JJK: Wheel of Time

"A cursed spirit that can speak and communicate like a human?" Shin Shuichi shifted his gaze from the steaming hotpot on the table to Gojo Satoru across from him, then nodded with certainty.

"I even had a little chat with him. He's like someone with mental issues, calls himself 'Mahito,' and his technique is related to souls. Most of my attacks didn't affect him much, which is how he managed to escape."

Gojo rubbed his chin, intrigued. An unrecorded special-grade cursed spirit, and such a peculiar one. Was it newly born, or had the "Windows" just missed it?

"Gojo-sensei, do you know of any cursed tools or methods that can directly target souls?" Shin asked.

Gojo thought for a moment before replying, "Such items are extremely rare. I've come across a cursed tool with a similar function before, but I have no idea where it is now."

Shin nodded and then asked, "What about Nao? Is she still unconscious with Shoko-sensei?"

Gojo slumped back in his chair and sighed. "That's what I need to talk to you about. The issue with souls is far more complicated than we thought, and the Gojo clan doesn't have much research in that area either."

After a pause, Gojo continued, "The Kamo clan in Kyoto, along with some higher-ups, have offered us a condition. They're willing to provide some research on souls to help us wake her up."

Shin raised an eyebrow. "And what's their demand? I doubt they're the type to do a good deed without expecting something in return."

Gojo chuckled lightly, "The demand is that Nao enroll in the Kyoto branch of Jujutsu High."

Shin didn't respond immediately. He pondered the situation, realizing the request sounded simple—just transferring her to another school. But would they offer such valuable information only to have Nao enroll in Kyoto? After thinking for a bit, Shin finally spoke, "It's to bring Nao—or more precisely, her family—under their influence, isn't it?"

Gojo clapped his hands with a grin. "Bingo!"

His smile faded slightly as he continued, "They've set their sights on Nao's talent and the power of her family, the former Minamoto clan, which is already paying close attention to her. Whether in terms of jujutsu or social standing, it's quite the asset."

"So their clan had no choice but to agree," Shin noted.

Gojo sighed again. "Yeah, I was hoping next year's first-year class would be a bit livelier…"

Shin shrugged casually. "Who knows what the future holds? If Nao wakes up, that's good news in itself. Let's focus on eating before the beef overcooks."

With that, they turned their attention to the bubbling sukiyaki, chatting idly about other topics while enjoying their meal.

"You're planning to reveal your technique to the higher-ups and apply for special-grade status?" Gojo asked as Shin savored his food.

"Pretty much," Shin replied between bites of tender beef and fish balls. "I can now maintain reverse cursed technique 24/7 without consciously controlling it, and becoming special grade will give me access to more resources, right?"

"Besides, the jujutsu world isn't just made up of those traditionalists in the upper echelons. Earning the title of special grade could also boost your influence, Sensei."

Gojo laughed, half-scolding him. "You little brat, always thinking about the bigger picture. Don't worry, I'll handle the arrangements. They'll likely send someone to record your technique, and your mission load will increase unless you opt out of the privileges."

Ignoring Gojo's mischievous grin, Shin focused on his meal. Gojo quickly followed suit, and soon the two were eating in companionable silence.

After returning to Jujutsu High, Shin found an exhausted Fushiguro Megumi sitting on the steps, catching his breath while sipping the hot drink Shin tossed him. Gulping down the drink, Megumi finally caught his breath.

"How's the training going?" Shin asked, sitting beside him.

Megumi's face remained composed as he replied, "It's going well. Maki-senpai is really skilled with weapons, and I've learned a lot. At this rate, I'll be able to tame my next shikigami soon."

"Where are Yuta and Toge?" Shin asked, noticing that the training grounds only had Panda and Maki sparring.

"Yuta-senpai is preparing for an overseas mission, and Toge-senpai took on a task and isn't around right now," Megumi answered, glancing toward the training grounds.

Maki noticed them sitting on the steps and stopped pummeling Panda. She raised her wooden spear and pointed it in their direction. "Hey, you two! Stop lazing around and get over here!"

Shin patted Megumi on the shoulder, flashing a smile. "Shall we spar?"

Megumi's eyes lit up briefly. "Sure."

The two stood and walked toward the training grounds. Hearing that they were going to spar, Maki raised an eyebrow with an amused expression, while Panda immediately jumped up from the ground, eager to watch.

"No cursed techniques or cursed energy, just pure martial arts. The fight will stop once someone is clearly the better," Maki announced from the center, holding up her wooden spear.

Panda cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "The loser treats everyone to dinner!"

Without turning around, Shin waved dismissively. "No problem! Megumi's treating us all to dinner."

Shin's playful trash talk didn't distract Megumi Fushiguro in the slightest. Shin twirled the wooden sword in his hand and smiled while circling around Megumi, the small black magatama earring dangling from his ear swaying with each step.

