Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It's been four months and I have to say I’ve been doing well post-life. Just four short months ago I had met my unfortunate end and ended up in a new world as a dog.

Oh, how do I know I ended up in a new world? Well simple, the ghosts. Ghost? Demons? I haven't figured out which they are. To me, they seemed like some odd in-between. They weren't human spirits but sometimes had human characters. They didn't seem sinister enough to fully be demons but they were damn near close.

I was quick to discover that no one else could actually see them. I would often see some of these strange creatures clinging onto people and no one made a single indication that they were aware of these supernatural beings.

I don't really remember how I died. The memories are hazy. All I remember was one moment I was in pain followed by a bright light. Next thing I know I’m waking up in the streets in a body that was most definitely not mine. Disoriented, I hadn't realized the change my body had been through.

Don't remember that section in health class.

After spending an hour freaking out after spotting my face in a store window, I finally got my sh*t together and embraced my new furry bod.

Took a good moment to get used to being on four legs, but once I got the hang of it I discovered that I was very nimble. What wasn't hard was me figuring out what breed I am. A Shibu Inu, which sort of made sense considering I found myself relocated to Japan. Also, I'm still a girl. One check cleared that easily.

I have to say I’m possibly one of the cutest dogs around. I must be a purebred and come from a strong bloodline. I had a pure white coat, I would have thought I was an albino but had a patch of cream on my chest that mimicked a heart perfectly and my eyes were a lovely sunset hazel with hues of red, orange, and green. My tail was perfectly curved creating a cute Q. My teeth were a healthy shade and my paw pads were absolutely squishable.

In this new life, I even have a name. It's a Reiki, story on how I got that later. I’ve adjusted well and now have a set schedule I like to follow.

Well, the day has begun, let's get started.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Reiki's first stop of the morning, chilling around the dog park. It was an off-leash park so she was safe and newcomers not used to her presence didn't bat an eye despite her lack of collar.

“Good Morning Reiki!”

That’s Yumi, she goes to a local college and walks her dog, Pepper every morning.

Reiki barked back in a greeting.

Barking ensued as Pepper came bounding over, dropping her ball at Yumi’s feet. Reiki barked back, having no clue as to what she was saying. Turns out that turning into a dog didn't give her the power to actually speak to other dogs. I mean she could perfectly understand humans, perhaps the only reason she can’t talk back is because dogs don't have the appropriate vocal cords to produce proper words.

Reiki went around the park being greeted by other humans and their canine companions. She was sort of a celebrity in the park. Why? Well, Reiki can not only see the odd demonic ghosts that plagued society she can get rid of them.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

It had happened a mere three weeks into Reiki’s arrival into this new world. She was making her daily rounds to local stores and restaurants to check out the fresh food that had been thrown out post-dinner rush.

There was this really great Ramen shop that Reiki liked that served amazing food and did not have the wherewithal to recycle the food they couldn't sell before closing.

Padding down the street, just a block away from the restaurant Reiki could already smell the lukewarm dumplings, she paused at the shrill scream that filled the night air.

Reiki hadn't even realized she was running towards the scream until she skidded into the opening of an alleyway. A woman's screams pierced the air combined with the unrelentingly barking of said woman's dog. He was just a few steps into the alleyway barking at a creature that Reiki would later learn he–along with other dogs–couldn't actually see.

A large slithering beast had grabbed a woman, twisting around her body like a snake. Bumpy skin with varying swollen lumps. No face to be found but it did have a large mouth, which it had opened.

Reiki didn't have to be a genius to figure out what was going to happen. The woman's airways had been cut off, putting an end to her screams. Reiki was scared, terrified. If she could sweat she was sure she would have broken out in a panicked cold sweat. Her fur stood up on ends and her tail puffed.

Her head grew fuzzy. A memory flashed by. The pain...The screaming....

Reiki snapped back. If someone didn't help this woman she was going to die. With a snarl, lips curled reviling her sharp fangs, Reiki surged forward. A wail left the beast as she sank her teeth into the flesh of the beast. It was enough to get the thing to drop the woman. She slumped to the floor, catching her breath tethering between consciousness. Reiki bit harder refusing to give up. She loosens her jaw only to snap back harder.

The creature screeched louder. Reiki couldn't stand the taste. She wanted to throw up, but she wasn't going to let go. Her mouth grew hot and her stomach bubbled. It was an odd sensation, the feeling Reiki found akin to the excitement she would get when riding roller coasters. She felt stronger, more powerful.

The young woman whom Reiki had saved managed to push herself up onto her hands. She spotted the battle, gasping and scooting back. Her dog ran over, diving into her arms, nose buried deep as it sought to comfort her and seek some comfort himself.

She wasn't sure what had grabbed her but she wasn't expecting a random dog to come to her aid. At least she thought it was a dog. She had spotted this dog every so often when she was walking her own. A white Shiba Inu with a distinct heart patch on its chest. One ear always seemed to be slightly flopped forward. It was the same dog, she was sure of it, but it looked much different.

Her heart-shaped marking was no longer an off-white but red. The tips of her paws were red as well, blending perfectly in an ombre that shifted back into white as it reached her ankles. The same coloring transpired on the tip of her tail and ears. The patch of fur on her face that served as her eyebrows were red as well, but had taken on a more fluid shape mimicking little clouds.

The most incredible thing was the fur that had puffed around the dog's ankles, puffy texture curly outwards to take on the shape of clouds as well.

The young woman had to cover her eyes as a spark jumped from the dog's mouth. She bit down harder on the creature and a jolt of electricity burst forth. The dog let go and jumped back.

Reiki felt the entire world shift. The very air crackled, quivering with amazing energy. She dug her paws into the ground taking a strong stance. Reiki pulled her head back pointing to the sky. Her jaws opened and a large ball of electricity formed within her mouth. She threw her head forward letting out a bark so tremendous it shook the very heavens like thunder.

The woman covered her eyes as the ball of energy hit the creature. The howls of pain were endless as it was consumed by the electricity. Within seconds it was nothing more.

Reiki made her way over to the woman giving a comforting bark. The woman lowered her hands and was greeted with a normal-looking Shiba Inu.

“Y-You saved me.”

Reiki gave another bark, tail wagging happily.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

So that's the story about my powers. I don't need to be big and flashy all the time, for the smaller less threatening creatures a simple bite with some charge behind it got rid of them. I started using this power to go about the city and rid it of these beasts. Turns out these things were truly a plague amongst the human population. Some of these strange creatures can cause physical pain or even make people sick, and ridding humans of them truly helped them out.

My good deeds earned me the name Reiki. One man started calling me that after he was going through a string of bad luck. He had spiraled and fallen into a deep depression. I had happened upon him having an utterly sh*tty day in the park. Hunched over a bench crying into his hands. It's said that dogs and other animals can help uplift someone's mood. I went in with that farce to comfort the man on the bench, but my main target was the two little dregs clinging to the man's shoulders sporting wicked grins. As if they knew what they were doing.

After ridding the man of them his bad luck ended. He came back to the park just a week later looking much better, scooping me up and spinning me around as he told me he had gotten a promotion and that the bald patch he had gotten was starting to fill back in.

He’d visit me almost every other day with delicious food and started calling me Reiki. Seems the name picked up because those who came to know my presence started calling me that as well.

