Chapter Text
"So... any idea how long we've been here?"
Said question was posed by Shoko Ieri, the nurse at Jujutsu Tech Tokyo, who's currently atop one of the theatre seats rubbing her eyes. Sitting next to her is her longtime nuisance of a childhood friend and teacher Gojo Satoru, who she addressed. He was also in the process or putting on back his blindfold. The two have just got out of sleep, with Gojo in particular having finally deactivated his Reverse Cursed Technique just for a chance to join his peers in a sleepover.
"Uh, I guess it was like... nearly 505 hours we were watching, meaning we spent approximately six days here. I never felt this drained before!"
"I'll say".
Shortly after, they were followed, one by one, by Masamichi Yaga, Kento Nanami, Utahime Iori and surprisingly Aoi Todo. He came up ahead of everyone.
The upcoming silence was so heavy, it started to wear out the adults even though they just got up.
They had a lot on their hands now, and so did the students. Sukuna's Binding Vow with Yuji, the Special Grade Curses' plan for Yuji, Gojo and the rest of the Jujutsu society, the fake Suguru Geto, and the Death Paintings' mystery. Even though a lot is unpacked, the implications of all these interlocking mysteries aren't becoming any clearer.
"Hey, Gojo" suddenly said Nanami.
"Hm?"
"What do you think about the next viewing? If the the last line from yesterday, and I quote, something completely different, is any indication?"
Gojo was deep in thought. But alas, he couldn’t come up with a satisfying answer “Dunno”.
They did promise to shift the students' education and training to accomodate for all these new revelations, but they weren't lying if they admit none of this over by a long shot...
"Yo! Gojo-sensei! You're up early!"
"Morning, Nanami-san!"
“Good morning, Iori-sensei!”
The silence is immediately broken, however, by a certain pinkette Sukuna vessel barging in with his light-haired female friend, alongside their long-suffering black seaweed-haired peer.
Next to Yuji Itadori, Nobara Kugisaki and Megumi Fushiguro are their upperclassmen, Maki Zenin, Toge Inumaki, Panda, and Yuta Okkotsu. And right behind them are the Kyoto Tech students, Mai Zenin, Momo Nishimiya, Noritoshi Kamo, Kasumi Miwa and Mechamaru. All of them were full after breakfast, with Yuji, Nobara, Toge and Miwa still carrying snacks despite dining.
Hale and healthy, not to mention excited, compared to the adults, they quickly accosted them.
Good mornings' were exchanged, and they soon moved to take their seats.
But, why were the students more upbeat next to the teachers? This might be because of a notice that's sent specifically to Gojo himself, which he reluctantly shared to Ieri, then to Nanami, before it spread to Yaga and Utahime. He was told that unlike previous episodes, this one will actually have ramifications on him and one of his students. It didn't specify which one, but it said it will be clear at the very first scene.
Thus, Gojo Satoru, of all people, was left briefly nerve-wracked. He wasn't all that sure, but part of him had an idea of what this could be. He spent so much time mulling over it, he got sick of it, and felt the need to drop Infinity for what seemed to be a long time.
"Sensei!!"
He snapped to his direction, and saw a concerned Yuji next to him in the first row. "Are you okay? Everyone's saying you slept like the dead since the day before."
"Was the information overload too much for you?" asked Nobara.
"Impossible" the rest mentally stated. If that were the case, then something is up with the man, which was very concerning.
"Oh, uh... yeah. To be honest, with this power of mine, a nice nap will always feel like I never had any in my life" he laughed off. "And besides, there is nothing like cuddling with you guys!".
Said guys, namely Nanami, Ieri and Utahime, were not pleased, with the latter being downright disgusted at the idea of having had a slumber party with sleeping bags alongside him. But since he, like Yuji said, slept like the dead, it didn't feel too much gross.
"Anyway, are starting soon?" Megumi cut them off to present the current matter at hand.
"I guess so" Answered Kamo.
After a few seconds, the screen started to flicker...
The scene shows someone rather familiar walking ominously in a dimly lit street. He was musing about the nonstop curse activities this year and the one before.
Gojo was immediately stupefied in his place. He knew it! Of course that was the completely different thing.
The Tokyo second-years, adults were similarly on guard. Despite having heard that voice early, something about it now feels wildly different... and much more familiar.
The first-years felt the same, but they also noticed Gojo's frozen posture.
Gojo realized it ahead of them, though.
"Hold on, that's..." Maki spoke up.
"Yeah" Okkotsu and Ieri let out.
It quickly cut to reveal a certain Jujutsu sorcerer, Suguru Geto, wearing a grim expression, who turned to a creepy alleyway, where he found a curse having already preyed on someone. He quickly absorbed it using his Technique.