Megumi stayed completely focused, keeping his guard up, his stance solid, and his eyes locked on Shin. Even though the distance between them was only a few steps, Megumi remained unwavering.

Seeing Megumi's tight defense, Shin grinned. "Alright then, here I come."

In an instant, Megumi's vision blurred as Shin's figure moved with blinding speed. Reacting on instinct, Megumi raised his wooden sword to block the incoming strike.

The next moment, a powerful force numbed Megumi's hands. He barely had time to catch his breath when his training with Maki kicked in, allowing him to block a follow-up kick.

Shin's that fast even without using his technique? Megumi thought as he swung his sword toward the smiling Shin, but each of his strikes was either dodged or parried with ease.

Hearing a rush of air, Megumi tilted his head just in time to avoid the wooden blade passing right by his face. Acting quickly, he dropped his sword and lunged forward, using his arms like a constricting snake to grab Shin's sword arm. With a swift twist, Megumi disarmed him.

"Well, well…" Shin chuckled as he watched Megumi skillfully take advantage of an opening and toss the wooden sword aside.

"Now this is getting interesting."

Even without a weapon, Shin charged forward, using his superior speed to dodge Megumi's attacks while countering with fluid punches, kicks, elbows, and even finger strikes.

"I know how to disarm an opponent too!" Shin announced with a smirk as he caught Megumi off guard, locking his arm and successfully taking his wooden sword. Instead of using it, he tossed it aside, grinning mischievously.

"Megumi, giving up now would only count as half a loss. By the way, have you ever won a fight against me? If you don't surrender, I'll have to give you a good, old-fashioned beating," Shin teased.

Megumi's face darkened. So childish… Shin had always been stronger than their classmates growing up, using his knack for fighting and superior strength to dominate any school fight. They used to get into fights, rolling around on the ground until they were pulled apart. Usually, Shin would pin Megumi down and ask, "Do you give up?" to which Megumi would stubbornly reply, "No," until their sister Tsumiki stepped in and calmly persuaded them to make up.

The thought of Tsumiki made Megumi pause for a moment. Unfortunately, that moment of distraction gave Shin the chance to lock him in place. Before Megumi realized what was happening, he was flipped upside down, with Shin smiling at him from above.

"Woohoo, I win!" Shin declared.

Lying on the ground, staring at the clouds lazily drifting across the sky, Megumi showed no sign of frustration. He planted his hands in the sand and pushed himself up.

As he lifted his head, a hand appeared in front of him. He looked up to see Shin smiling down at him. After a brief hesitation, Megumi took Shin's hand and stood up, only to hear Shin start talking to Panda.

"Let's go get sushi. How about Fujiwara's place?" Shin suggested.

Megumi's face darkened again. That place is ridiculously expensive!

Despite his grumbling, he couldn't help but feel a quiet warmth watching Panda cheer, and Maki scolding Shin after he said something that made her want to chase him around with her wooden spear.

I'll get stronger, and I'll wake you up, Tsumiki, Megumi silently vowed.

In the end, the group didn't go for sushi but instead cooked their own meal back at the dorms, with Shin taking the lead as the chef.

"What's this called? A hot pot?" Panda asked.

"You're not planning to burn our mouths off, are you?" Maki asked warily, eyeing the bubbling broth with some hesitation, the scent wafting over to her.

Shin confidently reassured her, "Don't worry, it's not that spicy."

The aroma was too tempting for anyone to resist. Once they started eating, they realized the spice wasn't overwhelming at first, and the rich flavors mixed perfectly with the ingredients, keeping everyone eating non-stop.

However, before long, things took a turn. Maki's face flushed red, and she had to take off her glasses due to the steam. Breathing heavily, she grabbed a carton of milk and gulped it down while glaring at Shin. "You said it wasn't spicy!"

Megumi silently sipped his own milk, while Panda seemed unfazed, happily eating away and even making fun of Maki's "weak" taste buds.

"Uh… Maybe you guys are just eating too fast. How about you take a break, Maki?" Shin suggested.

Maki watched as Panda finished his portion and started adding more to the pot, then reluctantly took another sip of milk. "I'm fine. This is nothing."

Suppressing his laughter, afraid of getting smacked, Shin stood up to grab some cold soda from the fridge. Even in winter, he loved ice-cold drinks, and this was the perfect time to enjoy one.

"Hmm? What are you guys up to in here? I could smell something from down the hall," Principal Yaga asked as he opened the door, seeing them all gathered around the steaming food.

Shin, ever the welcoming host, waved him over. "Principal Yaga, perfect timing! Have you had dinner yet? Come join us, I made plenty!"

"Uh… I still have work to—"

"Come on, Yaga! Shin's cooking is amazing!" Panda interrupted.

°°°

If you want to read ahead and access 20 advanced chapters, check the patreon

Link: Patreon/Moziel