Why Reiki? Well, Reiki is supposed to be positive energy used to heal others. People thought that my good girl presence was a good luck symbol that helped generate good energy, so good in fact that it could make people feel better.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

The next stop of the day was interrupted by a familiar face.

“Reiki-chan!”

“Yu!” Reiki happily cried despite no one being able to understand her.

She leaped up and was caught in the arms of a teenage boy. His fingers immediately dug into her fur hitting all the best scratching points.

Yu was a boy who used to live here but moved away a few months ago to go to school. He had been accepted into an elite private school. Yu saw Reiki as a companion with excellent listening skills, unbeknownst to him that she really was listening to every word he said.

Turns out he could see these strange creatures as well, they were called Curses, and Yu was going to go to a school to train as a Sorcerer, where his job would be to eliminate these Curses from the world. Reiki was really proud of him, bringing him her best stick as a gift. It was the best she could, she was a dog after all.

“You have a dog, Yu?”

A boy appeared next to Yu. His face was made for poker with a stoic nature and blonde hair so perfectly styled you would think he was some kind of corporate businessman who took the term “not a hair out place” far too seriously. He had to be a Sorcerer as well, dressed in a uniform similar to Yu’s.

“This is Reiki-chan! She’s a local stray who would come by my house."

“You shouldn't pick up strays. You never know what kind of diseases they may have. She might have fleas.”

Reiki balked, offended. “Excuse me, dear sir, I take excellent care of myself!”

Despite being a dog on the street, Reiki did her best to stay clean. She found a local river to bathe in and it was amazing the kind of things she could dig out of the trash. She managed to figure out how to apply shampoo, a complicated system she rigged up with some branches but a brush was still a work in progress. She was clean but her fur had gotten a bit matted and her nails were a tad too long for her liking. Maybe a kind pet groomer would give her a trim.

Yu also took offense to his friend's words, pulling Reiki closer to him, so they were pressed face to face. “Reiki-chan isn't dirty, Nanami!”

Nanami sighed with a roll of his eyes. “If she's not yours, why did you give her name?”

“I didn't name her. Reiki’s actually pretty friendly, everyone around here knows her. They say being around her brings you good luck. Also, her fur is really soft.”

Yu’s hands slipped under her front legs and she was held out to Nanami. “Go ahead, pet her.”

“No thanks.”

“A dog?”

Yu turned around. “Senpais!” He happily greeted me.

More Sorcerer students entered the scene. Two boys and a girl. Wait, was she smoking? She couldn't be older than sixteen.

The boys were tall and surely going to only get taller for the years to come. One had dark hair pulled back into a bun while the other had pure white hair, the bluest eyes Reiki had ever seen peeked from behind a pair of round glasses.

“Gojo-Senpai, Geto-Senpai, Shoko-Senpai! This is Reiki!” Yu presented her like a monkey with a lion.

“Pretty cute dog,” Ieiri said before taking a drag from her cigarette.

“She is smoking!” Reiki thought.

“Her fur is almost the same color as your hair,” Suguru joked to Satoru.

“Ha! Good one! Obviously, my hair is far more luxurious,” Satoru posed, running a hand through his pure white locs.

“Wow, these three are quite powerful,” Reiki thought.

Something Reiki discovered was that those who had the power to combat Curses had a distinct smell to them. A fresh sweet scent that rejuvenated Reiki’s senses. The stronger their power was, the more powerful their scent became. Satoru was the one with the strongest aroma, Reiki felt like she had been dropped off at a bakery just as it opened, fresh pastries and bread set out with their delectable scents wafting about.

“Reiki’s really popular! They say being around her brings you good luck,” Yu repeated to his seniors.

“A dog that brings good luck, now that's a first,” Satoru said.

“Nothing but superstition,” Suguru stated.

“But in our line of work is it really that odd?” Ieiri added.

“I suppose not,” Suguru said.

Chapter Text

Only two of the four students wanted to pet Reiki. Ieiri gave her some calm and relaxing head pats, hitting some spots that worked out a few knots in her neck. The other had been Satoru, who at first seemed rather lackluster. His hand barely grazing Reiki's fur. The event quickly escalated resulting in Reiki being cradled like a baby and being given some feverish belly rubs. It was like a switch had been flipped and he turned into a child, well more childlike than he was already acting like.

Once Nanami reminded them of what they were supposed to be doing, Reiki was set back onto her four legs, and the group was off. She was finally back on track, arriving just on time at a local elementary school. She waited on the sidewalk in front of the school's main doors. As the bell rang tiny humans came stampeding out, screaming, cheering, delighted to finally be free.

“It's Reiki!”

One boy pointed her presence out and Reiki was rushed by a sea of giggles and little hands–some sticky and covered in remnants of arts and crafts–competing for the chance to touch her soft fur. Reiki soaked in the attention. She loved these kids.

“Oh my, is that Reiki?” Suna was one of the teachers here at the school. She would sometimes have fresh treats at the ready in the yellow apron she wore. “Would you like a rice ball? I saved one for you?”

Reiki barked happily accepting the food resting in the woman's hand.

“I've never seen a dog so popular before. She is like our own little celebrity.” Suna had been joined by Misaki, another teacher.

An hour later the crowd dispersed. Reiki had left the school following a few kids home, their small underdeveloped brains having no clue they were being trialed by a dog who most definitely was not camouflaged to optimizely hide in a city.

The reason for Reiki’s tailing was that she heard a group of students talking about going on a test of courage. The leader of the group was excited as he told his friends about a local abandoned building that was supposed to be haunted.

Not only were old decrepit buildings not the ideal place for children to explore, with the possibility of a floor caving in or a beam falling on someone's head. Not to mention all the sharp rusted objects that were riddled with infectious bacteria. The last thing these kinds needed was tetanus or a staph infection. These kinds of places were just teeming with those horrid entities. They seemed to gather in places like that.

The children made their way to a shopping district. It was lined with more locally owned businesses. Some thrived while others barely stayed above the water. A building located towards the end of the street in a small alcove was one of the unfortunate ones that could not hold its head above water. An abandoned restaurant.

The kids slipped into the boarded-up doors. There was a hole at the perfect size to allow tiny bodies to slip in or one super-powered dog. Peeking through the gaps she spotted the kids huddling in the foyer of the restaurant.

“Everyone got their flashlights right?” Kenzo, the leader of the group asked.

The group consisted of five kids, three boys and one girl. “Got it!” They all sounded off holding up their own flashlights.

“Well, at least they were able to think ahead,” Reiki thought.

The darkened building was lit up as each one clicked on the flashlight. “Let’s go!” Kenzo declared, pointing deeper into the restaurant.

“Are you sure this is okay?” Aoto, a boy with glasses asked.

“Don't be such a baby Aoto,” His brother, Riku, teased, elbowing his brother. 

“Yeah, it's fine. I've been here plenty of times.” Kenzo stated.

“We should take pictures.” Emi, who always wore pigtails, pulled out her phone.

“Good idea!” Mimi said, pulling out her own phone.

Flip phones to be exact. Reiki almost forgot that she had been thrust into another world and another timeline. The backward slide technology had taken was a sure sign of that. Sneaking into a library Reiki managed to snag some books and read up on this world's history. Ninja dog for the win. History was pretty much similar to the previous world she was used to. So she theorized she was in some kind of parallel reality.

