Gojo Satoru set Tokiya Shingen down and said casually,
"Alright—welcome to Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu High. When you're a bit older, this is where you'll be studying."
Tokiya Shingen looked around.
A stone-paved path stretched forward, lined with tall, orderly trees. On either side stood numerous stone lanterns, and in the distance, traditional buildings rested quietly among the forest—curved eaves and wooden structures giving off an old, classical atmosphere.
As they walked, Gojo continued,
"This place is protected by barriers. Ordinary people—and even curse users—can't just walk in. Stay here for now. I'll make arrangements for you once I've taken care of a few things."
After passing through several buildings, Gojo eventually brought Shingen to a tall, imposing man.
He had a broad, muscular build, short black hair, and a neatly trimmed beard along his jaw. His sharp eyes and serious demeanor gave him the unmistakable presence of a hardened, no-nonsense man.
"Gojo… what's this? Why are you bringing a kid here?"
Gojo briefly explained the situation, then turned to Shingen.
"This is my former homeroom teacher—and the next principal of Jujutsu High, Masamichi Yaga. Yaga-sensei, I'll leave him with you for now. I'll be back soon."
With that, Gojo left.
The two remaining figures—one towering adult and one small child—stood facing each other in silence.
Masamichi Yaga crossed his arms, staring down at the boy who didn't even reach his waist. His expression was stern, almost intimidating.
"…Ahem."
Yaga was the first to break the silence.
It would be too awkward to just stand there staring at each other.
Luckily, he had an idea.
Softening his tone as much as possible, he said,
"Well… do you like toys? I have a lot of toys that can move. Why don't you see if there's anything you like?"
Tokiya Shingen immediately thought of the panda.
The man in front of him—if he remembered correctly—was capable of creating cursed corpses: non-living constructs infused with cursed energy that could act independently.
That sparked his interest.
He nodded.
Yaga led him into a room filled with various dolls—most shaped like animals. Tools and materials were neatly arranged nearby.
Picking up a round, fluffy white object—about the size of a small basketball, with only cartoonish eyes and a mouth—Yaga handed it to him.
"Gojo said you can use cursed energy. Just hold it, focus on making it move, and throw it to the ground."
Holding the soft sphere in both hands, Shingen squeezed it experimentally.
The texture was surprisingly pleasant.
Then, following Yaga's instructions, he infused it with cursed energy.
The eyes on the ball suddenly came alive.
It began trembling violently in his hands, growing harder and harder to hold.
Without hesitation, Shingen threw it down.
The moment it hit the ground—
It rebounded at an incredible speed.
Then slammed into the ceiling.
Within seconds, it began ricocheting wildly around the room, tracing chaotic, blinding paths through the air.
Yaga froze.
This was just a simple toy he had made in his spare time.
It was supposed to bounce with enhanced elasticity when infused with cursed energy—but its offensive capability was minimal.
So why—
Why was it moving this fast?
And what were those cracks forming on the walls and ceiling?
Just as Yaga was about to intervene—
He saw Shingen suddenly move.
In the next instant, the boy had already caught the ball mid-flight with both hands.
Yaga's eyes narrowed.
Something wasn't right.
Gojo had mentioned the boy was "special," but hadn't gone into detail.
And just now—
Even Yaga had barely been able to follow that movement.
Though part of that was due to being unprepared…
It was still shocking.
Meanwhile, Shingen's eyes lit up.
Despite possessing the mind of an adult, his body still carried the instincts of a child.
Throwing the ball.
Watching it bounce wildly.
Catching it again.
It was simple—but incredibly fun.
Yaga had intended to say something, but seeing the boy enjoying himself so much, he held back.
Instead, he brought out a few safer cursed corpses for him to play with.
When Gojo Satoru returned, he found an unexpected scene.
Masamichi Yaga sat cross-legged with a faint smile, while not far away, Tokiya Shingen was playing with a dog-like cursed corpse resembling a husky.
Shingen tossed the white ball again—it shot off at high speed.
The husky dashed after it excitedly, caught it in its mouth, and ran back—tripping along the way but quickly recovering and continuing happily.
"Gojo, you're back," Yaga greeted.
Gojo scratched his head, looking confused.
"…What exactly is going on here?"
Yaga explained,
"I didn't want him to get bored, so I gave him a few cursed corpses to play with. You know I've been researching ways to give them independent consciousness. This dog is… a somewhat unsuccessful attempt."
After a pause, he added,
"This kid has incredible talent. Where did you even find him? What are you planning to do with him?"
Gojo rubbed his chin.
"Huh? Didn't I tell you already?"
After explaining in more detail, Yaga narrowed his eyes.
"That's… quite something."
Gojo watched the husky run around happily and continued,
"I've already taken care of the orphanage paperwork. I'll find him a place to stay—maybe hire a caretaker. He's about old enough to live on his own, right?"
Yaga sighed.
"He's only seven or eight. Even if he's mature for his age, you can't be that careless. And didn't you already take in another child before? Don't you have any experience?"
Gojo suddenly clapped his hands.
"Oh right! I'll just have him stay with Megumi and the others. They're about the same age anyway—he can have a companion!"
Yaga shook his head, clearly giving up on expecting anything sensible from Gojo.
He gestured for Shingen to come over.
Holding the white ball and followed by the husky, Shingen approached.
Gojo grinned.
"I've handled everything at the orphanage. And I found you a great place to stay."
"…Thank you."
Shingen responded politely.
He turned to return the white ball, but Yaga waved it off.
"Keep them. Think of it as a gift. The white ball isn't very useful—but this dog… I call it White Wolf. It has some combat ability. It might help you in the future."
Shingen looked down at the happily wagging White Wolf.
Then he looked back up and bowed slightly.
"Thank you."
He hadn't expected such kindness from the stern-looking man.
Despite his rough appearance, Yaga clearly had a compassionate side.
"…Alright, I'll take him from here."
Gojo waved, then grabbed Shingen again—ignoring his protests.
With White Wolf and the ball in his arms, Shingen felt the world blur—
And in the next instant, they vanished.
When his vision cleared, they were standing on a quiet street.
Gojo led him to a standalone house and handed him a key.
"This will be your place from now on. I'll arrange a caretaker later. But first, let's visit next door—you'll meet someone important."
They walked to the neighboring house.
Gojo knocked on the door.
"Megumi, Tsumiki—open up! It's me, Gojo Satoru!"
The door opened.
A gentle-looking girl stood there.
"Gojo-san."
"Where's Megumi? I brought a new friend for you."
"He's in his room."
Gojo headed upstairs without hesitation.
Just as he reached the door—
It opened.
A boy with spiky black hair stepped out.
"Gojo-sensei… were you planning to just walk in without knocking?"
"I did knock!"
"…Not that door."
The boy sighed.
Gojo ruffled his hair.
"Anyway—introducing your new companion! This is Tokiya Shingen. He's just like you—he has the potential to be a jujutsu sorcerer. He's even awakened his technique."
"You two might end up classmates someday."
Shingen studied the boy.
Yes—
This was Megumi Fushiguro.
Almost exactly as he remembered.
The same hairstyle.
The same calm, distant expression.
Megumi looked back at him.
Then said flatly,
"I don't want to become a jujutsu sorcerer."
Gojo ignored him completely.
"Well, now you know each other! Oh—and school's starting soon. You might even end up in the same elementary class."
"You guys get along. I've got things to do!"
And just like that—
He disappeared.
Leaving the three children behind.