"Suguru-sama…"
A timid voice sounded from beside him. Suguru Geto looked down to see Nanako holding Mimiko's hand as they tugged lightly at his pant leg. He crouched to meet them at eye level.
"What's wrong?"
Mimiko gathered her courage and asked softly,
"Where are we going now?"
"Where are we going, huh…"
Suguru Geto paused to think, then smiled gently at them.
"You both have the talent to become Jujutsu Sorcerers. But you're still too young right now, so I'll arrange for you to attend school first.
As for where you'll live, I'll speak to the principal and have a room prepared for you at Tokyo Jujutsu High. You can stay there.
If you ever have questions about Jujutsu, or anything you're curious about, you can come find me anytime."
"Mm!"
Once everything was decided, Suguru Geto summoned a five- to six-meter-tall avian Cursed Spirit. It had a pouch beneath its beak and looked somewhat like a pelican, except it had two pairs of wings.
The Cursed Spirit scooped Mimiko and Nanako into its beak. Amid the girls' startled cries, Suguru Geto stepped onto the pelican-like Cursed Spirit's back and ordered it to fly toward Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Akira Zenin watched the scene with an inexplicable sense of accomplishment. But as their figures gradually disappeared into the horizon, he suddenly realized something was wrong.
"Wait—hey? I'm not on yet!"
Up in the sky, Suguru Geto narrowed his eyes, a sly smile spreading across his face as his little scheme succeeded…
...
Perhaps because Nue was faster, Zenin arrived at Tokyo Jujutsu High first. A few minutes later, Suguru Geto's pelican Cursed Spirit returned as well.
Akira Zenin let out a cold laugh.
"You've got some nerve."
Suguru Geto tilted his head and cupped a hand to his ear.
"What was that?"
After their utterly childish staring contest ended, Suguru Geto turned his attention back to the two little girls beside him.
Watching how naturally Suguru Geto slipped into the role of Mimiko and Nanako's guardian, Akira Zenin suddenly felt like he'd forgotten something…
Right.
A few years ago, his second uncle had entrusted Megumi Fushiguro to him.
But it should be fine. With Toji Fushiguro still alive, Megumi Fushiguro ought to have a complete childhood… probably.
…
The next afternoon, Akira Zenin walked down a street in a residential neighborhood and spotted a small figure with sea-urchin-like hair walking quietly with a backpack on his shoulders.
"You're Megumi Fushiguro, right?"
Megumi Fushiguro looked up at the man in front of him, who bore a slight resemblance to him. He showed neither excitement nor nervousness.
"Who are you?"
Remembering how he had accidentally frightened Mimiko and Nanako before, Akira Zenin thought about why Suguru Geto was so well liked by children. Wanting Megumi Fushiguro to be less guarded, he imitated Suguru Geto and crouched down, meeting the boy's eyes.
"Well, your father and I both come from a Jujutsu Sorcerer family called Zenin."
"Relatives? I can tell. So what do you want?"
"Where's your father? I made an agreement with him before. I came to check on you."
Megumi Fushiguro turned slightly to the side.
"I don't know. I haven't seen him in years. I can't even remember what he looks like anymore.
Tsumiki's mom hasn't come home for a while either. She said we're not useful anymore and told us to live on our own.
It doesn't matter. We'll take care of ourselves."
At that moment, a window on the second floor of a nearby house slid open. A girl about Megumi Fushiguro's age leaned out. When she saw him, she waved.
"Oh! Megumi, you're back?"
...
"Uh…"
Akira Zenin was genuinely stunned. His second uncle had really done him dirty here. The guy was still alive, wasn't he? And he just left his own kid behind, ran off to do whatever he wanted, and never came back even once?
"Hm?"
Akira Zenin suddenly turned his head. In his perception, a distant spot that had been completely empty of Cursed Energy abruptly got "filled in" with it.
His face twitched. Normally, something with absolutely no Cursed Energy would be a building or some other inanimate structure. But what kind of building could move that fast? It had vanished in an instant…
So Uncle really couldn't bring himself to let Megumi go. Still, he seemed like the type who only showed emotion when it truly mattered. As for the rest of the time… let him go off and wander.
Akira Zenin shook his head and looked back at Megumi Fushiguro.
"Alright, here's the deal.
You can see Cursed Spirits, which means you've got talent for Cursed Techniques, right? You've noticed it yourself, haven't you? Our clan loves talented people. So how about it? Come with me and live the life of a young master in the Zenin Clan."
Megumi Fushiguro didn't react at all.
"What about Tsumiki? Whether I go depends on whether Tsumiki can be happy there."
Akira Zenin thought for a moment.
"In the Zenin Clan, I do have some authority. I can guarantee you'll both have everything you need.
But… Tsumiki might not be able to make any real friends there."
"I see."
Megumi Fushiguro turned away cleanly, no longer looking at Akira Zenin. The whole "aristocratic young master" lifestyle clearly didn't tempt him in the slightest.
Seeing his decision, Akira Zenin immediately called after him.
"Hold on—are you seriously a first-year elementary student?"
Megumi Fushiguro looked back at him. He had no idea what this guy was trying to say now. He'd already refused him outright.
"Alright, then. You've already awakened as a sorcerer. You can't just end up drifting around among civilians like this…
So how about this? Come study Cursed Techniques with me. I'll make you strong."
"You're still trying to take me back to that Zenin Clan thing?"
"On my personal authority."