When the kids were a bit further away, Reiki finally slipped in. She wiggled herself through, landing on the dirty floor with a soft click-clack of her claws as she followed the kids.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Sh*t hit the fan quickly. The kids had managed their way to the back of the restaurant, daring one another to step into a large pantry with a sliding door. Kenzo was the only one brave enough to step in, even saying he was brave enough to have the door fully closed. Riku and Aoto managed to get the old door closed, and it locked on its own.

“Did it just lock?” Mimi asked.

“Not good,” Reiki thought.

The kids tried to open the door finding it an impossible task with the lock out of reach. A search for something to stand on was futile, nothing stable enough to support their weight could be found.

That's when the panic started. “Guys?” Kenzo banged on the door. “Guys get me out! This isn't funny!”

“The doors are locked! We can't reach it!” Aoto said.

“What?! Is this some kind of joke?! Get me out now!” Kenzo shouted.

Reiki growled. That's when it appeared.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Four screaming kids came running out of the abandoned restaurant. Scraped and cut.

“We left Kenzo!” Mimi shouted.

“We gotta go get him!” Emi cried.

“No way! There was a ghost in there!” Riku said.

“We can't just leave him!” Aoto said.

“We gotta tell someone!” Mimi said.

“B-But then will get in trouble!” Emi cried.

 The stress and fear boiled over and a chain reaction of kids sobbing loudly and losing all composure began. Unable to do anything they retreated into basic human nature wailing and crying.

Inside Kenzo was in the same state. Curled up in a corner as he sobbed into his knees. The ceiling had caved in thanks to that ghost and now he was really trapped.

A set of bark cut through his sobs.

“Reiki!”

Bark Bark

“Reiki!” Kenzo scrambled to the door, banging on it. “Reiki you gotta help me! Go get help girl! Help!”

Reiki barked twice signaling she heard the boy and rushed out of the restaurant. The others she passed by shrieked, startled by a dog bolting out. She felt bad that two of them fell over but she had more important things to deal with. She was fast on four legs, barely a blur as she tore down the street.

Reiki knew exactly where to go. His scent was still close by.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

The overwhelmingly sweet scent had carried her all the way to the group of Sorcerer teens. Yu and Nanami were not among them, just the second-year students. Reiki would've rather gotten the girl's attention. Statistically, she was most likely to address her concerns with some level of seriousness. But she was wearing a skirt and it was far too short for Reiki to grab. Besides, even if her skirt was a longer length Reiki wouldn't go grabbing them if she didn't have to, she’d never disrespect a lady like that.

The one with the pure white air smelled the best so Reiki went to him. With her teeth, she snagged his pant leg. Pulling and tugging him in the direction they needed to go.

“Hm, isn't that Yu’s lucky dog?” Ieiri said.

“Eh? What’s up with her?” Satoru asked.

He shook his leg lightly trying to get Reiki off. She rolled her eyes, he’s not getting it. Reiki let go running a few feet down the street, turning around, and barking.

“She seems a bit frantic,” Ieiri commented.

“I think she wants us to follow her,” Suguru said.

Reiki started jumping while barking louder. Finally, someone got it! She runs back and barks harder once again pulling at Satoru’s leg.

“Should we follow her?” Ieiri asked.

“It couldn't hurt. It's not impossible for dogs to signal danger,” Suguru said

Satoru shrugged his shoulders, folding his hands behind his head. “Could be fun!”

“Whatever, just hurry up!” Reiki barked.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

The group arrived greeted by four crying kids. Ieiri took the reins getting to the kid's level and figuring out what was happening. Emi, through tears and sobs, managed to get out that they had been chased by a ghost and that their friend was still inside. Aoto added how the building started to fall apart trapping Kenzo.

With that, the teens rushed inside fully intent on riding the building of its Curse and saving Kenzo. Ieiri stayed behind treating any injuries and kept the kids calm while the other two approached the building. It was easy for both the boys to kick in the wood boards to get inside. Reiki followed.

“Kids these days. When will they ever learn to not go into places like this,” Suguru said.

“Now, now,” Satoru wagged a finger, “a test of courage is a rite of passage.”

“It’s all fun and games until someone gets seriously hurt.”

Reiki slipped past the boys barking to grab their attention. She signaled where they should go. Be damned the monster lurking about, getting Kenzo out of here was the most important thing.

“Looks like she’s trying to lead us to the kid,” Satoru said with a hint of being impressed in his tone.

They followed Reiki towards the back of the restaurant, going into the large pantry where Kenzo was trapped. Once he heard her barking Kenzo cried out from the other side of the barricaded door.

“Reiki! Reiki!”

“Good girl!” Satoru complimented, “You led us right to him.” His large hand dropped on her head scratching her a bit too forcefully. “Hold on kid, we got you!” He called out.

He and Suguru worked on pulling away the debris, an easy task to do when you weren't the size of an office trash can and had opposable thumbs. The moment the door was free Kenzo came barreling out, wrapping his arms around Reiki’s neck. Crying with snot falling down his nose. She grimaced but would allow his snot-crusted face near her fur. Guess she’d have to make a trip to the river.

“Come on now,” Suguru knelt, holding a hand out. “We're gonna get you out of here.”

“B-But the monster,” Kenzo sobbed.

“Ha!” Satoru laughed hands on his hips with his head thrown back with a hearty laugh. “Any monster is no match for me!” He was haughty and overconfident. And Reiki knew he had the means to back it all up.

Suguru picked the kid up, and they started to make their way to the front. At least that had been the plan.

They stopped walking but Reiki growled sliding in front of the group as a Curse materialized from the ceiling. She barked, snapping her jaws in the direction of the mangled creature.

“Hey… Do you think that dog can see it?” Satoru asked.

“That’s something I’ve never heard about,” Suguru said.

It fell from the ceiling plopping onto the floor with a sickly wet thud.

“A Grade 2 huh? Surprised these kids were able to get out of her with no serious injuries,” Satoru commented. He raised his hand ready to rid the world of the Curse. With a snap of his fingers, the thing was flung backward. It cried and groaned, its body twisting in odd angles before being pulled apart by an unseen force. In seconds it was gone.

“Done and done!” Satoru proudly stated dusting his hand.

Reiki quickly shifted, turning around and sending her growls in the direction of Satoru.

“Whoa, whoa!” Satoru put his hands up with no real worry, but a playful banter at the ready.

“Satoru!” Suguru shouted as Reiki leaped.

A dog, and one as small as Reiki was no trouble for Satoru. A peeble in the road of life when compared to the wealth of power he held. He didn't want to hurt the dog but he was definitely not gonna let it tear out his neck. His power would be able to easily block her open jaws, but just as he was about to activate it Reiki burst into a cloud of flames. A surge of Curse energy encompasses the area. As Reiki’s small form broke free, her body had taken on a new form.

“What–!”

Reiki landed on Satoru’s shoulder twisting her entire body to slam her hind legs into the face of a Curse. When it was down she attacked. Opened jaws snapped down on the vulnerable flesh of the Curse that had been right behind the teens.

“She caught a curse!” Suguru said.