"That’s him" Okkotsu says blankly "the real one".
The full illumination of the man, surprisingly clad in the same school uniform as them, had them in shock. His face... had a look those who met him as a Curse User never saw on him before.
But Yaga, Ieri, Nanami and Utahime knew exactly the circumstance behind the scene. They turned to Gojo, who was almost like a statue.
So, are they going to bear witness to his fall from grace in full?
Megumi, remembering the prior discussion about Gojo's health, quickly deduced that he must have been notified about this firsthand. Him specifically.
"Exorcise. Absorb... over and over. No else understands what cursed spirits taste like.
Gojo was so gobsmacked, he actually removed his blindfold beforehand, and let himself experience the full view of his once best friend in his misery.
It's like swallowing a dirty rag that's been used to clean up shit and vomit" he reflects on as he swallows the cursed spirit he captured.
Those aware of his Cursed Technique winced mentally. Indeed, if touching a Cursed Spirit is too unpleasant, then swallowing is a whole new level of gross.
"What I witnessed isn't common, because I understood the ugliness of the masses. But even then, I still chose to be a Jujutsu sorcerer that saves others". The scene shows the feet of two girls, before showing Geto disappearing in a crowd.
The moment hit the now blindfold-less Gojo like a freight train, because it showed that day. Ieri was watching intently, remembering having found Geto in that same area the day he snapped.
"That's what I've been telling myself since then.."
Gojo was also in the crowd.
In fact, he and his closest co-workers have already hazarded a guess about what will this episode centre on, which won’t bode well for certain viewers. With Gojo in particular stealing glances at his ward and student Megumi’s direction, even though he pulls his eyes away whenever the former looks at him.
The same man mentally winced, the street being frighteningly familiar. He aware not only he will re-experience that awful year all over again, but so will the students.
"... ever since that day"
Gojo now held his hands behind his neck and stretched slowly. If his guess was true, then his intended talk with Megumi will take on an unexpected direction.
Now, the youngsters aren’t all that surprised Suguru Geto was once like them, regardless of how dramatically different he was as a cult leader.
The scene shifts to a nostalgic collection of images about a family. A voiceover, again familiar sounding, recounted the story of a company president who was driven to bankruptcy and ended up committing familicide before doing himself in. Earning his home a reputation for being haunted.
A younger Utahime and Mei Mei were at a car, mulling over the rumors, as well as the casualties.
Utahime was stunned at witnessing herself as an adolescent, and alongside Mei Mei no less.
“Iori-sensei!?” Miwa pointed out.
“Whoah, that’s you!” exclaimed Mai, “you look so cute!”. It was something Nobara, Todo, Panda and Miwa agreed with. Utahime blushed fiercely.
“It really is Utahime! Damn, you looked like such a cute kouhai!” but Gojo kinda ruined the moment, as she instantly turned deadpan.
“Isn’t that Mei-san in the back?” inquired Maki.
“Yeah”
This seems to have relaxed Gojo a little bit. Although judging from her looks, Mei’s presence, and especially their mission, he and the adults had a good idea of where is this taking place.
“Wait, isn’t that the mansion you...?” Shoko trailed off, surprisingly recalling that incident.
“It... is, I guess” was Gojo’s slow reply.
“So, we really are about to witness the past, huh?” Most of the adults thought. “But why?”
"Then that means..." Utahime started fuming. She did not have fond memories about that mission. Not that her memories of Gojo were all that fond to begin with, but that one was special, in that it was the last time she saw him, Shoko and Geto as carefree teens.
Naturally, it soon became the Jujutsu world's problem, since the two women were dispatched to deal with it. Mei Mei seems to have joined up simply because they paid her for it, much to Utahime's consternation.
“Some things never change, eh?” remarked Todo.
The two walked over to the mansion. Utahime tried to erect a veil, but Mei Mei persuaded her against it, at least for now, saying that there were no cursed spirits nearby, probably being inside the house.
“Oooh, are we about to see them in action?” wondered Nobara.
Gojo barely held in a snicker, while Utahime felt a vein popping in her forehead in response.
She could snap at him, but appearing still bitter about that incident would make her look bad, so she moved on.
Utahime barely got inside the house due to the blocked door, before immediately sensing 'it', as confirmed by Mei Mei. The former then handed Utahime a flashlight, claiming she has no need for it.
“She doesn’t?” asked Yuji.
“Does this have to do with her Cursed Technique?” said Maki.
“Kakuni” was Inumaki’s reply.
She began exploring the interior of the house, making note of how messy, yet intricately designed it was. Electricity is still on, as Mei Mei demonstrated, to her surprise. Mei Mei instructs Utahime to search on the second floor while she stays on the first. The Miko was spooked, but she still complied.
