—We won!
After an intense match of Overwatch—my favorite video game—I was hanging out with my friends Alexis and Gaby.
—That last move was key.— said Gaby, our usual strategist, congratulating us.
— I have to go now. I'm heading to the hospital tomorrow. Too many debts to pay.
— All right, rest well, Mikoto.— Alexis said.
I turned off my Xbox One S.
— Rest up, Chief.— I said as I unplugged the video capture card from the computer.
I'd be buying a new Xbox soon—I finally had enough money.
I lay down on my comfy bed and stretched.
Will I dream about my story again tonight?
I don't know…
Well, I should write the next chapters.
But I fell asleep with Webnovel still open.
Just like in real life, I'd never been in a place like this… Well, maybe Kuroha had.
But during missions to recover Sukuna's fingers or fight special-grade curses, it was always nighttime, and she was never given time to look around.
Tokyo was huge, bustling, full of people coming and going. The noise wrapped around me, and the buildings rose proudly toward the sky, as if trying to touch it.
I felt overwhelmed by everything I was seeing, hearing, and smelling. Satoru must've noticed, because he placed a hand on my shoulder and gently shook me.
— Hey! Don't tell me you've never been somewhere like this.— he asked.
—N-no…
— Huh? But I heard you did missions all over Japan.
— I always went at night and was taken straight to the site. I never got to explore.
— Are you some kind of hermit?
— I guess…— I lowered my head, embarrassed.
— Well, what can we do?
He grabbed my hand and started dragging me without another word.
— They're expecting us at the school, but they won't mind if we're a little late, right?
— Where are we going?
— To show you different places. So you stop being a hermit.
This part was my favorite to write—Kuroha walking hand in hand with one of my favorite characters, exploring different places…
Ah, it's a shame I'm inside my own character's body. She's so different from me.
I wish I'd made her more energetic.
He took me to several places: arcades, a park, a small café. Even though it was hard to keep up with him, it was nice. Everything was new to me. After all, my life had always been about training.
— Why don't you take pictures?— He leaned toward me as I stared out the bus window, on our way to the school.
I pulled out my phone. He looked at it with disgust.
— Is your dad really so stingy he gave you this piece of junk? Well, at least it has a camera. If you do this…— He snapped a photo and handed the phone back to me.
I looked at the image, surprised. It was like he'd captured a little piece of the city.
It felt so different from when I used to draw for my mom. I smiled and took several more pictures. He even took a few with me.
— Thank you. My mom will be thrilled when she sees them.
— Your mom?
— Yes. She can't go outside. She's sick.
— …Your mother was the sorceress Isolde, right?— His tone shifted to something more serious.
—Yes.
— I heard she died shortly after giving birth to you.
— Ah… no. My mom's alive.She also felt it when Sukuna returned.
— …Wow. Your family sure keeps interesting secrets.— he said with a grin.— I think after all this, you should start calling me Gojo-sensei.
— Why?
— I'll teach you a few things about life.
So start practicing how to say it, got it?
— Ah… okay.
— Repeat after me: Thank you, Gojo-sensei!
— …— I looked at him warily. He stared back, I guess he really wanted me to say it. I sighed and said.— Thank you, Gojo-sensei!
— Very good. I thought you'd never say it.
You're just as grumpy as your dad.— He placed his hand on my head and pulled down the hat I was wearing, covering my eyes with it.
We arrived at the base of a small hill covered in trees.I took a photo.
— We have to climb. The school's hidden up there.
— All right.
Just like he said, the school was surrounded by a dense forest that kept it hidden.
The moment I stepped inside, a chill ran down my spine.Yamikiri vibrated on my back, as if asking to be summoned.
(This part was one of my favorites to write—well, honestly, the whole chapter was.
Itadori and Sukuna are my favorite characters. Their personalities are so opposite, and yet… they're both amazing!)
But while I was thinking about that, I kept walking on autopilot.
— Something wrong?— Gojo-sensei noticed my discomfort and placed a hand on my shoulder.
— There's something here…
— Hmm? Probably because Sukuna's vessel is nearby. I'd heard the Mizuki family had strong intuition, but I didn't think it was this strong.
— I'll call Yamikiri.— I got ready to summon my weapon.
— Hey, hey, relax. This is a school. And trust me—the vessel is very stable.
No need to worry.
— All right.
We walked through the quiet hallways, so different from the noise of Japan's streets.
