JJK: Wheel of Time

"Hello, I'm Shin Shuichi, a first-year from Jujutsu High."

The man and woman accompanying Gojo Satoru both extended their hands to shake Shin's.

"Kei Hirakawa."

"Saiko Suzuki."

Both were dressed in formal business attire, their faces wearing polite, professional smiles. After exchanging brief introductions in the open training field of Jujutsu High, Gojo spoke up: "Alright, let's get started."

"Shin-kun, please describe your technique in detail and demonstrate it. I'll record everything in real-time," said Kei Hirakawa, taking out a simple notebook.

Shin walked to the center and nodded. "Sure, no problem. My technique is related to time. I call it the 'Wheel of Time,' and its effect is to accelerate my own time. For example…"

Shin held a card between his fingers—a card that showed Kei Hirakawa's portrait and his name. Surprised, Hirakawa instinctively checked his pocket, finding it empty. Then, he felt a weight in his pocket once more. He looked down and saw that his ID had returned to where it had been.

"And that's just the beginning," Shin continued, his voice calm. "For the sake of keeping things brief, I won't show the full range of my offensive abilities here, as they'd be too fast to see. But next, I'll show you the technique reversal I learned from Gojo-sensei."

Shin turned to Gojo with a wide grin. "I call it just 'Reverse.' It essentially reverses my own time."

"Gojo-sensei, can you assist me with the demonstration?"

Gojo happily agreed, and they quickly coordinated their plan. Raising a hand, Gojo conjured a small, rapidly swirling red orb at his fingertip.

Cursed Technique Reversal: Red.

Even though it was a low-power version of Red, the sheer force of the orb disturbed the air around it, forcing Kei Hirakawa and Saiko Suzuki to back away quickly from Gojo.

"Gojo-san, please don't—"

Before Hirakawa could finish his sentence, Gojo snapped his fingers, launching the Red at Shin. The red streak blazed through the air, hitting Shin square in the stomach.

A sizable hole the size of a bowl appeared in Shin's abdomen, and he sighed, shaking his head. "Gojo-sensei, did you really need to hit me that hard? Even curses don't hit me this badly."

Gojo shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, stop whining. Just show them your technique already. It's the first time I've used a Cursed Technique on one of my students. Besides, that was a small hit. Any bigger, and I'd have torn down the whole school."

While the two exchanged casual banter, Kei Hirakawa blinked in disbelief and rubbed his eyes. The gaping wound in Shin's abdomen had completely disappeared, and even his uniform was back to its pristine condition.

This… couldn't be an illusion, right? But I'm a Grade 1 sorcerer… if it was an illusion, that'd be incredibly impressive. Despite his disbelief, Hirakawa knew deep down that it wasn't an illusion. In the world of jujutsu sorcery, there was rarely a need to hide one's techniques.

Revealing one's technique, a concept known as "Disclosure," actually made the technique stronger—an invaluable advantage in battle, especially in situations where strength is evenly matched. The only things usually kept secret were finishing moves and specific details.

Hirakawa scribbled down more notes, understanding that Shin wasn't lying.

Another first-year being declared a Special Grade sorcerer… The last one had just recently been stripped of that title...

"By the way, can you use your technique continuously like Gojo-san?" Hirakawa asked, curiously.

With a knowing smile, Shin answered, "Of course. I've set up my technique to trigger automatically. If I take damage, the reversal technique will automatically reverse me to a time before I was injured."

Finding it a hassle to explain further, Shin suggested demonstrating it in practice. He pulled Gojo into a friendly spar.

The blur of their battle was almost impossible for Hirakawa and Suzuki to follow. The two spectators could barely comprehend the speed of Shin's movements, with the only indication of the fight being the occasional destruction of the training field, which would immediately repair itself, and the constant presence of Shin, unscathed and in full form.

Though Gojo looked entirely at ease, the spectators knew well that Gojo Satoru was the strongest sorcerer alive. For Shin to hold his own against him, to the point that his injuries vanished as if they were mere illusions, was a testament to his strength.

If it were me up there… I probably wouldn't last more than a few seconds... Hirakawa thought, feeling the weight of the intense battle unfolding before him.

"Alright, that should be enough."

Shin Shuichi's comment was directed at Kei Hirakawa and Saiko Suzuki, who had been observing. Kei closed his notebook and smiled. "Yes, Gojo-sensei, this is more than sufficient. We won't take up any more of your time. Goodbye."

