Rin was awakened by a faint scent of sandalwood.
As his consciousness pulled away from the chaos, his nose first caught that strange yet gentle fragrance. It was not as heavy as ordinary incense; it was more like dried flowers hidden between the pages of a book, faint and just right.
He slowly opened his eyes. The first thing that came into view was an off-white canopy embroidered with dark patterns. The hanging tassels swayed gently with a breeze that felt like breath. The bed beneath him was surprisingly soft, a stark contrast to the cold concrete floor of the school warehouse and the blood-stained ruins he had previously experienced.
Rin sat up slowly, his fingertips subconsciously rubbing the fabric. The school uniform that had been torn to shreds by the Cursed Spirit and soaked in blood was long gone, replaced by a well-fitted white casual outfit. The fabric was as light as a cloud, and pressing against his skin, it inexplicably relaxed his long-tense nerves.
He looked around. This was an elegant Japanese-style room. The paper doors were half-open, revealing a dry landscape garden outside with blue-gray pebbles and a few short pine trees leaning against the stones, exuding the unique tranquility of a Japanese garden.
Besides the sandalwood, there was a trace of weak but stable Cursed Energy fluctuation in the air. Clearly, this was a secure space that had been specially arranged.
"Awake?"
A gentle voice came from outside the canopy, wrapped in a bit of a smile, like the warm wind of spring.
Rin followed the sound and looked over. Suguru Geto was sitting at a low table not far away, holding a cup of steaming Matcha. The white mist curled upwards, blurring half of his face.
He was still wearing his signature black monk's robe, his long hair tied back with a wooden hairpin, with a few strands hanging by his cheeks. A composed smile played on his face. If it were not for knowing his identity, he would really look like a gentle and elegant senior.
Rin did not let his guard down. He leaned his back gently against the headboard, his eyes quickly scanning the corners of the room. He was acting very cautiously.
Suguru Geto seemed to see through the wariness in his eyes. He pushed another cup of prepared Matcha to the edge of the table with his fingertips. The porcelain cup clicked against the wooden table:
"Don't worry, this is a stronghold of the Star Plasma Vessel Society. There are no Cursed Spirits here; it is very safe." He paused, his tone becoming even gentler, "No need to be nervous. I have no malice; I just want to have a good talk with you."
Rin silently lifted the quilt and got out of bed, stepping barefoot onto the soft-carpeted tatami mats. Warmth spread up from the soles of his feet.
He walked to the low table and sat down, his gaze falling on the cup of Matcha. The emerald tea was clear, floating with a layer of fine foam, but he did not reach out to touch it.
He looked up and stared at Suguru Geto, his voice still a bit hoarse from just waking up: "Who are you? Why did you bring me here?"
"My name is Suguru Geto." Suguru Geto put down his own teacup, his fingertips gently rubbing the cold rim of the cup, his eyes calmly meeting Rin's gaze. "As for my identity... you can understand it as: I am a guardian of 'Jujutsu Sorcerers' and an eliminator of 'Cursed Spirits'. But now, I prefer to call myself the leader of the Star Plasma Vessel Society."
Seeing a flash of doubt in Rin's eyes, Suguru Geto smiled slightly and continued to explain:
"In this world, there exist 'Cursed Spirits' that ordinary people cannot see. They are born from human negative emotions and feed on humans. The monsters you saw and killed in the school before are Cursed Spirits."
He deliberately paused for a moment, observing Rin's reaction. "And those who can see and fight against Cursed Spirits are called 'Jujutsu Sorcerers'. The ability you used to control Cursed Energy earlier already shows that you are a Jujutsu Sorcerer."
Rin's pupils shrank slightly. He had watched jujutsu kaisen before transmigrating, so he naturally knew Suguru Geto's identity and the rules of this world.
But he could not expose his origin and had to force himself to show a look of "shock and confusion," as if hearing these cognitive-subverting things for the first time.
Suguru Geto took in all his reactions. His tone was still gentle, but it had a bit more of a guiding nuance:
"There are two types of Jujutsu Sorcerers. One is managed by the official organization 'Jujutsu High' and handles Cursed Spirit incidents according to instructions; the other, like me, does not agree with the philosophy of Jujutsu High and chooses to walk its own path."
When he mentioned "its own path," his fingertips tightened slightly, and a flash of imperceptible firmness flashed in his eyes.