— I thought there'd be more people.
— Oh, there are. They're just in class. Your classroom is at the end of the hall.
(It's a good thing Kuroha stayed calm in this scene. If it had been me in my real state, I probably would've ruined the whole atmosphere.) As we got closer, I felt a growing pressure in my chest. Yamikiri vibrated softly, as if asking to be summoned.
Ah… Maybe I overdid it when imagining what Kuroha would feel. Well, I didn't think I would feel it too…But I wanted to reach the classroom first. I needed to confirm if the danger I sensed… was real.
— Relax,— I heard Gojo-sensei's voice.
We stopped in front of a wooden sliding door.— Let's go.
He slid the door open with his usual energy and walked in. I stood at the threshold, watching him seriously.
— Hello, class! I'd like to introduce your new classmate. She's from Okinawa Prefecture— he announced with an exaggerated gesture, like he was presenting a celebrity.
I remained still, silent.
— Come on, don't leave me hanging.
— Ah…
The moment I stepped into the room, the pressure intensified. It was hard to breathe. I looked around, searching for the source of that energy.
There were only three people in the classroom: a girl and two boys, all about my age.
The girl looked excited. She had light brown, straight hair cut to her shoulders. She was very pretty, and her smile was warm.
The second boy had jet-black spiky hair.
His expression was calm, and he watched me with curiosity, though he seemed reserved.
The last one was slightly taller than the other two. He had short, pink hair shaved at the sides. What stood out most were the scars under his eyes, marking his cheeks like silent warnings.
It's him.
I prepared to call Yamikiri. But before I could, Gojo-sensei placed his hand on my head and gently pushed it down.
— "Nice to meet you. I'm Mizuki Kuroha. I hope we all get along" — He said it in a mocking tone, imitating my voice.
I glared at him, annoyed.
— Sorry, sorry— he laughed and let go. — It's just that this little one isn't used to being the center of attention.
— …— I turned to look at the others.
They didn't seem to understand what was happening. Instead, they all smiled kindly.
— Hi! I'm Nobara Kisaki. Let me know if you need anything,— the girl said with a bright smile.
— Megumi — said the other boy, serious but polite.
— I'm Yuji Itadori. Nice to meet you,— said the pink-haired boy with a huge grin.
But seeing him so confident… It pushed me over the edge.
— How can you be so calm when you've got a time bomb inside you?— My tone was harsher than I intended.
The three of them grew uncomfortable.
Especially him.His smile faded, and he lowered his gaze.
—...
Gojo-sensei placed his hand on my head again, gently forcing it down.
— Hey, hey. Remember your mission. You're here to watch. You'll kill him if he loses control.
But before I could protest, a voice interrupted us.
— I see the Mizuki clan hasn't changed.
The classroom fell silent. The air grew heavy, thick with a tension that didn't come from any of us.
Yuji looked upset. On his cheek, a small mouth opened, grinning with malice.
— They've sent an interesting little dog.
I felt the call.
The need to protect.
The need to cut.
— Give me the crimson of your blood— I whispered, biting my finger until a drop emerged. With it, I drew a symbol over my chest.— With this… cut through the deepest darkness.
The circle glowed. A red and black light rose like a held breath. Yamikiri began to manifest, her curved blade gleaming with danger under the filtered sunlight.
I held her. I pointed her at Itadori.
— W-wait!.— the boy said.
— Well, well… so ruthless. She doesn't hesitate to aim her weapon at an innocent. Hahaha.
— Kuroha, you should put the weapon away.
He's just provoking you.— Gojo-sensei's voice was tense this time. His hand gripped my shoulder like a vice.
— …
I looked at the boy in front of me. He wasn't smiling anymore. He looked at me with fear.
— …Ah, I'm sorry.
I studied him carefully. He didn't seem so different from me… Except for the twisted smile on his cheek.
— Darkness, rest in my soul. Return to where you belong— I whispered, trying to dismiss Yamikiri.
But she didn't move.
She kept pulsing violently, refusing to leave.
Even when I tried to lower her, the weapon clung to my hand, as if screaming at me to strike.
That was new.
— Yamikiri?— I called, confused.
— Oh, Yamikiri… my old friend. Seems she still remembers the party we had a few thousand years ago— Sukuna said mockingly.
Yamikiri had once belonged to the First Patriarch of the Mizuki clan—the one who sealed Sukuna. As a sentient weapon, she chooses her wielder. I guess she still hasn't forgiven the one who killed her first master.
