"And so it begins."
In a high-rise building across from where Gojo and Geto were carrying out their mission, two men stood in quiet conversation.
The man on the right spoke first. "The Star Religious Group doesn't have the firepower to fight sorcerers themselves anymore, but they pay well—and they pay on time. I can guarantee that much." He glanced sideways at his companion. "What do you say, Zen'in? Want a piece of this Star Plasma Vessel assassination?"
"It's not Zen'in anymore. I married into my wife's family; the name is Fushiguro now." The man used his right foot to lazily scratch the arch of his left. This was the top-tier "Sorcerer Killer," the possessor of the ultimate Heavenly Restriction: Toji Fushiguro.
"Fine, I'll take the job." Toji smirked and turned to look at the middleman, Shiu Kong. "That kid from the tournament isn't around. As for the two 'Strongest' left behind... they're nothing special."
As you might have guessed, Toji Fushiguro had also bet on himself to win the tournament, only to be eliminated. He then borrowed a substantial sum to go all-in on Hasegumo, resulting in another crushing financial loss.
Consequently, Toji had been keeping a silent eye on the kid, waiting for an opportunity to beat him up and vent some frustration. After analyzing the current situation, he concluded that the only person likely to cause him real trouble was the runner-up of the last martial arts tournament, Hasegumo. Fortunately for him, Hasegumo wasn't participating in this mission.
The deep mountains always offered a coolness that the city lacked. Layers of dense foliage blanketed the earth, making it feel as though the world was divided into two distinct realms: Tokyo, and here.
"The mountains really are the place to live," Hasegumo muttered, tying his jacket around his waist. He took a deep breath of the crisp air as he strolled along. "But seriously... that woman lives all the way out here?"
Wisps of smoke rose in the distance, a sign of human habitation. Further ahead lay a small village of about a dozen households.
He picked up the pace, arriving at the village just as noon approached. He was greeted by a solemn array of traditional black-roofed houses. At the village entrance, a lone old man was walking a dog.
"Old timer, is there a family named Itadori living here?" Hasegumo asked.
"Do young people not check travel guides before they leave the house these days?" The old man chuckled at him. "Every single household in this village is named Itadori."
"(╯□╰)"
Hasegumo could only offer a helpless expression. How was he supposed to know? Yaga-sensei had only given him a general address. "I'm looking for a woman named Kaori Itadori."
"Kaori?" Upon hearing the name, the old man's expression shifted. It was a strange mix of dropped suspicion and lingering dread. He pointed behind him toward a large estate. "Over there. The biggest house."
Without another word, he tugged on his dog's leash and vanished around a corner, as if fleeing from something.
Knock, knock.
Hasegumo followed the directions and knocked on the courtyard gate of the village's largest residence. It was a peculiar sight; while the surrounding houses were humble single-story farmhouses, this one was a two-story modern home with an expansive yard.
"Who are you?"
A white-haired man stepped out. His wrinkles weren't particularly deep yet, but he had prominent "tear troughs" cutting down his cheeks.
"Hello, my name is Hasegumo. I'm looking for Kaori Itadori." Hasegumo didn't beat around the bush. Sensing no Cursed Energy from the man, he assumed he was a normal civilian.
"Looking for... Kaori?" The old man froze. "I'm her father-in-law, Wasuke Itadori. She's dead. What was your relationship with her?"
"Dead?" Hasegumo was at a loss for words. He couldn't exactly tell the man he came to see if his daughter-in-law was a sorcerer so he could avenge his master.
"I see... I was a friend of hers. I heard the news and came to pay my respects." It took less than two seconds for Hasegumo to weave a flimsy lie.
However, the old man didn't seem to care why he was there. He simply pointed to a small outbuilding behind the courtyard. "Her memorial tablet is in there. If you want to pay your respects, go ahead."
Hasegumo figured that since he was already here, he might as well confirm things. He watched the old man head back inside and then let himself in, walking toward the small shrine.
"Huh. She really is dead," Hasegumo muttered, staring at the black-and-white photograph on the table. It was exactly as he remembered—except for the forehead.
"Stitches... why are there no stitches?" Hasegumo whispered to himself.
Thud.
The sound of something dropping came from outside. Hasegumo spun around and stepped through the door.
Wasuke Itadori was standing there, having just passed by with a bowl of fruit. An apple had rolled onto the ground, but he stood frozen, staring at Hasegumo with wide, hollow eyes. "What did you... just say?"
"What? The stitches?" Hasegumo realized the man had been eavesdropping.
Wasuke dropped the bowl entirely, lunging forward to grab Hasegumo by the shoulders. "You can see them? You saw the stitches on that woman's forehead?!"
"Uh..." Hasegumo gently pried the man's hands off and knelt to pick up the fruit. "They aren't in the photo, but I saw her about six or seven years ago. Back then, she definitely had stitches on her forehead."
"Also," Hasegumo said, placing the bowl back into the trembling hands of the old man. "Isn't she your daughter-in-law? Why do you call her 'that woman'?"
Seeing Hasegumo's calm demeanor, Wasuke seemed to slowly regain his senses. "So... they really were there."
"My apologies, Mr. Gumo." Wasuke gestured for him to follow. "Please, stay for a simple meal. I will answer your questions."