The Kyoto students were admittedly floored by how callow and vulnerable their teacher used to look. Some found it adorable, but others were glad for her newfound maturity, since she wouldn’t make it out alive like that. Still, it gave them as well as Tokyo students an idea of why Gojo liked to call her weak.
Throughout her walk, Utahime was constantly on edge from the downright eldritch place, but still, she went through several rooms successively, until she found the last one, which belonged to the owner's children. When it seems she'll locate something under their bed, she was met with mice instead, freaking her out.
Almost everyone started to giggle, with Gojo nearly sputtering. Utahime was just chagrined throughout the whole thing. “Great, he now has more reason to haunt me for the entirety of our stay here!”.
Out of the room, a mere hand on her shoulder from Mei Mei was enough to make her shriek.
Now they graduated into full-blown laughter.
“Sheesh! That’s a scream worthy of a horror film!” Yuji let out in between laughs.
“Ain’t it?!” Agreed Nobara.
Megumi, meanwhile, just wondered how is she still alive to this day, a sentiment echoed by Maki, Mechamaru and Kamo. She did get a facial scar out of her trouble, so it isn’t too ludicrous to think about.
The Miko teacher now just wants to become one with the floor, especially with her best friend and annoying acquaintance conspiring to make her do exactly that.
Mei Mei joked she could become the next scream queen at this rate.
“Took the words outta my mouth” Gojo quipped, which was the last straw for poor Utahime, who contemplated spilling the lemon tea juice can on him.
Momo, Todo, Miwa and Nobara noticed her poor state, however, and came over to her, “S-sorry, Sensei!”.
Anyways, the silver-haired woman reveals that they're actually on the first floor, to the other's confusion, especially when says she was walking in it, since they never met. Mei Mei points to a series of objects that she has passed through three times, and markers that she left.
“Huh? Are they stuck in, like, a loop?” Yuji asks.
“Probably some form of innate domain. Though I didn’t encounter such thing before” Megumi said.
It soon becomes clear they reached the center of the beast.
They continue on walking anyway, further confirming Mei Mei's suspicion. Utahime asks her how long have they been here, and the other replies that it was 30 minutes, meaning about four kilometers. Utahime wonders if they're even in an innate domain, but Mei Mei postulates that the spirit may be creating overlapping space the longer they move, instead of trapping them in a loop.
“Thank goodness. Were it a loop, it’d be a real pain!” Nobara stated.
“For a spirit to be able to create more space, I wonder what grade this could be, and how it should be countered” Maki wonders.
“Sounds like something out of a roguelike" Momo commented.
“If they remain trapped by walking in a consistent line, the best solution in this situation would be to improvise!” Todo suggests.
“In what capacity?” Yuji and Nobara are a bit lost at his answer.
Utahime lays down that the overlapping space theory is the more likely solution, and the solution for that is to split up and move in unpredictable directions, in hopes that the barrier won't keep up, allowing them to get out and perhaps counterattack or call for help.
“There it comes...” Ieri cryptically utters. The others stare at her, thinking she was probably involved.
Utahime gripped her skirt, bracing herself for the upcoming humiliation.
Gojo, on the other hand, suddenly went silent.
Mei Mei agrees to try it. But just as Utahime started to run, the building suddenly unravels, before rapidly breaking apart. Utahime barely manages to get away from it with her life before falling down. She gets out if the rubble just in time to get a good view of her "savior".
“That kind of handiwork seems... familiar” Panda says, in a noticeably resigned ‘this is going to suck’ tone.
The other Tokyo students stiffened, now knowing why it was familiar. Megumi, Nobara and Maki in particular felt a giant headache coming, compared to Yuji and Yuta, who were slowly becoming excited.
Nanami couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose, feeling the exact same upcoming headache "Dammit, Gojo".
"I came to help you... Utahime!
“Gojo-sensei!!” Yuji hollered.
“Ha HA! Of course!” said sensei followed suit, echoing his excitement.
The rest, though, did not like this a lot. Some for petty reasons, but mostly due to what this could mean for the future forecasting.
But yes, mostly for the idea of watching only Satoru as a teenager, with all that entails (read: supreme pain).
“Dear god, no...” Megumi and Nobara weakly complained, horror apparent on their faces. The same went for their upperclassmen and teachers.
Who was none other than Satoru Gojo, wearing round shades and Jujutsu Tech Tokyo uniform.
“There you, uh, are” was all what Yuta squeaked out. When Gojo looked at the audience, he noticed that, with rare exceptions, they weren’t terribly enthusiastic, much to his dismay.