Reiki shook the thing around, baring her powerful jaws down on the Curse. Suguru and Satoru felt their hair stand up on end, but not from fear. It was like the very air became electrically charged. Reiki threw the Curse into a wall, and with a howl summoned a ball of electricity shooting it at the curse. All that was left behind was a burn that smeared the floor.

Reiki turned around, tongue lolled, tail wagging. The boys were merely gaping at her, Satoru’s glasses almost sliding off his nose.

Chapter Text

“I've never been in such a luxurious car before,” Reiki thought.

Taking a ride in the backseat of possibly an S-class vehicle wasn't an experience that Reiki had ever gotten the chance to partake in her previous life, nor did she think she’d get that opportunity in this one.

After the kids had been thoroughly checked over and dropped off at their respective homes, Reiki was scooped up into the arms of Satoru and whisked away. Satoru kept giving Reiki an endless string of praises, even burying his face into her fur calling her “Good girl! So strong!” She was confused but soaked in the affection. It seems whatever reserves he had for her broke and now he was treating her like he had been her owner for years. 

A man pulled up in a black car and Reiki found herself immediately thrust into the man’s face. Satoru cooed and gushed about Reiki’s display of Curse energy.

“Ah, so that’s what these powers are called,” Reiki had thought.

Ieiri didn't really believe him, his words not fully brushed off thanks to the added testimony of Suguru. But Reiki suspected that these two were troublemakers and often got into odd shenanigans. Pulling a prank of a dog with powers wouldn't be a farfetched prank.

Satoru talked a bit too fast, but Reiki managed to work out that he wanted to bring her to the school and make her a Sorcerer. The man was reluctant to tell the teen that an animal couldn't become a Sorcerer. Satoru was quick to shoot that nonsense down. He entered the car bringing Reiki with him.

With her hind legs in Satoru’s lap, she kept her gaze locked on the window watching the city pass by.

“You want the window down, Rei-chan?” Satoru asked.

He had already given her a nickname! Satoru was pointing things out as if a dog could understand what he was saying. Sure Reiki could but he didn't know that.

“Someone's made a new friend,” Suguru chuckled.

Using the power button he rolled the window down giving Reiki enough room to stick her furry little head out. The wind smacked her in the face and she loved it. The sensation was exhilarating. No wonder dogs loved to do this so much.

It had been about a forty-minute ride. The further they drove the sparser buildings grew until the scenery fully shifted to nothing but dense trees and greenery. Yu had mentioned to Reiki before he left for the private Sorcerer school, that it was located in a secluded part of the mountains.

“Where here!” Satoru practically danced out of the car, taking Reiki with him.

“Holy crap it's huge!” Reiki barked.

The campus was a sprawling landscape of traditional architecture that stretched for miles. Reiki was sure that some college campuses were not this big.

“I'm gonna take Rei-chan to my room!” Satoru declared.

“We gotta meet up with Yaga-Sensei first remember,” Ieiri stated, causing Satoru to spot in his tracks.

“I’m sure he’d want to be told of the Cursed Energy wielding dog too,” Suguru added.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“Scary!”

Reiki sat stiffly in front of the large figure that lumbered over her. His eyes were hidden by a pair of sunglasses, but she knew he had a heated stare.

Yaga was an intimidating man. Good thing he was a high school teacher, that large stature and tense atmosphere would surely scare kids.

“Why do you three have a dog?” Yaga asked.

“She can use Cursed Energy!” Satoru declared. The flat look the teacher gave him was clear that he wasn't buying it.

“It's true, I witnessed it first hand,” Suguru said.

Yaga turned to Ieiri, not trusting the words of the other two.

“I didn't see it,” Ieiri stated.

"I'm not sure what joke this is but I do not find it amusing. Take her back to wherever she came from.”

“No way!” Satoru snatched Reiki into his arms. “She’s mine now!”

Reiki felt herself flush beneath her fur. Sure she was a dog but that didn't mean she didn't know a good-looking face when she saw one, and to have someone of stellar looks as Satoru Gojo called her his, was enough to warrant a blush.

“Besides, why waste all that potential? Rei-chan is as strong as a Grade 2 Sorcerer at least,” Satoru said. He was like a child refusing to give up his favorite toy. Reiki enjoyed affection as much as the next person but he was holding her a bit too tight.

The hefty sigh that left Yaga was possibly comprised of every single molecule of air that resided in his body. He pinched his brow attempting to soothe the headache that wanted to so desperately form.

“It would be nearly impossible for a dog or any animal for that matter to possess any Cursed Energy, let alone enough to actually have a technique,” Yaga said.

“A-ha!” Satoru said, pointing at the teacher. “You said nearly! That doesn’t mean impossible!”

“You are well aware of the basics of Cursed Energy. Your ability to form cohesive and compressive thoughts along with being able to feel strong emotions is why humans produce Cursed Energy. A dog does not fall into the category.”

“Well, maybe Rei-chan is a new breed of dog! She’s a genius after all!” Satoru smirked, snapping his fingers. “I have an idea! We can test her!”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Moments later Reiki found herself in a well-manicured training field facing Suguru.

“Do they expect me to fight him?” Reiki thought.

“Okay, Suguru do your thing!” Satoru shouted across the field.

“Very well.” Suguru sighed, body language relaxed.

He raised his hand and immediately Reiki was on edge. A large swirling vortex of empty darkness appeared next to him and a Curse came bounding out, hopping on two large muscular legs like a kangaroo. He can summon Curses!! Suguru can summon Curses!

“Oh sh*t!” Surprised by this development, Reiki turned tail and started running.

“Go, go Rei-chan!” Satoru cheered.

“You're not worried that she might get hurt? I’m not sure if my technique would work on a dog,” Ieiri commented.

“Reiki’s not gonna get hurt. She’s the strongest animal, after all, she takes after me,” Satoru said.

Ieiri gave him a blank stare.

“Crap this thing is deceptively fast!” Reiki thought.

She took a sharp turn, running back towards the others, the Curse hot on her trial. Yaga pinched his brows once more, about to end this, animal abuse was not something he would condone.

That’s when everything shifted. Reiki skidded across the turf then took off back towards the Curse. One, then two, and on her third push off she was engulfed by her Cursed Energy. Yaga’s glasses nearly fell off his face as he did a double take. Ieiri’s lips parted in keen interest.

Reiki exploded from the cloud of Cursed Energy and slammed right into the stomach of the Curse, headbutting it with all her might. It wailed sliding back several feet.

“Wow! I barely felt a thing! I am so strong!” Reiki thought.

When the Curse was stunned, Reiki planted her feet, her head to the sky, a howl on her pursed furry lips.

“Here it comes!” Satoru excitedly said.

Her mouth was filled with the electrically charged Cursed Energy, and she aimed and took her shot. Before her attack could land the Curse was gone, the ball of energy traveling across the field before crashing into a poor tool shed that had been in its path. It exploded on impact.

Reiki’s jaw dropped as she saw the remnants of the unfortunate shed.

“I've seen how strong you are.” Suguru stepped forward. “I needed that Curse, I couldn't let you destroy it.”

Reiki’s ears fell flat as she glanced from the shed to Suguru. He paused then chuckled, reaching down to pet her head. Satoru might have been onto something when he called her a genius. There was definitely a glint–no it was more than that, a spark of intelligence that was blooming in those canine eyes.

