Chapter 2: An Ability Even the Rikugan
Cannot See Through
Gojo Satoru's final syllable had not completely dropped when he saw Toho Hiroshi, who had just stood up, sway violently.
The pair of magnificent yet eerie hexagonal star patterns instantly dimmed and dissipated, reverting to ordinary black eyes.
The brilliance in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by intense exhaustion and fatigue.
The severe depletion and the mental shock brought on by the initial awakening far exceeded his body's tolerance limit.
He didn't even have time to clearly see the full appearance of the two legendary youths before his consciousness, like a kite with a broken string, went black, and his body slumped forward.
"Hey!"
Gojo Satoru's reaction was inhumanly fast; almost the instant Toho Hiroshi's body began to tilt, he appeared beside him, extended an arm, and easily caught the falling Toho Hiroshi, preventing him from face-planting onto the ground covered in rubble and filth.
"Did he faint?"
Geto Suguru quickly stepped forward and checked his condition.
Toho Hiroshi was pale, his breathing faint but steady, and his eyelids were tightly shut. He was clearly exhausted.
"Tch, how useless. He collapses after using one big move."
Although Gojo Satoru spoke words of disdain, the hand holding his sunglasses was already lowered. The pale blue Rikugan, completely unobstructed, carefully scanned Toho Hiroshi's entire body, especially the eyes that were now closed. "This guy's Cursed Energy has vanished. His body is extremely fatigued. Who exactly is he?"
"That black flame, you saw it too, right, Satoru?"
Geto Suguru's expression was grave. "It's not any known Cursed Technique."
The power to directly annihilate a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit is rare.
"Yeah, I saw it. It's quite something."
The corner of Gojo Satoru's mouth curved up into that familiar arc of keen interest. "Even the Rikugan can't completely see through it. It's extremely interesting. We definitely can't just leave him alone now."
Carrying an unconscious stranger, the mission report turned into: "Unknown Jujutsu Sorcerer discovered on site. Means of Cursed Spirit Exorcism unknown. Target Cursed Spirit confirmed annihilated, no residue." The originally simple mission had become complicated.
The two exchanged a look, an understanding instantly forming between them.
"In any case, let's take him back for Shoko to look at first."
Geto Suguru suggested.
"Exactly. Let Shoko check out what's going on with this guy."
Gojo Satoru effortlessly hoisted Toho Hiroshi onto his shoulder. "And while we're at it, let's give those Rotten Oranges a headache too, wondering where such a strange guy popped up from."
... Tokyo Jujutsu High School, infirmary.
The faint smell of disinfectant permeated the air.
Ieiri Shoko had an unlit cigarette dangling from her mouth as she languidly examined Toho Hiroshi, who was lying on the sickbed.
Her slender fingers shimmered with a gentle light—the power of the Reverse Cursed Technique was meticulously repairing Toho Hiroshi's body, damaged by extreme exhaustion.
Gojo Satoru sat casually on a nearby chair, his long legs stretched out, nearly touching the cabinet opposite him.
Geto Suguru stood by the window, watching the night view outside.
Gojo Satoru asked, "Well, Shoko? This guy isn't going to die, is he?"
"He won't die."
Ieiri Shoko withdrew her hand, the green light fading. "Severe depletion of stamina and Cursed Energy, and his mind seems to have suffered a strong impact—a classic case of overexertion. I've already treated the physical damage; he'll wake up after some rest. However..."
She paused, furrowing her brow slightly as she looked at Toho Hiroshi's tightly closed eyes.
"However what?" Geto Suguru turned his head.
"His eyes are very strange."
Ieiri Shoko's tone held a hint of inquiry. "Structurally... they seem different from ordinary people's. The feedback my Reverse Cursed Technique received when flowing through his optic nerves was highly unusual. There was a sort of... indescribable sense of stagnation and traces of scorching. Yet the eyeballs themselves have no physical damage. It's more like a state resulting from some powerful force forcibly modifying and then overusing them."
"So the problem really lies with those eyes."
Gojo Satoru said in an "I knew it" tone, confirming the abnormality the Rikugan had previously detected.
"That black flame, is that the ability of those eyes?"
Geto Suguru mused, "A Cursed Technique I've never seen before."
"We'll know once he wakes up and we ask him."
Gojo Satoru stood up and stretched. "Geto, let's go. Let this guy sleep well. We still have to fudge the mission report for those old geezers."
"Mhm."
Geto Suguru took one last look at the unconscious Toho Hiroshi. Beneath those currently calm eyes lay hidden a terrifying power capable of instantly annihilating a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit.
This suddenly appearing youth was undoubtedly a massive variable.
Ieiri Shoko relit the cigarette. Although smoking was theoretically prohibited inside the infirmary, she still took a drag.
Watching the backs of the two as they left, and then looking at Toho Hiroshi on the bed, Shoko muttered to herself, "Pitch-black flames? That doesn't sound like a stable ability."
The infirmary door gently closed, leaving behind only the sound of steady breathing and faint smoke.
Toho Hiroshi was immersed in a warm darkness, completely unaware of everything happening outside his body.
He was experiencing a bizarre dream, where countless unfamiliar memory fragments spun like a revolving lantern. The eyes that had just awakened, bringing both power and intense pain, seemed to be quietly undergoing some transformation even in his sleep.
When he woke up again, he would face a completely unfamiliar world filled with supernatural power, and two future strongest Jujutsu Sorcerers who had taken a keen interest in him.
After a long while—
Toho Hiroshi's eyelashes fluttered a few times, and he laboriously lifted his heavy eyelids.
A blurry ceiling first entered his view, showing old yet clean wood grain.
A faint smell of disinfectant entered his nostrils. It wasn't unpleasant; rather, it gave him a strange sense of reassurance.
"Oh? You're awake?"
A slightly husky female voice came from nearby.
Toho Hiroshi subconsciously turned his head, his vision still somewhat hazy.
He saw a short-haired woman in a white coat sitting on a chair not far away, a slender cigarette dangling from her mouth, the smoke curling up, making her look somewhat languid and tired.
"Where is this?"
Toho Hiroshi's voice was extremely dry.
"The infirmary of Tokyo Jujutsu High School."
Ieiri Shoko answered concisely. She stood up, walked to the bedside, and looked down at him. "How do you feel? Is there anywhere that feels particularly uncomfortable?"
Tokyo Jujutsu High School?
This term was like a key, instantly opening the floodgates of the chaotic memories in Toho Hiroshi's mind.
Cursed Spirits, Sharingan, Amaterasu—these two suddenly appearing memory fragments surged forth frantically, piecing together an unbelievable yet truly happened experience.
He abruptly raised his hand and touched his eyes.
The sensation was normal. There was no intense pain, nor any strange feeling.
But they were definitely different now.
He could even clearly "sense" the subtle flow of Cursed Energy within his eyeballs.
"My eyes..."
"Your eyes are fine, at least for now."
Shoko exhaled a puff of smoke. "Overuse caused minor damage and extreme fatigue, but I already used the Reverse Cursed Technique to treat you. It's just ordinary weakness now."