“Why are you guys like this?”
“No, why are YOU-” Nobara fired back by pointing at the screen “-like that?!”.
“But still, Sensei is still cool even in our uniforms!” Yuji defended him. “wait, how old were you back then?”
“I was a second-year.”
“This was shortly before the Star Plasma Vessel incident, so it will be unveiled here today” Shoko was thinking. Gojo knew it already, but he’s content letting everything play out, perhaps giving him an insight of what he missed out on back then. Well, save for the matter regarding Megumi’s dad.
"Are you crying?"
"I'm NOT" she screams, trapped by debris "and be more polite!!"
“So, you were like this for more than a decade?” A deadpan Mechamaru asked Utahime. The latter nodded, almost robotically. Everyone violently shuddered at the mere visual.
“Oh come on, Utahime! You might not believe it but you were one of my best friends! I swear!” Gojo passionately laid out, but none were all that convinced. Unless Gojo’s idea of a friendship was just warped like that.
But before continuing, his head was suddenly grabbed from behind by the principal, “I think I remember that incident, Satoru. You forgot something back there, didn’t you?” he went on with a menacing glare.
Regardless of his strength, Gojo’s state of mind was instantly reduced to that of his adolescent self, and he weakly protested “I-It was more than a decade ago, P-Principal...”
The onlookers were mostly smirking amongst themselves, enjoying the look of Gojo somehow still overpowered by his own former teacher, particularly Utahime.
A completely unharmed Mei Mei walks over, asking Gojo if he would console her were she to ever cry. Gojo rejects the possibility of her ever crying, since she's strong. The exchange pisses off Utahime even more, before she gets up to yell that she never asked for his help...
Most were surprised by Mei Mei’s intact appearance compared to Utahime’s, even the latter herself “Wow. Nothing gets to her” commented Nobara.
“Wish I gained that level of swagger” Momo said.
“You mean nonchalance?” inquired Mai.
“You didn’t change all that much from twelve years ago” Maki finally told Gojo.
“What she said” added Megumi.
“If anything, everything about what I see on-screen is even more off-putting than usual” also added Panda.
“He’s not wrong” Shoko, Yaga and Nanami mentally commented.
... before a cursed spirit emerges right behind her.
“Well, shit!” was Mai's reaction.
"That's just convenient" Nobara noted, snickering.
"CAREFUL, IORI-SENSEI!!" Miwa yelled out.
It's immediately caught and eaten by another spirit, which turns out to belong to Suguru Geto.
He commands it to not devour it, as they'll take it in later.
The dark-haired teenager with the elongated earlobes then chides Gojo "Satoru, it isn't nice to pick on the weak"
What was amusing a few minutes ago soon turned deathly silent.
The younger students were now more vigilant, but nowhere near the level of their upperclassmen. That Suguru Geto was a close friend of Gojo’s is forgone conclusion, but if what’s being presented is any indication, they might even witness how he ended up the way he was.
They turned to look at Gojo, who took off his blindfold once again. The look on his face was... soft. So soft and wistful. The nostalgic air eventually got to his other close friend Ieri, who didn’t exactly like the feelings this was getting out of her. The same was for Yaga, as well as Nanami, albeit for different reasons in case of the latter.
“Wait... not nice to pick on the weak?! He... is that really Geto Suguru?” Maki was astounded at hearing him, of all people, scold Gojo.
Gojo retorts saying no one's stupid enough to pick on the strong, while Mei Mei blames Geto for being unreasonable. The whole conversation drives Utahime up the wall, at least until she hears a certain voice.
“I don’t feel like wanting to experience more of that Gojo” admitted Nobara, almost aware of what they’ll see of him
"Utahime-senpai!"
Said senpai beams like crazy, immediately recognizing it as belonging to her best friend, Shoko Ieri, who's shorter haired, more vibrant, but a smoker. "Shoko!!"
Nobara similarly grins “Ooh! You look so beautiful! Shoko-san”
The woman snorts. Everyone takes note of her smoking as a teenager, with them feeling relief that she quit.
"You look much more youthful! And kinda like..." Yuji complimented, before noticing the resemblance between Nobara and a teenage Shoko. The light brown-haired girl snapped at Yuji "What?!"
"N-nothing!"
As if in response to the scene, Utahime laid her head on Ieri’s shoulder, nostalgia getting to her as well.
Ieri asks if Utahime is okay, since they've never heard of her for two days. Utahime runs to her and hugs her tightly, begging her to never become like her two troublesome male friends. She assures her she'll never turn into trash like them.
“Hah! That’s why Shoko-san is one of my favourite adults here!” boasted Nobara.
“Yeah, right?” agreed Utahime.