“Rei-chan!” Reiki was scooped up and spun around by Satoru. “See Sensei I told you!” He smirked at the shell-shocked teacher.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“She’ll be your responsibility from now on,” Yaga instructed.

 “Of course!” Satoru saluted.

“Don't let me find out you're not taking proper care of her.”

Satoru gasped, a hand flying to his chest. “I would never.”

“You know,” Ieiri stepped forward twirling a piece of her hair, “a dog might be a nice addition. She might liven things up in a good way.”

“She’ll definitely make things interesting and bring new experiences,” Suguru said.

“I'll have to tell the higher-ups as well,” Yaga said.

“Boo!” Satoru wholly disliked that, giving a thumbs down to the idea.

“You should take her to the groomers. She's in need of some care and a haircut.”

“Leave it to me, I'll bring Reiki to the best salon ever!”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Satoru wasn't kidding. He had really brought her to the best pet salon. The kind where rich people brought their pets to be dyed a different color to mimic other animals. It was a heavenly doggy day spa!

“There's a gold crystal chandelier!” Reiki gaped.

Suguru strolled in as if he owned the place. The receptionist behind the desk was immediately enraptured by his good looks despite the clear age gap and uniform that denoted his high school student status.

“Hello, sir! How can I help you?” Her greeting was enthused and dripping with not-so-subtle flirting.

“I need my lovely Reiki groomed! The full works!” Reiki was plopped on the reception desk, knowing full well this was not where she was supposed to be placed.

“Oh! Well, you're in luck, we have an opening in ten minutes!”

“Perfect! I want my sweet Rei-chan to come out looking her best!”

Chapter Text

Reiki felt like a brand-new dog! She'd been given the full royal treatment. The water for her bath was at the perfect temperature with foaming bubbles that smelled like candied apples. Every knot and tangle was delicately taken out and her fur was shaped with the precision and care an artist would take with their masterpiece. She barely registered her nails being clipped as she was given the best massage of her life. There was even a doggy chiropractor who worked out a kink in her hip.

Who knew the amount of matted fur she had accumulated had gotten so heavy? She felt like she had shed close to five pounds at once. With her nails clipped to a proper manageable length that meant no more snagging. Even her teeth got brushed. The perfume they had sprayed on her made her feel like she had rolled in the freshest of flowers.

There was a reason this was the top-rated dog salon. The groomers were superior in their field, and they adored Reiki. Throughout the entire experience, she was showered with compliments that focused on her looks as well as noting how well-behaved she acted. Reiki had never heard so many "Good girls" in her entire life. Satoru was also equally praised for raising such a sweet and excellently trained dog. Reiki rolled her eyes as he did nothing to deny their claims as if he was the one who had really trained her.

“Now that you're all groomed you can wear this!” Satoru pulled something out of his pocket but before Reiki could see what it was he had already started slipping it over her head. It took a bit of wiggling but her head managed to pop through.

“There we go!”

A collar. She was wearing a collar. Reiki had mixed feelings about this. It was a dark blue, the color matching that of the Sorcerer student uniform. Studs circled around the collar, engraved with the same markings as the Jujutsu Tech uniforms buttons. A gold name tag now hung from her neck. Satoru leaned into his claim of Reiki being his now, dubbing her, Gojo Reiki. Which was the name engraved in her new tag. The school's address was on it along with what Reiki could assume was Satoru’s phone number.

Reiki could at least appreciate the sentiment. She was a dog after all, and couldn't be mad at him getting her a collar. "Wait...when did he have time to get this made?" Had Satoru managed to get a custom collar crafted and engraved during Reiki's time at the groomers?

“Now that Rei-chan’s looking her freshest she needs supplies.” Satoru scooped her up, tucking her under his arm. “To the pet store!”

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

Reiki didn't know if being a Sorcerer–including the underaged ones– paid really well or if Satoru came from money but he had filled not one, but two carts of things that Reiki needed and plenty of things she didn't need. Not that she was really complaining. She is like a Queen amongst the mass of items he had acquired, riding atop the pile like a dragon admiring its horde.

At check out two more employees needed to be called to help out. Reiki wondered what the bill was going to be like but she was far from concerned once Satoru whipped out a black credit card.

“That’s the kind of card that billionaires get!” Reiki thought.

From her knowledge, these cards were like SSS items one would find in RPGs. Only the lucky and elite had one. You had to have major throwaway money to qualify for one of those, it's said that they had no credit limit. That means Satoru was most definitely swimming in money.

The Jujutsu Tech worker, who Reiki discovered was a person called a Window, gaped at the many bags that Satoru carted out. They filled the car to the brim with barely enough room for the people to ride in.

Once arriving back at the school Satoru whisked away Reiki, along with his haul of the day to his room.

“Nice, so spacious,” Reiki thought as she took in the room.

“You'll get to sleep right next to me, Reiki,” Satoru said.

He set up a luxury pet bed right to the left of his bed. Plush and round with more than enough space for Reiki to roll around in. There was even a soft blanket for her that he draped over the bed. Across the room, Satoru set up a food and water dish, the fancy kind where the water was dispensed from a small jug, and a food bowl that had her name engraved on it. How was he able to get that done so fast?

In a corner, Satoru dumped a pile of toys. A plethora of colorful play items to keep any canine occupied for hours, possibly days. Balls of varying sizes–Reiki’s eyes were drawn to the bright orange tennis ball–stuffed toys, and ones that looked like they'd give a good squeak if she chewed on it. She spotted some of those puzzle toys given to dogs that rewarded them with a treat when they figured them out. And was that an automatic ball thrower?

“Gojo-Senpai! Gojo-Senpai!” Knocking came to the dorm room's door.

“I know that voice!” Reiki happily barked. She rushed out the door baking as she hopped a bit.

Stepping around the excitable dog, Satoru opened the door. There stood Yu and Nanami.

“Gojo-Senpai, is it true?”

“I see the news has traveled fast! Meet our newest Sorcerer! Gojo Reiki!”

Bark bark

“Reiki!” Yu knelt with open arms. Reiki took the invitation and buried her head into his chest. Yu always had the most refreshing scent, like warm sunshine on a spring afternoon.

“Wow, she looks great, Gojo-Senpai!” Yu said.

“Of course only the best for Rei-chan!”

“Rei-chan?” Nanami questioned.

“Hey, Nanami!” Yu lifted Reiki up holding her before the blonde. “You wanna pet her now?”

“Well she is looking much cleaner now,” Nanami said.

Now that she finally looked like she belonged to someone, Nanami's reluctance to pet her had vanished. With a tentative touch, he brushed his fingers across the top of her head.

“Oh…” It was a small reaction, Nanami’s eyes no longer settled in a semi glower and his cheeks were painted with a soft pink.

“She really is soft,” He mumbled. His touch became firmer, digging his fingers deeper into her plush softness. Reiki barked, wagging her tail.

“I knew you would like her, Nanami,” Yu chuckled.

Flushed, Nanami pulled his hand away, tucking the non-existent stray strand of hair back in place.