Hiss—! Steam whistled from the spout of the kettle, a shrill reminder to Suguru Geto that the water had reached a rolling boil.
He delicately tore open a tea bag, poured the water, and watched the steam carry the tea's aroma upward. He dropped in a sugar cube and used a spoon to gently stir.
"Please! I beg you, let's talk! It's my fault, I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!"
In the corner, a curse user in a naval uniform was screaming in despair as a cursed spirit held him in a tight, suffocating embrace, leaning in as if for a kiss.
Geto blew gently on the steam rising from his cup and took a slow sip. Life, he decided, was truly beautiful.
"I quit! I won't be a curse user anymore! I'll leave 'Q'!" The cursed spirit's long tongue flicked out, licking away the cold sweat—dripping from either fear or disgust—on the man's face. "I'll go back to the countryside and farm rice! Is that okay?!"
But even beauty has its blemishes. Geto turned his head and cupped his hand over his ear, gesturing that he couldn't hear a word the man was saying.
"You can clearly hear me!"
"My, a curse user who wants to be a farmer." Geto took another sip, his eyes narrowing as he savored the sweetness of the tea.
"You heard me! You're just a student, how dare you look down on—" The cursed spirit's slimy tongue continued its work, coating the man's cheek in thick, viscous saliva.
"Bayer-san is here too! He's Q's strongest fighter! Neither you nor those girls will—" Seeing that pleading wasn't working, the man tried to resort to threats. He didn't even get halfway through.
"This Bayer... do you mean this guy?"
Geto held up his new flip phone. On the screen was a selfie of Satoru Gojo; behind him was a man beaten so badly his face resembled a bruised pig—Bayer.
"That... is indeed him," the nameless curse user replied, his voice suddenly becoming very soft and very calm.
"Hellooo!" Satoru Gojo chirped as he strolled into the room. "Is this brat the Star Plasma Vessel?"
Without waiting for an answer, he unceremoniously scooped the girl into his arms. "Anyway, let's move her first, yeah?"
Geto face-palmed. "That is some serious 'creepy uncle' behavior, Satoru."
"ORA ORA ORA ORA!"
The girl's eyes flew open, and her "inner cosmos" exploded. She unleashed a barrage of strikes with a speed and ferocity never before seen in the jujutsu world—completely bypassing the Infinity and landing a resounding slap right across Gojo's face.
Leaping back and landing in a perfect combat stance, Riko Amanai declared Gojo's death sentence. "Insolent peasant! To dare lay hands on Milady! Prepare to die!"
"Riko-chan, calm down." Geto was still squinting, but the grin stretching across his face betrayed his amusement. "We aren't with the people who attacked you."
"Lies! Your face screams 'liar'! And that weird tuft of hair on your forehead is suspicious!" The martial arts master Riko Amanai immediately handed down her verdict.
The elevator doors slid open, and the sight that met Misato Kuroi's eyes made them go wide. "Please, stop!"
Riko Amanai was currently being held by Gojo and Geto, her arms and legs twisted like a pretzel, letting out angry but futile yelps. "KNOW YOUR PLACE!"
"Young lady, these two are on our side."
"Kuroi, what on earth are you riding?" Riko asked, noticing Misato was perched atop a massive bull.
To be fair, it was a valid question. The bull had two eyes arranged vertically, reddish skin, and no hair. Any normal person would have found it to be a "unique" species, to say the least.
"This is the technique of the gentleman with the weird hair tuft," Kuroi explained. She and Riko were clearly on the same wavelength; they had achieved perfect understanding without saying a word.
"Could you please stop using that description for me?" Geto asked helplessly. "It's Cursed Spirit Manipulation. As the name suggests, I manipulate cursed spirits I've absorbed."
"You're a lot more energetic than I expected, brat," Gojo said, plopping down on a sofa. "I was worried you'd be all depressed about the 'merging' thing. I was actually trying to figure out how to be sensitive."
"Such lowly concerns are beneath me!" Riko climbed onto the bull's head and raised her hand in a grand oratory gesture. "Listen well! Master Tengen is Milady, and Milady is Master Tengen!"
"While there are those like you who confuse 'merging' with 'death,' that is a grave mistake! Through the merger, Milady becomes Master Tengen, and Master Tengen becomes Milady! My will, my heart, and my soul will continue to live on after the merger!"
...
"Did you change your wallpaper?"
"Waka Inoue."
The "Strongest Duo" completely ignored her, continuing their casual chat.
"LISTEN TO ME!" The Great Riko-chan shouted, her face turning a deep shade of red from the sheer irritation of being ignored by these two idiots.
"I daresay, with such a temperament, your chances of making friends are quite dismal," Gojo mocked, adopting a mock-archaic tone.
"Verily, the masses shall celebrate your departure with great fanfare," Geto added, pulling out some pseudo-literary flair to join in.
"I talk normally at school!" Riko suddenly remembered something. "School! Kuroi, what time is it?"
"It's still morning, but I think school is probably..." The gold-medal maid, Misato Kuroi, suggested that perhaps skipping school was for the best today.
But Riko shut her down instantly.
"Quiet! I said I'm going, so I'm going!"