“Good for her” Megumi added.
Her calling him and Geto trash hurt Gojo more than he’d admit, as seen by the words literally piercing him. But he set that aside (literally as well) to take in his childhood with his once best friend.
Geto is using the stairs Utahime climbed from just now, as Gojo playfully warns him that it's falling apart, prompting Geto to shut him up.
Maki, Yuta, Panda and Inumaki blinked twice at the exchange. This Suguru Geto was... warmer, kind of like Nanami, but more talkative.
Utahime is shocked by how she and Mei Mei got stuck for two days in reality. Gojo speculates that the spirit's barrier must mess with time perception, which is rare but does happen, while feeling surprise over how even Mei Mei was trapped in it. She realizes it was a two-days' labor she was in.
Todo recalled having ended up in a similar situation before “Ugh, does that bring me back to that damn Curse”.
“You mean the one that impersonated Takeda-chan?” Mai brought it up.
“How long did you get stuck?” Asked a curious Yuji.
“Two weeks” Todo, Mai and Kamo responded simultaneously. “but for me, it was only a couple of days” helpfully added Todo.
“EHHH!!?"
She then asks Gojo about the curtain. The three saviors freeze up in shock.
Most in the room facepalm so hard it caused an echo. The students were quite dismayed, knowing that the tomfoolery they bore witness to was just the beginning.
“You, of all people!!?” shouted Yuji at Gojo.
“It was a different... me. Hehe” he quietly defends himself.
“Like you wouldn’t know” grimaced Nanami.
Back at Jujutsu Tech, there a news report on TV about the abandoned house's explosion, believed to be caused by a gas leak.
Gojo, Geto and Ieri were on the floor, with Yaga, a teacher back then, looming over them. He tells them about somebody that promised to put up a curtain only to leave the assistant manager behind and forget all about it. Before ordering them the culprit to come forward.
“Man, this truly takes me back” Shoko commented.
“Really?” Gojo said, incredulous.
Geto and Ieri promptly point to Gojo, who then dramatically asks to stop pointing fingers at one other (despite having been just sold out).
He gets a "DISCIPLINE" punch down on his head, courtesy of Yaga.
They couldn’t take it anymore, with Nobara, Yuji, Maki and Panda bursting out laughing at Gojo’s piss-poor attempt to dodge responsibility, and ended up on the ground, nearly spitting out food when he was hit by Yaga. The former almost sounded proud. But of course, it was rare that someone got the drop on The Strongest (even in the name of discipline).
Megumi wouldn’t show it, but seeing Gojo looking this unimpressive did wonders for his mental health. It was high time that buffon got knocked down by a peg.
“At least I remembered to put up one” Utahime murmured, shooting a smug side-eye at Gojo, who scoffed. “So this is how it feels to be at the receiving end?”.
At the gym, Gojo, playing with a basketball, m questions if the use of curtains is even necessary, not really caring about whether normal people can see them or not, as they can't see curses anyway, while Ieri is wearing his glasses.
“Gojo-sensei, where are you going on with this?” mulled Megumi, not liking at all his frivolity about the whole thing.
The white-haired man just sighed in defeat. This is going to show not just where everything went wrong, but also why. This did make him and his co-workers more relieved, though, for outgrowing it.
Catching the basketball Gojo threw, Geto affirms that yes, it matters. The mental calm and peace of the populance is a deterrent to cursed spirit outbreak, after all. Hence their need to conceal everything as much as possible.
Gojo quickly snatches the ball from him and scores a goal, while lamenting how exhausting it is to protect the weak, before throwing it back at his black-haired friend.
The students were quite stunned at seeing their teacher act so... callous, particularly Yuji, Megumi and Yuta. The same person who always drilled on them the importance of completing the task fully and safeguarding the populance, always.
The other students, namely those from Kyoto, weren’t all that surprised at seeing how much ego he acquired from winning the superpower lottery.
Geto insists that society must protect the weak and keep the strong in check, because Jujutsu exists to protect non-Jujutsu sorcerers.
As he throws the ball, Gojo mocks his argument as too self-righteous, while declaring he hates that stuff. Geto is bewildered, and angered by this.
“The hell... Sensei?!” Yuji croaked out. That is the same man who instilled the same values Geto is now preaching?!
Not only that, but Geto, of all people, is the upstanding one in this situation?! Wasn’t that the same man who turned on humanity and wanted them all gone? Many of those who knew what he was like after becoming a Curse User are at loss for words. But not to the same level as seeing their teacher and nurturer Satoru Gojo act like such an abrasive presence.
Gojo could easily pull his eyes away from that exchange, having never felt this degree of... shame his whole life. If it wasn’t obvious he was going to live with the full knowledge that Curse User Geto was essentially him at the time fully realized, right now, it is now.