“I knew you were always special Reiki-chan!” Yu said, scratching Reiki’s sides. “Ah!” His face lit up, brows rising as realization hit him. “Maybe that’s why people thought you were lucky? You were going around exorcizing Curses, weren't you Reiki?” He cooed, giving her even more loveable pats.

Reiki barked, confirming Yu’s words.

Nanami cupped his chin with his thumb and forefinger. “To think that a dog would have the capabilities to generate Cursed Energy and execute a technique. I haven't read of any instances of this happening, she must be the first of her kind. Are we sure she’s not a Curse herself?”

Glancing towards his classmates, Nanami felt a drop of sweat cascade slowly down his brow. Both Satoru and Yu looked highly offended, Yu clutching Reiki tight to his person in a protective embrace.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

Reiki spent the rest of the day lazing about, a first for her in this new body. She had fully flopped out on her new bed taking real estate on as much as she could. Satoru had left to attend classes leaving Reiki to her own devices. She was sure they were still trying to figure out how to address dealing with a dog who could use Cursed Energy, perhaps she’d get her own special training regiment?

“Rei-chan!” The door flew open. “I’m back and I brought dinner!”

At the announcement of food, Reiki perked, head popping up as she looked at Satoru. He made his way across the room, filling up Reiki’s new food bowl. Out of all the things that bothered her when going from human to dog, eating out of a bowl was not one of them.

Hopping out of the bed, Reiki made her way over to the now-filled bowl.

“Eat up Rei-chan,” Satoru said.

Satoru had gone above and beyond, he hadn't skimped on a single thing that included Reiki’s food. Providing her with organic farm-to-table food. The kind of food that needed to be refrigerated. The highest quality would not only have her taste buds dancing in a symphony of utter elation but would guarantee a well-balanced and healthy diet.

To put it simply he had gotten her the extra good sh*t. No hard pebbles of dried ground meat for her. Reiki ate with pure delight, tail wagging. It was the freshest and best meal she’d eaten in weeks. No longer would she have to dumpster dive for scraps or rely on the handouts of good samaritans.

When her belly was full and the bowl was licked clean she joined Satoru on his bed, the teen having no qualms with a dog being on his clean sheets. He had a small TV setup and was currently watching an anime.

“Holly molly is this One Piece?” Reiki thought as she settled at the end of Satoru’s bed.

She took in the colorful familiar cast. The loud rubber boy who never went anywhere without his beloved straw hat. The directionally challenged swordsman. The money-hungry cat burglar. The love-struck cook with a killer kick. The habitual lying sharpshooter. The reindeer doctor. Yup, this was the most definitely One Piece.

Reiki’s attention was glued to the screen. From what she could tell the episode that was playing was from the Enies Lobby Arc. That was around season 9 and if Reiki’s memory served her right, the current iteration of One Piece was on their 20th or 21st season. The series was moving far too fast for her to keep up, having fallen off somewhere around season 12.

“You like anime too, Rei-chan?” Satoru asked. He picked the dog up, placing her in his lap. "This one’s called One Piece. I never miss a new episode…” Satoru went on to explain the show to Reiki but her mind was focused on something else.

“Did he just say a new episode?”

Did that mean the current episode playing was new? Wait! Of course, Reiki had been spat out into another universe and timeline that parallelled her own. She had shifted somewhat twenty years into the past. That meant everything including the media was behind about twenty years too.

“Oh my gosh! Does that mean I can finally catch up to One Piece?”

Reiki spent the night curled close to Satoru as they had an anime marathon.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

The next day Satoru brought Reiki with him to class. She observed the boy's morning routine and he even managed to carve out a spot to now include Reiki. After taking care of his hair he took a brush to Reiki’s fur. They ate breakfast and then were off to the main school building.

Satoru slid the Shoji door open. “Sup!” He greeted the other two who were already there.

“Wow, they really are the only three students in their year,” Reiki thought.

Only three desks had been set up, the exact number of second-years currently attending. A pile of desks was pushed to the back, a fleeting hope that someday the school might have more students.

Satoru plopped down on the empty corner desk while Reiki padded over giving her greetings to Ieiri and Suguru.

“I see you brought Reiki,” Suguru said as he gave her head a few good scratches.

“Well how she’s supposed to learn if she doesn't come to class,” Satoru said, kicking his legs up.

“I'll admit she’s shown intelligence beyond that of your normal dog, but I'm sure it doesn't work like that.”

“Oh boy you don't even know what goes on in this head,” Reiki thought.

“Enough chit-chat.” Only Reiki jumped as the door was slammed open by Yaga. “We're going to start out the day with some morning training. You'll be having a joint session with the first years.”

“Well we better show the rookies how it's done,” Satoru said standing up.

The group made their way down to not the training field but a dojo located further in the school.

“Why are they still in their uniform?” Reiki thought.

When Yaga said they were going to have training she thought at the very least they'd get some sort of break to change into some workout gear, or at least out of their uniforms. Maybe it's because their uniforms are what they wore on missions so they had to get used to working in them?

“Senpai’s!” Yu greeted them the moment they entered.

Nanami was far less bubbly and loud than his friends, giving a calm and respectful, “Morning Senpai’s.”

“It's amazing we get to train with you guys today! This is great!” Yu said.

“Of course!” Satoru smirked. “As your beloved and powerful seniors, we must show you the way.”

“This is the way,” Reiki chuckled internally.

“Reiki’s here too! Moring Reiki,” Yu greeted.

Reiki barked back with her own greeting.

Yaga managed to wrangle the teen's attention, going over the schedule for the morning. They would be mainly focusing on hand-to-hand combat. Once they were done they'd be dismissed for lunch.

“What about Rei-chan,” Satoru asked, holding Reiki in front of his face. “We can't leave her out.”

“I haven't forgotten about Reiki. We will be further testing her abilities with the use of my Cursed Dolls.”

“Cursed Dolls?” Reiki thought.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

Reiki watched the students go a few rounds in hand-to-hand combat. Ieiri was rather lackluster in her skills, but her talents were still above what any teen her age would most likely have.

Nanami was rather impressive on his own, easily beating Yu in several rounds. Every time he was knocked down Yu got back up ready to go again. What he lacked in skill he made up for in determination. At this point, he could just wear out the enemy. Nanami had thrown in the towel after their eighth round.

That left Suguru and Satoru. Yu is more than elated to duke it out with either two. From the sidelines, Reiki just observed, amazed by it all. It was like something out of an anime. Suguru and Satoru were in a league of their own. Yu did his best to keep up but it was nothing compared to these two monsters. Eventually, it was the two male second years going at it.

About two hours ticked by, and then it was Reiki’s turn.

The students are sitting on the sidelines. Reiki took center stage standing before a…rabbit? A pink plush rabbit about the size of a toddler, with black beading eyes.

She tilted her head with obvious confusion. Her perplexed face earned a set of “awwws” from Satoru and Yu, the former taking a picture on his flip phone.

“Is this a Cursed Doll? What does–oh god it's getting up!” Startled Reiki backed up, almost tripping over her own legs.

“You scared her Sensei,” Suguru chuckled.

“Guess she’s not used to her toys moving,” Ieiri said.

“Let's see how she handles an opponent with slightly more intelligence,” Yaga said.

