JJK: Binary (Jujutsu Kaisen Fanfiction)

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CHAPTER START---

---July 10th 2014…

Ascending the steps to Taiyo's family shrine, Mei Mei carries her battleaxe on her shoulder. Her clothes have light blood-splatter and her expression is relaxed and confident, as always.

She stops at the top of the plateau, in front of the large rebuilt shrine. A Shinto style building with a massive doorway, lined with deity statues and paper talismans, which Taiyo only now recognizes as Jujutsu Seals.

Looking down at the valley, she sees his family home, also fully repaired, the full moon reflecting in the lake behind his house as a cool breeze sends a chill through the area.

Mei Mei takes a deep breath, appreciating the clean forest air for a moment before turning and walking into the shrine, pushing open the massive wooden doors with ease to enter the main chamber.

As she enters the room is a gargantuan hall, easily the size of four basketball courts.

And in the middle of it is the Barrier of a Domain Expansion.

The Barrier was only half visible, appearing like a dome as only the top of it was above the ground.

She raises a brow at this, for the first time seeing his Domain Expansion in person. And with it, a strange Barrier that shed didn't know was possible.

'So the Barrier doesn't push away anything without Cursed Energy, nor does it adjust itself to find uncontested space when cast. Instead, it simply permeates the area, interesting…'

Mei Mei closes the door behind her, keeping the cold night air out as she walks around the barrier.

To the far side of the room is a long wooden bench with a notebook on it, beside a familiar cooler, so she has a seat and fishes out a can of coffee.

A few minutes later as she's idly scrolling through her phone, relaxing and enjoy the silence, the Barrier shatters, revealing Taiyo Daburu sitting on the floor, wearing only a pair of shorts.

His back was toward her, allowing her to observe how much his body has changed, now a hair shorter than Gojo with a much more muscular build, but still lean enough that fit together like perfectly crafter puzzle pieces.

"How was your trip?" He asks, not bothering to open his eyes, much less get up from his meditation pose.

"Insider trading, business opportunities, corruption, a sudden job… all profit, the usual," Mei Mei says. "Was your day more eventful?"

"My efficiency is much better, still not acceptable, yet."

"How was your talk with Kusakabe?"

Taiyo scoffs. "He says I should wait until the fight with Gojo before delving into specific Barrier techniques."

"He's right."

"Doesn't mean it's not annoying. But I do need to work on my Domain Expansion refinement before I fight Gojo, and I've only got 2 months to do it."

"Do you have a specific goal?"

"Altering the Barrier and variables as much as I can, and using multiple Domain Expansions in one day."

"The first one, reasonable. The second, impossible."

"At this rate, probably," Taiyo says. "Any word on that Cursed Tool I want?"

"The Zen'In family has it. But why do you want that specific tool so badly? It won't help you beat Gojo."

"I don't intend to use it in any fights," he says. "Cursed Tools are objects that have been saturated enough to have a permanent Cursed Energy stain."

"I'm aware. I do have one, remember?" She glances over at her axe.

"Yes, but Cursed Tools with Innate Cursed Techniques etched into them exist because a Barrier is either subconsciously or consciously applied—"

"So you want to study that one to better understand all Barrier Technique, since it's spatial and material."

"Now you get it."

"The Zen'In hate Gojo, so I recommend waiting for them to approach you after the fight. They will request a meeting to begin negotiations, simply demand that Cursed Tool be the price of you entertaining their offer."

"Two months."

"Trust me, you want to enter negotiations after they invite you. They barely respect their fellow Zen'In, they won't respect anyone who comes to them asking for something."

"Kusakabe says I should wait until after fighting Gojo to manifest Shinigami, since they are effectively just a living Barrier Technique."

"He's right. You could learn it now, but those things would be useless against him, even if you had a century to train."

"They were never meant for that. I just want to learn everything there is about Jujutsu, don't you?"

"Only the profitable parts."

"Such a heinous, greedy woman."