"Assigning reasoning and responsibility to Jujutsu is what weak people do, so stop making yourself feel superior by spouting that garbage", and makes an exaggeratedly disgusted face to prove his point.
Megumi glowered at Gojo’s direction, his own convinctions making witnessing the man like that particularly painful, whereas Yuji was still disbelieving. Nobara quickly settled down, having figured out that the only reason they’re shown this is to demonstrate how he grew out of.
Ieri wastes no time leaving the premises, since Geto is now angry enough to start a fight, having summoned his curses.
"Let's take this outside, Satoru"
"You lonely? Go by yourself" Satoru also readies himself...
“Hey, is it sad that I’m kinda rooting for Suguru Geto to trounce him?” Panda inquired.
"Well, it could be worse..." Miwa said weakly, completely turned off by her same-aged crush being so apathetic and distanced from others.
They're quickly interrupted by Yaga entering the gym. He notices them about to square off and tells them off, before asking about Ieri's whereabouts, to which they sheepishly answer probably the bathroom.
“Buffons”
From what Yuji gathered, Gojo, Geto and Ieri were a close trio, kind of like himself, Megumi and Nobara. Which was rather interesting.
Yaga sets all this aside to inform them about a mission they'll have to undertake. They react with boredom, to Yaga's annoyance.
The teacher admits the mission will be quite the handful, since it comes from Master Tengen themself. It has two objectives:
Master Tengen has found the perfect Star Plasma Vessel, they are to escort the girl, and erase her.
...
“What?” was what most young students simply vocalized.
“That will probably be elaborated on now” Nanami simply answered.
Todo leaned on his seat, looking back to something his mentor discussed. “The Star Plasma Vessel, wasn’t it?”
"Escort the girl... and erase her?"
"Correct."
Gojo and Geto then cheekily whisper among each other about the last line, believing Yaga has lost it due to the spring pollen and his upcoming promotion as a principal, much to the man's irritation.
“Come on now, sensei. Is your goal is to drain the life force out of everyone around you?” Yuji questioned, just as annoyed as Yaga is.
“It’s probably his own way of showing affection, I guess” Yuta offered.
“It doesn’t come out that way, especially after what we heard him just say a minute before” Megumi countered.
Geto collected himself and asked Yaga if they're going to reset Master Tengen's cursed technique. Gojo is out of the loop, having no idea what they're talking about.
Most rolled their eyes at the clueless Six Eyes user.
Yaga explains that although Tengen's Cursed Technique involves immortality, it still doesn't stop their aging process. And when they reach a certain age, the cursed technique will cause them to change bodies. And as a result, Tengen will acsend to a higher state and cease being human.
As Gojo finally understood, Geto murmurs that at this rate, Tengen will cease to have a will, and when that happens, the Jujutsu world will hit a huge slump since it's Tengen who manages and strengthens the veils, pillars and barrier techniques. At worst, Tengen might even turn on humanity.
Yuji was quite alarmed at hearing such thing, so he turned to his teacher for an explanation “Sensei, did you...?”
“No spoilers!” Gojo suddenly announced.
“HUH?!”
“Of course! If he reveals everything, all tension will be gone!” Nobara reminded Yuji.
The boy was out of it. Which he attributes to Gojo’s emotions being all over the place since this viewing began.
Setting aside the inappropriately funny situation, the implications of such outcome were too grave for the students to just ignore, so Yuji begged "Come on, sensei, at least a hint! Please!"
After ignoring him, Gojo reconsidered it, but then all he said was "Ain't telling!"
Yuji slumped on the seat in disappointment. But Megumi was very concerned. Such response could very easily mean anything.
He then reveals the common solution for this: merging with a compatible Star Plasma Vessel once every 500 years, thus overwriting their genetics. This will refresh Tengen's body as well as their cursed technique, preventing them from evolving.
“Erasure” Kamo uttered, the word now bearing a different meaning. It’s not like he didn’t know about what Tengen did to maintain their form, but he didn’t get to know the full mechanics of it.
Todo, meanwhile, reflected on something she said few years ago. He noticed back then her unusual attitude regarding Tengen after she explained the whole process. Not to mention she never quite gave an answer about the current day’s ritual. Probably why Gojo insisted no spoilers.
The ultimate fate of the vessel left the likes of Yuji and Yuta conflicted. From the way Yaga described it, it seemed as if the person will cease to exist and become part and parcel of Tengen, almost as if they never had a self.
And besides, were Gojo a part of such mission, why wouldn’t he reveal anything about it? Yuji quickly glanced at his teacher and saw him... melancholic? Yes, in a whiplash, the man went from trollish to depressive. Yeah, something definitely's up.