Reiki yelped, a strange high-pitched yowl as she barely dodged a punch from the rabbit doll. This was much different from fighting Curse’s. For the most part, they operate on baseline instincts like a wild animal. Some could be a little crafty or cunning, but for the most part, Reiki didn't have to put much thought into dealing with them. That was different for the doll. Its moves were purposeful with each strike, not some wild strike or swing but calculated attacks.

Reiki was stuck in pure defense mode. She jumped, lept, and dodged. It wasn't so fun when the thing landed a hit in her stomach knocking the wind out of her body. For a thing that appeared to be made of cotton and cloth, it sure packed a punch.

“Fight Rei-chan! Fight!” Satoru cheered.

Reiki shook the hit off. “Guess I gotta actually plan my attacks now.” As the rabbit came in for another attack Reiki dodged to her left then turned and ran.

“What is she doing?” Nanami questioned.

Reiki ran right to the back wall with the bunny hot on her trail.

“Parkour!” Reiki barked as she pushed off the wall performing a backflip. The rabbit wasn't able to stop its momentum in time, fist already sending it forward towards an opponent that was no longer there. A soft squeak came out as its face smushed against the wall. With the rabbit down Reiki dove forward snagging one of its ears. She let out a series of growls shaking her head as she pulled on the stuffed toy.

“She is a smart one,” Suguru said with a hint of impressiveness in his tone.

Satoru laughed, crossing his arms. “As if you should've ever doubted her.”

“Impressive,” Yaga cupped his chin, “Amazing agility and the ability to plan within a fight. She’s quite fascinating.”

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

It was such a nice day outside the students decided to have lunch outdoors. Each teen had their own bento, Satoru snagging one for Reiki. The curl of her tail seemed extra prominent as it wagged in contentment.

“This rice is so good!” Reiki happily thought.

She tuned in and out of their conversations. Some stuff they talked about was mundane, typical teenage stuff Reiki had once been interested in. Other topics were exclusive to teenagers who lived within the realm where Curses existed. Jokes were made and fun was added. Eventually, the pleasantries shifted to Reiki.

“What do you think the higher-ups will do with Reiki?” Ieiri asked.

“Nothing if they know what's good for them,” Satoru stated.

“You shouldn't say things so casually,” Nanami commented.

“You worry waaaay too much Nanamin!”

“I told you not to call me that.”

“I'm surprised they haven't jumped at the chance to recruit her for something,” Suguru stated. “Animals are meant to be trained; they'd probably see her as the perfect opportunity to create a Sorcerer who has absolute obedience.”

“No way!” Reiki was about to shovel a piece of chicken in her mouth when she was picked up. Her face was affectionately pressed against the side of Satoru’s. “Rei-chan is a free thinker! And way too smart to ever follow the directions of some old washed-up relics. Isn't that right Rei-chan!”

Ieiri rested her elbow on the table with a slight smirk pulling at her lips. “You two have grown close rather quickly. You'd think she was your childhood dog with how affectionate you are.”

“The great Satoru Gojo probably never grew up with pets so now he’s overcompensating for it,” Suguru jokes.

The group chuckled as Satoru’s face soured with a frown.

“Either way she’s going to make a great addition. It never hurts to have someone else to watch your back even if it's a dog,” Suguru said.

“And who knows what else she can do, we might've just scratched the surface,” Ieiri said.

“Do you think we could teach her to use a weapon?” Satoru asked excitedly.

“Now you're just reaching too far,” Suguru said.

“Reiki is a genius just like her owner!” Satoru proudly stated, a hand on his chest. “I bet you within a month I can have using a weapon!”

“Okay,” Suguru smirked. “Bet.”

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

“Oh…he was serious.”

After lunch, the students had divided, second years and first years branching off so they could partake in their traditional curriculum such as Math and Science. History played a big part with a heavy focus on the hidden side of history that was the Jujutsu Society. It was amazing to Reiki that an entire group cloaked in a veil of mystery had such influence over the world without people knowing. The history lessons are where Satoru was the most engaged, but not in the way one would think. He would often chime in making off-handed remarks about how the “old times” were just that, and should just accept change. He had interrupted so many times Yaga threatened to tape his mouth shut.

When classes were over the students were left to their own devices. Suguru made a comment about catching up on a book while Ieiri said something about a biology refresher. Satoru however had carted Reiki off taking her deep into the school. She was unsure of where they were heading, arriving in front of a large door that had been reinforced with sheets of thick metal and several locks.

“Let's find you the perfect weapon, Rei-chan!”

A weapons vault. He had taken her to a weapons vault. Really the fact that this school had a weapons vault shouldn't have been a surprise to her. There was a plethora of varying tools that lined every inch of the walls. Reiki could sense the differing levels of Cursed Energy that was imbued with each weapon.

Satoru set Reiki down, and she glanced back at the teen wondering what he expected her to do. Even if she wasn't a dog she had no clue where to start when it came to picking weapons. She had no need for such things in her previous life. The closest she’d ever come was when she picked up a replica katana from Demon Slayer during a convention. And without hands, a sword was definitely not an option.

“Hmmm, you'll need something small that you can carry around,” Satoru commented.

He was deep in thought and Reiki was steadily growing bored. She started exploring the room, nose to the ground and trying to distinguish the many different scents that wafted about the room. Just like people with Cursed Energy, these weapons had a unique sweet scent to them. A long spear with a jagged arrowhead had a distinct tangy citrus aroma. Located in the back Reiki came across an honest to god guillotine.

“Wonder when this was used?” Reiki thought.

“Rei-chan! Rei-chan! Where'd you go?” Satoru called out for the pup. She gave a bark to signal to him her location. “There you are! Come on, I found the perfect thing for you.” He scooped Reiki up and brought her back to the front of the vault.

He set her down, then took a knee before her. He held out his hand. Reiki stepped closer sniffing at the object he held. It was a three-pronged kunai.

“This looks oddly familiar,” Reiki thought.

“Suguru’s gonna eat his word once he sees you handling this bad boy,” Satoru said.

Chapter Text

Getting used to holding the kunai was the first step in Reiki’s training. Considering she didn't have thumbs–or hands at all for that matter–the only thing Reiki could use to actually hold the weapon Satoru had picked out for her was her mouth.

She at first had refused to stick that thing in her mouth. No matter how cool she would look, it needed to be washed at least several times before it came anywhere near her face. She had no clue as to who previously wielded that weapon or whose grubby hands touched it over the years. She wasn't gonna risk getting some kind of phantasmal illness because of poor hygiene. And with the faint coppery odor that wafted off it, she was sure that thing was used for more than just slaying Curses.

It took Satoru a hot second to figure out why she refused to take the hilt of the blade when he offered it to her several times. Okay, he didn't actually ever figure it out on his own. It was day two of him trying to get her to hold it. They were outside and Nanami had come across the training session. He observed that no amount of coaxing or treats offered by Satoru could get Reiki to budge.

Nanami made an off-handed comment about “No one wanting to stick something unknown and dirty in their mouth.” At least that was enough to punch a hole in Satoru’s thoughts and he finally got the thing cleaned. To add on he wrapped a soft piece of cloth around the hilt.

Finally, Reiki took the weapon without hesitation. She toppled over at first, her weight suddenly off kilter. Satoru had laughed and snapped a photo. Sometimes he showed her those pictures–even got a few printed out and stuck up on the wall of his dorm room–and it was maddening to see that flip phones of this universe had incredible quality for pictures.