— Looks like she remembers the blade that once sliced you— I said with arrogance, lifting her again. Yamikiri seemed to roar.
— Impossible to forget.
After those words, Sukuna vanished, leaving only a scar on the boy's cheek.
— Sorry. As you can see… he comes out sometimes. But it doesn't go beyond that— he said, embarrassed.— I guess they sent you to keep an eye on me
— You guessed right. I'm Mizuki Kuroha, current wielder of Yamikiri.
As I spoke her name, the weapon emitted a faint black-and-red aura, pulsing with a bloodlust that seemed to breathe.
And then… she vanished from my hands.
The circle on my chest faded too.
— Wooow! That was terrifying… Anyway, let's get back to class— Gojo-sensei clapped, breaking the tension in the room.
I never thought I'd feel that fear myself.
I walked to an empty desk and sat down, as far away as possible from the boy who seemed innocent… but wasn't.
— Today we'll have field practice. Kuroha is a special-grade sorcerer who, although she lacks social skills—he seemed to emphasize that part a little too much—has extensive combat experience.
That aside, I was surprised he called me special-grade… i didn't even know sorcerers had ranks.
Gojo-sensei gestured for us to follow him.
We descended in awkward silence to the base of the hill. Outside, a black car waited with its doors open.
— Come on, they'll take us to the mission site.
— Wait…— I stepped back. Everyone turned to look at me. I glanced inside the car: it was small, and clearly we'd be cramped.
— No excuses— Gojo-sensei said, pushing me inside. Luckily, Nobara sat next to me.
She tried to make conversation—about my family, where I lived, the missions I'd done.
I tried not to sound rude or boring, but the constant pulse of Yamikiri and Sukuna's oppressive presence made it hard to focus.
Fortunately, the mission site was close to the school. When we got out, a man in a suit and glasses stood with his back to us. In a low voice, he began reciting a mantra.
— The veil has been placed— he said, sounding tired. Veils were used to cover our work and prevent it from affecting civilians.
— All right, Kuroha. Show these kids what a special-grade sorcerer with a legendary weapon can do.
In front of us stood a massive abandoned warehouse. A large number of curses poured out of it. The air was thick, and the stench… unbearable.
— Fine— I called Yamikiri, who emitted a black aura. I guess she was upset I'd ignored her— Yamikiri, umbra.
The weapon in my hands split into two smaller blades. My mother had explained that Yamikiri adapted to her wielder.
Since I received her as a child, my height made it hard to carry her. So she transformed into blades I could throw, and by pulling the black ribbon on the hilt, they returned to me.
— Are you sure, professor? There seem to be too many.— I heard Itadori ask.
— Watch.
Was he worried about me?
Maybe the boy was the opposite of Sukuna.
I shrugged and ran toward the warehouse entrance, kicking it down. The curses weren't strong, but there were many.
I threw one blade. It sliced through more than half of them in seconds.
Then I hurled the other. I stepped inside. The strongest was a humanoid grade-2 curse… But Yamikiri cut it down instantly, without resistance.
I didn't even need to use any of my special techniques. In just a few minutes, everything was cleared.
— Done,— I whispered.— I hope you're satisfied with this little feast, Yamikiri.
The weapon vibrated softly… and then vanished. Looks like that was all for today.
— Well, that's it. Let's go home.
— Yes!.— The kids seemed happy.
— Will you come with us, Kuroha?.—
Nobara smiled, hopeful. But before I could answer, Gojo-sensei interrupted.
— Sorry to ruin your day, but Kuroha still has things to do.
— All right— the girl replied with a pout.
The other two boys moved closer to comfort her. They headed toward the city, in the opposite direction. We got into the car, heading back to the school.
— What do you think?.— Gojo asked.
— He seems like a normal guy. The fact that he worried about whether there were too many enemies for me… That was a surprise.
— Want to know how he became Sukuna's vessel?
— …?
Through the mirror, I saw his smile.
Even though his eyes were covered, it felt like he was looking at me.
— He did it to save his friend. Until recently, he knew nothing about this world.
— So basically… he's innocent.
— That's right.
I felt a bit guilty for pointing my weapon at him. He was an innocent boy… Though kind of an idiot. But I guess that's part of his personality too.
I turned. The silhouettes of the three kids faded into the distance as we drove away…
I sighed. I guess I still had a lot to do.