The two bowed and left the training hall. As they walked out, Shin stretched and then turned to Gojo with a thoughtful look. "Gojo-sensei, I've been working on a new technique. Want to help me test it out?"

Gojo's usually refined expression collapsed into a tired one. "No… I've got stuff to do."

After a moment, he seemed to recall something, and a mischievous smile crept across his face. "Actually, I've got a new mission that would be perfect for you. The target is retrieving one of Sukuna's fingers. A curse has already consumed it, and 'The Window' team has classified it as a Special Grade curse."

Shin's eyes lit up. "Sukuna? The legendary King of Curses?"

The name "Sukuna" brought up memories and records from the jujutsu world. Sukuna was said to be the most powerful curse user from the golden age of jujutsu sorcery in the Heian period, around a thousand years ago. Known for his four arms and four eyes, he was a being of pure evil, and even when the sorcerers of that time banded together, they failed to exorcise him.

He had transcended the limits of a mere human or curse user, becoming a being so feared. His power was then divided into twenty fingers, which were sealed and scattered across the world. His name became synonymous with demonic legends.

Sukuna's fingers would later find a vessel in Yuji Itadori, though Sukuna would have limited control over the body.

"That's right. One of Sukuna's fingers. How about it? Special Grade curses aren't exactly common, and this is a perfect chance to try out your new technique," Gojo grinned, flashing his teeth.

Shin gave Gojo a suspicious side-eye. "This wouldn't happen to be your mission, would it? Are you passing it off to me?"

Gojo wasn't the least bit embarrassed by being called out. "Of course not! I thought of this task specifically because it's perfect for you!"

"I'll take it," Shin said.

"Great! I'll get it officially assigned to you," Gojo responded with a bright, satisfied grin before he strolled off, hands behind his head.

---

"Oh? Ijichi-san, it's been a few days. You're looking much better."

Ijichi Kiyotaka, waiting by the car, smiled in response. "Shin-kun, I took some time off recently. It's amazing how much a little rest can do."

"Did you visit the city? Find any restaurants with amazing food? I might need some recommendations," Shin said, climbing into the car while casually skimming the mission file Ijichi handed him.

Ijichi started the car and drove smoothly onto the road. "Actually, I did find a great place. Their sushi and sashimi are incredible. It's a small, traditional shop. I'll send you the address if you're interested."

"That sounds perfect! We should go together sometime."

"Haha, I'd like that, Shin-kun."

As Shin finished reviewing the mission file, he found it mostly filled with additional details that he already knew. The target curse was located in a high-security prison called Oeno Prison. By the time the curse was discovered, dozens of inmates and six guards had already been killed, with many others injured.

The prison had been evacuated, and no more casualties had occurred. It was confirmed that the curse had consumed Sukuna's finger, which had caused it to grow significantly more powerful.

Oeno Prison had a reputation for housing the most dangerous criminals, including those on death row. Over the years, numerous rumors and ghost stories had been tied to the prison, although the authorities had tried to suppress them.

The prison had protective talismans in place to ward off curses, with three placed in different sections of the facility. However, one of the talismans, a Buddha statue, had been concealing a Special Grade cursed object: Sukuna's finger.

No one knew how the statue had been broken or how the curse had managed to consume the finger, but the result was clear—the curse had evolved into a Special Grade entity.

Shin and Ijichi drove further away from the bustling city and into the calm, picturesque countryside. When they arrived at the prison, Shin immediately sensed the oppressive atmosphere that hung over the building. Despite the clean and well-maintained exterior, the air was heavy and unsettling.

Even in the bright sunlight, the place exuded an aura that felt far from normal. Standing at the entrance was a bald, middle-aged man in a prison warden's uniform, who had clearly been waiting for some time. Sweat gleamed on his forehead as he removed his hat to wipe his brow.

When he saw Shin and Ijichi approach, the man's face lit up with relief. "Good afternoon! I'm Yamaguchi Takayoshi, the warden of this prison. Are you the specialists sent to handle the situation?"

Ijichi handed over an identification card, which Yamaguchi inspected briefly. Shin, meanwhile, ignored the formalities and took a moment to survey the prison.

Yamaguchi, showing no signs of dismissiveness despite the youthful appearance of his guests, respectfully invited them inside.

°°°

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

Link: Patreon/Moziel