muttered to himself.

His deep purple eyes latched onto Satoru again, unflinching. Satoru tightened his grip and pulled him towards him. That was what he liked about Suguru. The way he looks at him.

Even though they'd only seen each other for a while, Satoru liked him. Satoru had liked him that one time they talked nine years ago as well.

Not that Suguru remembers.

This person… A Special Grade like him, but clanless. Everyone in the 'great sorcerer families' would throw their sh*t when his grading reached their ears.

But also, he felt completely disconnected from what Satoru perceived of clanless individuals.

He didn't really react to his name, nor his eyes. Not shock, not awe, just mild, short-lived curiosity that was oddly… distant. Respectful, perhaps, would be a better word.

Suguru was polite. Unerringly so. He had that 'good kid' vibe in a way that bothers and intrigues Satoru. And what was worse was the fact that Satoru knew he was that 'good kid'. There was no larger shock than seeing a genuinely kind person in this rotten world.

Besides all that… he seemed much more interested in Shoko's ability than his…

"Knew what?"

Satoru blinked widely at him. "Your siscon?"

Suguru tugged his hand out and scowled. "I don't have time for this."

"Finish the mission first. We're here already anyway." Satoru told him, totally not a whine. "You don't wanna get expelled, do ya?"

"There's only one reason why I joined this school in the first place." Suguru said dryly, almost mockingly. "It's not like my grades are bad."

"Send one of your curses ahead first if you're that worried, Geto. They don't need to listen to traffic laws." Shoko suggested with a small, reassuring smile. "With you two, we'd probably finish in less than five. It won't be long."

"Exactly! Listen to Shoko!"

"Gojo-san can probably finish it in less than five by himself." Suguru muttered.

"Call me 'Satoru'."

"Not the time."

"The time it takes you to shake off Gojo won't be worth it." Shoko chuckled. "C'mon, Geto."

"…Fine."

"Yay-yay."

"A grown fifteen year old did not just say 'yay'…"

"Yay-ay-ay-ay-yay-"

"The f*ck?" Satoru grumbled. "That was so easy."

"What's even the point of having two Special Grades on a mission?" Suguru muttered as the manager beckoned them over.

"Hey, don't say that! The more the merrier, right Shoko?"

"Don't ask me. I don't have any offensive techniques, so apart from testing my mettle with this mission, there's not much reason for me to be out." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Lucky."

"Can I go now?" He glanced at the manager impatiently, a cesspool of cursed energy whirling behind him.

"Your sister's fine." The man told him. "Yaga-sensei texted a few minutes ago. That cursed spirit was exorcised due to a sudden repression of areal cursed energy."

"She's fine?" Suguru repeated, shoulders slumping. "I need to get her a phone."

"Siscon." Satoru mumbled. Then he cleared his throat and said louder- "SIS-COOO- Hrgh!"

Suguru cut him off with a sharp jab of his elbow.