He, Megumi and Nobara discussed this tidbit amongst themselves.
Gojo comes with an analogy using Digimon franchise's Greymon's evolutionary levels. Geto reluctantly agrees with the comparison.
“Ha ha! Digimon?! Man, this really is a blast from the past!” Yuji squealed. He was getting all nostalgic at the mention of his number one favourite childhood show.
“Yeah!” so did Nobara.
“Salmon” as well as Inumaki.
“Man, I miss the old Adventure shows and the games!” and Panda.
“I prefer Tamers, though” Said Momo.
“How cute, being so edgy and all” Mai teased her blonde upperclassman.
“So kiddy” grumbled Maki “but then again, that wasn’t a bad analogy”.
“Why did this suddenly become about Digimon?!” Megumi not-so-quietly complained. They were just in a serious discussion. And speaking of the one who brought up the analogy, the Ten Shadows user turned to see Gojo, and he didn’t join in the silliness at all. This was worrying. One thing they did conclude, however...
“Did this mission have something to do with what happened to Suguru Geto? Or is there something more to it?"
Yaga continues, revealing that the Star Plasma Vessel's location was leaked, and now there are two groups after her. One is the Curse User Group Q, which aims to upend the Jujutsu society by making Tengen evolve, and the other is the Star Religious Group, or Time Vessel Association, which comprises worshippers of Tengen. He caps it all off by announcing it'll be two days before Tengen and the Star Plasma Vessel merge on a full moon. Henceforth, Gojo and Geto's mission would be to escort the girl to Tengen at once.
He warns them that if they screw up, the ramifications this will have on Jujutsu society are going to be massive.
“It actually did. In a way” Ieri, Yaga and Nanami mentally noted.
“And the consequences will probably keep on piling up” Reflected Yuta.
Gojo and Geto are on their way to Riko Amanai's place, having picked up snacks, while walking rather strangely.
Yuji, Nobara, Maki, Momo and Panda barely held in their laughter. Yuta was mostly embarrassed.
“Classic swagger” Panda snarked.
“Pssht! They look ridiculous! Has he ever heard or looked at himself those days?!” Mai interjected.
The insult also hit Gojo like an arrow, but like before he refused to do anything about it. His mind was elsewhere.
Gojo admits to not getting the Star Religious Group's rationale behind wanting to eliminate the vessel compared to Q.
“the Star Religious Group? Is it the same group that...” Megumi trailed off.
“Yes, the one headed by Suguru Geto” Maki confirmed. Megumi, Nobara and Yuji glanced at each other, all nodding.
"Knew it"
Geto replies that they worship a pure version of Master Tengen, and the merging process would soil their purity. He says that they're no threat since they're non-curse users, which leaves Q as their main problem.
“But if he took leadership of them, maybe they weren't as they seemed to be" Megumi thought.
The Six Eyes user scoffs, claiming that it should be no problem since they're the strongest, and Yaga sent them for that exact reason.
Geto then takes his time to remind Gojo to watch the way he talks, especially around his seniors, claiming he's too rude, and this might pose a problem when they encounter Tengen. In fact, even their juniors are intimidated by him as a result.
“Can’t believe I’m agreeing with him” Maki remarked in disbelief.
“Bonito flakes, Kankoro” voiced Inumaki. Less rude, more idiotic.
But during their conversation, an explosion rips out from the apartment where the vessel is supposed to be, startling them.
“Uh oh”
“Is this how it ended Sensei? She died right then and there?” asked Yuji. Megumi nearly face-faulted at such conclusion.
“Too anticlimactic!” Panda rejected the possibility out of hand.
The two turn around and ready their cursed techniques for a potential skirmish, before noticing a figure falling from that floor. It was Riko Amanai.
At the sight of her, Gojo could positively feel his emotional state deteriorate even further. While it’s a given due to the whole viewing airing out his failings, the mere sight of Amanai once again opened the gates for all traumatic memories about their mission back then to flood back in his head. He didn’t witness exactly how she died, so this will probably be revealed.
Miwa was worried “no way, she looks like just a middle schooler!”
“Sadly, not everyone views her as a child. In fact, not as a human anymore. As soon her Star Plasma Vessel status is exposed, she’s just an unwanted extension of Master Tengen” Utahime somberly explains.
From her apartment, a Q member, Kokun, watches her fall below, while declaring she can blame this situation on Tengen. Only to be blinsided by Geto rescuing Amanai by using his Curse. He scolds the soldier for making a mess, since they just got into trouble today. Taking a good look at her, he confirms her status as a Star Plasma Vessel.