"And yet we work so well together. Why is that?"

"You're pretty. Why do you put up with me again?"

Mei Mei shrugs. "You're a good investment."

"Four minutes," Taiyo says, and Mei Mei opens his notebook and jots it down in his notes.

"You've cut the time by half," she says as she gets up and walks over, carrying the notebook and pen.

"I need to lower it even more. I bet Gojo's Limitless is usable within a minute of his Domain Expansion dispersing, that leaves me without an Innate Technique for three minutes longer than him."

"A death sentence." She sits beside him and leans her full weight against his shoulder. "I want something."

"You always want something."

"I want your Innate Technique," she says, and he opens his eyes to glance down at her.

They look at each other as she's resting her head on his shoulder, almost uncomfortably close, so she leans forward and gives him a gentle kiss.

"When you figure out Cursed Tools, I'd like your Innate Technique on my battleaxe."

"I'll add it to the long list of things to figure out."

"First on that list, is surviving."

"I doubt Gojo would actually kill me."

"Not Gojo," she take out her phone and holds it for him to read the screen. "Someone hates you. Someone with a lot of money."

"That's a big bounty. Is it an open bounty?"

"No," she says, putting her phone away. "They sent it to me and, likely, a handful of others."

"Anyone I should be concerned about?"

"I'm not allowed to say."

"Tch, Binding Vows. Did you accept?"

"Of course, it would be suspicious if I didn't."

"Plan to cash it in?"

"Depends on how hard I can put you to sleep tonight."

Taiyo thinks about it for a moment, then shrugs. "Worth the risk."

Mei Mei rolls her eyes. "That Special Grade arrogance is only half as sexy as you think."

"Oh, so you think it's sexy?"

"This isn't as trivial as you think."

"I know. But would anyone even attack me? Aren't I protected by Jujutsu Tech?"

"Yes, and no. There are loopholes since Jujutsu Sorcerer are mostly independent. Besides, putting a bounty on a Special Grade means they likely don't actually care about the school coming after them."

"Do you think it's the higher-ups?"

"No. They still have hope you'll join them instead of Gojo. They're paying me extra to spy on you now."

"I assumed as much." Taiyo takes the notebook and records the data from his last Domain Expansion, along with a few new ideas for Binding Vows. "Well, it can't be one of the clans since they all want me on their side, which would only leave Geto, but he wouldn't make this type of move, either."

"So, a new player, how tedious. This would all be much easier if you simply aligned yourself with Satoru Gojo."

"His agenda is his own, and honestly, it's so boring. So are the conservatives."

"Oh, then, what's your plan?"

Taiyo finishes his notes, then turns to her, releasing neutral Cursed Energy in his hand and extending it to her.

"Do you really want to know?"

Mei Mei looks down at his hand, then up at him, mind flickering between everything she knows about him.

And for all his insane beliefs, she couldn't imagine one that required a Binding Vow to keep it between them.

So she accepts, and he reveals his ambitions to her.

"You're insane," was her only response, was THE only response.

"And that's the only reason this might just work."

Mei Mei doesn't hesitate to draw a small blade from her ankle holster and press it against his neck, but Taiyo doesn't flinch.

He just stares at her with a gentle gaze, smiling knowingly. "Aren't you curious about it, too?"

"No. In fact, that's the last thing I'd want."

"Maybe, but like you say, everything has a price. So what's yours?"

Mei Mei pauses for a moment, seriously considering the insanity of it all.

"The risk is too high for me to be a part of this."

"Then we keep that to ourselves."

"And the profit, it has to be…it has to be…" For the first time in her life, she struggles to put a value to something, mind reeling as impossibility is offered to her. "Everything. I would need everything."

Taiyo smiles, gently holding her waist and leaning forward. Her blade withdraws and he leans in and gives her a passionate kiss, marking their insidious partnership.

"For you, that's an offer I just can't refuse…"

END CHAPTER---

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