"The Star Plasma Vessel Society is the organization I founded to realize my ideals. We want to create a world with only Jujutsu Sorcerers, so that Jujutsu Sorcerers are no longer feared or ostracized by ordinary people."
As the words fell, Suguru Geto's gaze landed on Rin.
He saw the young man with his head slightly bowed, the bangs on his forehead covering the emotions in his eyes. His fingers were unconsciously picking at the edge of the tatami mat. He was as quiet as a statue, and it was impossible to tell what he was pondering.
Suguru Geto understood. Anyone who suddenly learned that they were in such a world and was taken away by a strange organization would fall into chaos.
He did not continue to press, but stood up supporting the table, his eyes carrying a hint of understanding as they swept over Rin: "After sleeping for so long, you must be hungry. Go eat something to pad your stomach first. It's a good time to introduce you to some new friends."
Rin did not refuse.
He knew very clearly that he had only just arrived in this world. He was still ignorant about the background of the Star Plasma Vessel Society and even the control of his own abilities. Following Suguru Geto was undoubtedly the fastest way to understand the current situation.
He nodded, got up with Suguru Geto, and walked towards the door.
The two walked along the wooden corridor. The pillars were carved with simple cloud patterns, and the sunlight shone through the gaps in the eaves, casting mottled light and shadow on the ground.
Along the way, they could see people wearing uniform white clothes from time to time. Some were wiping the floor, others were whispering. When they saw Suguru Geto, they would immediately stop and bow respectfully, uniformly calling him "Leader." The eyes were full of awe and trust.
But Suguru Geto just nodded slightly, without even giving an extra look, as if the reverence of these followers was just a common occurrence to him.
Rin silently kept all this in his heart. The organizational structure of the Star Plasma Vessel Society was far stronger than he had imagined, and Suguru Geto's prestige within it was unfathomable.
The dining room was a spacious Japanese-style room with a long solid wooden table in the center. Several exquisite side dishes were already set on the table: pickled plums, golden grilled dried fish, steaming miso soup, and bowls of white rice.
Several people were sitting at the long table. Hearing footsteps, they looked up one after another. Their gazes fell on Rin, with curiosity and scrutiny, but no hostility, more like sizing up a companion who was about to join.
"Let me introduce everyone. This is Rin, whom I mentioned to you before."
Suguru Geto walked to the table with a smile, raised his hand and patted Rin's shoulder lightly, then pointed to the corner of the long table, "This is Miguel, you should have met him at school before."
In the corner, the bald man raised his eyes, a hearty smile hooked at the corner of his mouth, and waved at Rin: "Yo, kid, welcome!" He spoke with a bit of an exotic accent, his tone full of appreciation.
"This is Manami." Suguru Geto pointed to a young woman next to him. She had short orange hair, was tall, and had a gentle smile on her face. She nodded slightly to Rin: "Welcome, Rin. If you have any questions about living here, you can ask me."
"This is Larue." Suguru Geto pointed to a burly white Jujutsu Sorcerer. He was shirtless, his strong muscles rising and falling with his breathing, which was a bit dizzying.
Larue stood up and reached out to Rin, his palms rough but warm: "Welcome! I've heard about your battle; it was very impressive!"
Finally, Suguru Geto pointed to the two girls at the other end of the long table: "And them, Nanako and Mimiko, they are sisters."
Nanako had short brownish-yellow hair, her eyes revealing a hint of vigilance and curiosity; Mimiko had smooth long black hair, standing quietly behind her sister, revealing only a pair of lively eyes.
Seeing Rin look over, Nanako hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice: "Hello..."
Rin looked at the two girls in front of him, his heart moved slightly. He could catch the inquiry hidden in their eyes that was deliberately suppressed.
It must be that Suguru Geto had told them something in advance. He did not say much, just nodded slightly, as a response.
The meal went quite calmly. Miguel talked the most, occasionally asking about the details of Rin's battle with the Mantis Cursed Spirit, his eyes full of excitement. Manami occasionally interjected, mostly popularizing basic common knowledge of Cursed Energy control. Nanako and Mimiko ate very quietly, just secretly sizing him up from time to time.
Suguru Geto rarely spoke, just watched everyone quietly. Whenever Rin was asked questions he didn't know how to answer, he would cleverly change the subject and help him out.
The sunlight outside the window gradually slanted westward, falling on the wooden edge of the table, warm and cozy.
Rin dealt with everyone's inquiries while observing silently. He knew that his life in this world had only truly begun from the moment he stepped into this restaurant.