Gojo, once again, stretched and sighed heavily. If Riko is shown, then he is going to be next. No doubt. “Tch. How am I gonna explain this for Megumi?
Kokun, recognizing Geto as a Jujutsu Tech student, orders him to hand Amanai over at the risk of death, provoking Geto to taunt him from afar to get closer.
Gojo was watching everything from below, sighing that they made it in time. At least before he gets a row of bladed weapons fired at him, only stopping due to his Infinity.
“I dunno, but something about that image of Gojo-sensei is...” Yuji says before spitting into chuckles.
He notices a figure arriving, a Q soldier named Bayer, who claps and compliments Gojo's ability, before telling him to show if the rumors were true.
“I wonder what came of this organization, Q, nowadays” Mechamaru queried.
“It was dismantled in 2006, due to the loss of one of their heavy hitters. The remnants split off into independent Curse User groups that roamed the Southern part of Japan, but they were swiftly exterminated after their discovery during a Jujutsu mission gone haywire." Yaga explained.
However, he, Mechamaru, and every other student noticed that it was during the same year this viewing is taking place. They slowly turned to stare at Gojo, who noticed them. He then snorted, eradicating any doubt about who was responsible. They all sighed wearily.
Gojo agrees, but sets a rule. Setting the knives away from his face with Infinity, he says he won't go all out and get into trouble once again. So at any point should Bayer cry and apologize, he'll spare him. Punctuating the statement with a confident grin, it only grinds on the soldier's gears, who curses him as a brat.
“Dang. Look, I know this Gojo-sensei is a complete tool, but he still manages to make it sound badass!” Yuji commented.
“Don’t worry, I actually feel the same. Surprisingly enough” said Nobara.
In another nearby building, two prople were observing the action. One of them comments on Q's first move, before talking about how although the Star Religious Group doesn't have the power to fight, they still have plenty of money.
The suit-clad man, Kong Shiu, thereby offers "So, how about it, Zenin? Want to get in on the assassination of the Star Plasma Vessel?"
Megumi, Maki and Mai’s eyes widened at hearing that surname. Gojo just suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
“That’s him, isn’t it?” Shoko and Nanami mentally questioned, while glancing down at Megumi, who’s now very (unfortunately) interested.
"I'm not a Zenin anymore, I got married and took my wife's name".
Megumi blinked. Why did that voice and general aura feel too familiar to him? Who was that?
The other person's appearance is shown, revealing a tall, raven-haired, and quite familiar-looking thirtysomething man with a scar across his lip.
Now almost everyone’s breath hitched, their eyes plate-sized. Those features, hair and eyes, they were a spitting image of not only Maki and Mai, but also...
Said wide eyes slowly veered to the direction of a certain other Zenin in the room, in descent if not in name.
It's Fushiguro now..."
"... but sounds good, I'll take it."
The nearly one minute silence was overpowering enough that one didn’t need Heavenly Restriction-powered senses to hear a pin drop. But then the pandemonium followed.
“WHAAAAT?!?!”
“FUSHIGURO?!?”
Megumi was stupefied, the only part of his body moving being his jaw, which fell off his skull.
“No way!! the name’s the same as..!!” Yuji exclaimed before turning to the stone-bodied Megumi.
“Oh my god! That’s your dad!?”
“We’re gonna watch him!?”
Maki and Mai were in the same state as Megumi, but to a lesser extent. They couldn’t help but suddenly flash back to something their cousin Naoya said about an outcasted Zenin clan member...
Megumi was briefly speechless, only muttering to himself while staring at the figure "N-no way..."
“Oh it DOES!! No one else was a Zenin and changed his surname to Fushiguro AND had a part in Gojo-sensei’s past! Face it, that’s your old man in the flesh!”
The adults were rather concerned. If this keeps up, Megumi will find out Gojo’s role in shaping his life a lot earlier than intended. Although the boy claimed to have no further interest in the man, the effect something as drastic as killing one’s dad might have shouldn’t be understated.
After having been slack-jawed for a few minutes, Megumi finally sinks into his seat. So, his own father of all people’s in the spotlight? There’s no harm in it. He might have detested him, but he won’t lie that seeing him in full for the first time made him feel... things. As antipathetic as he was, he won’t deny he’s just a teeny bit interested in the role the man had in the Star Plasma Vessel debacle, judging by his designation as an assassin.
On the other hand, Gojo was shaken a little from his slump. Dragging his eyes upward, he could witness the still image of the much feared figure from his past. The cause of everything to go wrong, the nail that unraveled it all. Instead of lingering fear or trauma, Gojo's lips curled into a tired smirk, and he quietly addressed him.
"What? Are you here to ruin my life again?"
END