Tokyo Jujutsu High, Infirmary.
Shoko Ieiri wore a crisp white lab coat, her eyes framed by heavy, exhausted dark circles. A distinct beauty mark rested just beneath her right eye. She had just finished patching up Kagura Shin and was currently glaring daggers at Satoru Gojo.
"Satoru, how could you leave a complete novice alone to fight a Cursed Spirit?" Shoko scolded. "Someone without any proper training would struggle to survive even a Grade 3."
"You are completely wrong about that, Shoko," Gojo replied effortlessly. "If I had not stepped in at the end, this kid probably would have taken down that Grade 2 curse with him. Give him some time, and he will at least reach Yuta Okkotsu's level!"
Even though his wounds were treated, Gojo and Shoko forced Shin to remain in the hospital bed for observation. Bored, Shin had secretly reached for a surgical scalpel from a nearby tray and nicked his own thumb. He then summoned a giant loaf of bread from his inventory and began munching on it under their bewildered gazes.
The bread tasted incredibly warm and fragrant. His stomach felt completely empty until the very last bite, at which point a profound sense of fullness washed over him instantly.
A second later, the small cut on his thumb rapidly stitched itself together and vanished entirely.
Shoko rushed over and grabbed Shin's hand, examining the flawless skin closely.
"It really healed! How did you do that?" she demanded.
"Uh, Doctor Shoko, this is just a side effect of my Cursed Technique," Shin explained. "I can conjure food. As long as my hunger is completely satisfied, my body will rapidly regenerate health. I am just not sure if it can restore missing limbs or anything extreme like that."
Shoko pondered the medical implications for a moment.
"Even in the name of science, I refuse to amputate my own arm to test it," she muttered. "Regeneration is great, but getting dismembered still sounds incredibly painful."
Shin nodded in fervent agreement. The two of them simultaneously turned their heads to look at Gojo, who was idling by the window.
"What?" Gojo asked innocently.
Without another word, Gojo casually reached over and forcefully snapped his own pinky finger backward with a sickening crunch. Choosing from Shin's available menu, he opted for apples over bread. He devoured four of them in rapid succession before finally declaring that he felt full.
To their absolute astonishment, the violently broken finger began to straighten and knit itself back together. Shoko could no longer suppress her joy.
"This is fantastic!" she cheered. "I finally will not have to treat half the casualties in the Jujutsu world by myself. Someone can actually share the workload with me!"
Shin hated to ruin her vision of a peaceful work life, but he had to dump a bucket of cold water on the idea.
"Doctor Shoko, the food created by my Cursed Technique automatically vanishes the moment it gets sixty-four meters away from me," Shin admitted. "I am afraid your workload is not going to change much at all."
Shoko's expression shattered into absolute, crushing despair.
Gojo offered a cheerful, completely tactless smile to comfort her.
"What is there to be sad about, Shoko? Your workload is not increasing. At worst, it is just staying exactly the same!"
Two loud, violent thuds echoed from inside the clinic. A moment later, both Gojo and Shin were tossed out into the hallway, each sporting a massive, throbbing lump on their heads.
"I am completely innocent!" Shin groaned from the floor. "I just didn't want to lie to her!"
Gojo stood up as if nothing had happened and brushed invisible dust off his uniform. He grabbed Shin by the collar and dragged him toward the training grounds.
"Oh well. I was originally worried that Shoko would get annoyed if my harsh training constantly put you in the hospital," Gojo mused. "Now it seems there is no need to worry. Let the hellish, demonic training commence!"
"Sensei, could you please go a little easy on me?" Shin pleaded.
Because it was still summer break, the first-year students at Tokyo Jujutsu High had not officially arrived on campus yet. Aside from leaving for the occasional mission, Gojo spent almost all his free time violently educating his new student.
Three days later, Shin lay bruised and battered on the dirt, desperately eating bread to heal. Gojo sat comfortably on Shin's back while his phone rang. He answered the call, chatted for a moment, and then looked down at the rapidly healing boy.
"Shin, the Principal is back from his business trip," Gojo announced. "He wants to see you right now. Good luck. If you fail to satisfy him, you will be permanently barred from enrolling."
As usual, Gojo used his casual intimidation tactics to make Shin take the situation seriously. The effect was completely lost on the exhausted teenager.
Gojo dragged him to a cavernous, traditional room deep within the school. Inside sat a massive, burly man wearing dark sunglasses. He looked exactly like a ruthless Yakuza boss. The intimidation factor would have been much higher if the man had not been carefully needle-felting a gray, long-eared rabbit toy.
The heavy wooden doors slammed shut. The candelabras around the room flared to life one by one. By the time the room was fully illuminated, Gojo had already retreated to the far corner, leaving Shin completely alone in front of Principal Masamichi Yaga.
"First question," Yaga said in a deep rumble. "Do you truly want to become a Jujutsu Sorcerer? This profession carries the constant, looming threat of death. Think carefully before you answer."
"Of course! I am absolutely willing to become a Jujutsu Sorcerer!" Shin replied instantly.
"Good. Then here is the second question," Yaga continued. "Why do you want to become a Jujutsu Sorcerer?"
Yaga's tone suddenly dropped in temperature. He paused his sewing and looked up. His sharp eyes bore into Shin through the dark lenses of his sunglasses.
Shin froze in silence.
Why become a Jujutsu Sorcerer? To avenge his host body's parents and exterminate all curses? That was a ridiculous lie. After that initial breakdown in the apartment, the lingering will of the original Kagura Shin had completely vanished.
Any residual hatred had washed away with those tears. If Shin tried to use revenge as his driving motive right now, the words would taste like ash in his mouth.
While Shin was lost in thought, Yaga casually released two Cursed Corpses. The plush dolls lunged across the room at blinding speeds.
"Do not think!" Yaga barked. "Just tell me what is in your heart!"
Before Shin could even react, a heavy fist slammed into his chest, launching him straight into the wooden wall. He scrambled out of the splintered crater and desperately braced himself for the second attacker.
These two Cursed Corpses were powerful combat models handpicked by Yaga. Each one possessed enough physical strength to effortlessly exorcise a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit. The goal was to crush the new student under overwhelming pressure, forcing him to spit out his raw, unfiltered truth.
Yaga relentlessly piled on the psychological pressure from his seat.
"Answer me! Why do you want to become a Jujutsu Sorcerer?"
Shin barely managed to parry the dual assault by summoning his Stone Sword. Even when he managed to land a solid swing, the Cursed Corpses easily blocked the heavy blade, though a few tufts of cotton spilled from their seams.
Despite three days of brutal training with Gojo, Shin had only learned the absolute basics of channeling Cursed Energy. He could barely handle one of these dolls. Fighting two simultaneously was suicide.
A Cursed Corpse delivered a brutal uppercut, sending Shin crashing back into the wall. He gasped for air, his face smeared with blood. Through the crimson haze blurring his vision, he suddenly saw an image of his past life. He saw himself sitting slack-jawed in front of a computer, mindlessly playing games, and living a pathetic, mechanical existence. He saw his ordinary, painfully mediocre self.
"Answer me!" Yaga demanded again.
Shin gripped the hilt of his Stone Sword with bloody fingers and cut the Principal off with a furious roar.
"Because I want a more interesting life! I want an existence filled with danger and excitement! I refuse to go back to being that boring, miserable version of myself!"
The two Cursed Corpses instantly froze in their tracks, their fists inches from Shin's face.
"Even though your reasoning is hardly righteous, I will accept it," Yaga sighed. "After all, as a Jujutsu Sorcerer, there is absolutely nothing wrong with facing your own selfish desires. Alright, Satoru, you can take him away."