Once Reiki got used to her new center of gravity she practiced simply walking around with the thing and worked her way up to running with it. It got tiring after a while. Having her jaw constantly clenched to hold the thing was too much. Plus she couldn't bark with the thing in her mouth and it just plain made everything else hard for her to do. At least that's something that didn't take outside intervention for Satoru to notice.

What was his solution? Well…

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

“Perfect!” Satoru stepped back admiring his work. Reiki twisted her head attempting to get a look but even with her doggy flexibility that was proving to be a difficult task.

“Here.”

A large mirror was placed in front of Reiki.

“Okay, I always thought people putting clothes on dogs was ridiculous but man I do look good,” Reiki thought.

Satoru had gotten Reiki, her own jacket, custom-made to fit her doggy form. It was more like a vest, lacking in sleeves, and mimicked that of the Jujutsu Tech uniform with two buttons skewed to the side going at an angle. The collar of the jacket was wider with a more cone-like neckline so it wouldn't bother her neck or dog collar.

Why did she need a coat to begin with? Well sewn into the side of this jacket was a pocket that could act as a holster for her knife.

“Reiki-chan looks gorgeous!” Satoru said, spinning her around. “Just like her owner. You're gonna kick so much ass!”

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

“I…can't believe it.”

Satoru wore possibly the smugest smile he could create. Arms crossed, head held high with his chin nearly pointed to the sky. His shoulders shook with raucous laughter. He stood between his fellow second years. Ieiri was smart enough to hide her smoking habits from the staff, opting to use a lollipop to curb her habits during school hours, but that thing had long since fallen out of shocked parted lips. Suguru was well known for keeping his composure but that was shaken as he witnessed one of the oddest sights before him.

Reiki swung her head hacking at the wooden pole that had been set up for her as a training target. In less than three weeks she had mastered the art of swinging around a deadly weapon without hurting herself. She had even learned how to sheath and unsheath her weapon in her fancy new jacket's side pocket.

“You actually did it,” Suguru mumbled.

“You were wrong to ever doubt the great Gojo Satoru!” He laughed loudly.

Suguru regained his composure, a slight smirk coming to his face. “I guess I was wrong.”

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

A month and a half had passed since Reiki’s relocation to Jujutsu Tech. So far she was living the high life. Sure she had to go to daily training and was being prepared to essentially be a war dog, but hey still a step up from her previous life. Plus it wasn't boring and she got baths on the regular, she also didn't have to cook her own food or do any chores.

Satoru treated her so exquisitely you'd think she was one of those dogs bred to be a companion for royalty. Practically everyone who treaded upon the campus grounds adored her.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

Reiki rolled onto her stomach, letting out a cute yawn, tongue curving up and over. Using her hide leg she scratched behind her ear a few times, before standing up and shaking her body a few times. She slipped out of bed. Glancing up she caught sight of Satoru’s arm draped over the side of the bed. He tended to move around a lot in his sleep. The covers had been fully kicked off, gathered in a heap at his feet, with a good few lengths of fabric settled on the floor.

Satoru was none the wiser, lips slightly parted as a few dissonance mumbles left him. Face half pressed into the pillow.

Reiki huffed, then proceeded to do her best to get the boy covered once more. She gripped the comforter between her teeth and tugged. Once it was far enough she climbed onto the bed and finished the job, haphazardly draping the covers back on Satoru. He barely stirred, digging his face deeper into the pillow.

Satisfied Reiki hops off the bed. There was no class today so she knew he wouldn't be leaving his bed anytime soon, which meant Reiki would be on her own for the morning hours–possibly even into the afternoon.

Reiki was quick to discover that doors were now her enemy. Especially the doors in the Jujutsu Tech’s dorm rooms. Sure she might not have been a tall statuesque figure in her previous life but at least she was tall enough to reach door handles. As a dog could jump but with the door having a knob vs a handle it wouldn't work. However, the door rooms had back entrances, sliding glass doors. And guess who didn't lock their backdoor?

“I guess the fear of burglary is not within the wheelhouse of the strongest Sorcerer,” Reiki thought.

With a simple push of her back leg, Reiki easily got the door open. She hopped down the small little porch, her paws greeted by the soft dewy grass.

“Who should I stop by first?” Reiki pondered.

Food, she should get some food first.

Trekking down the open halls of the school, Reiki made her way towards the main schoolhouse. When she arrived she plopped down at the main entrance, waiting. And she didn't have to wait long.

“Ah, Reiki, Good Morning,” Yaga greeted.

Reiki barked as the large man gave her a few good head pats.

“Satoru sleeping in again I see.”

Reiki didn't even have to bark to confirm what Yaga already knew.

“You can dine with me this morning.”

“Don't mind if I do!”

Going the extra mile to display his kind nature, Yaga opened the door allowing Reiki to step in first. Yaga had revealed himself to be one of the kindest people Reiki had ever known, this life and the previous one. He had a bit of a temper but it was more like how a parent got mad at their kid when they didn't try their best when they know they have an even greater potential. Any anger that came from the man came from a place of love and compassion. He wanted the best for his students and he wanted to be his best to support them. Plus his ability to create such cute stuffed dolls was just plain adorable.

Reiki spent a good hour in Yaga’s office, relaxing and enjoying a calm morning. After that, she padded her way back outside. She made her way to a more secluded area, finding a particular tree.

“Just on time.”

Sitting beneath the tree was Nanami. He was alone with a book in hand. Reiki joined his side, placing her head in his lap the moment she reached him.

“Ah, Reiki…” His free hand softly rested upon her head. “Gojo-Senpai sleeping in again I see. We were on chapter seven.”

Reiki felt a low hum rumble in her chest. Nanami had a gentle yet firm touch and his voice was so soothing. Reiki had never been into audiobooks, she found more joy in physically holding the book. There was a strange euphoria that came from holding a book and flipping the pages with your own two hands, plus there was something unique about the smell of a good book. But if her next best option was having Nanami read to her, well she’ll gladly take it.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

Time flew by with Nanami, having gotten three more chapters into the story. With still no Satoru in sight Reiki continued her day. Normally she stops by the workroom where Ieiri would spend most of her time, checking in on the poor teen who was far overworked. But Ieiri was away on a mission that was also a part of some kind of special training. Reiki was both impressed and worried for Ieiri. While never put on the front lines, Ieiri was a hot commodity and often pulled in several directions, she had a large weight that rested upon her shoulders. But that also meant that Ieiri was stretched thin. From what Reiki gathered was that anyone had the potential to use Reverse Curse Energy to heal oneself but it was a rather rare ability to unlock, and the ability to heal others was even far rarer. Ieiri as of right now was the only person who could use her Cursed Energy to treat others. Reiki just hoped she was paid well, Ieiri should be greeted with her weight in gold for the amount of work she put in.

Reiki simply exploded the campus, greeted every so often by those she passed by. There was a particular Window who always had a treat for Reiki when they crossed paths. There were head pats and belly rubs, coos, and an endless string of compliments. Reiki soaked it all up. Even those who weren't stationed at Jujutsu Tech and would sometimes stop by knew who Reiki was. This was as close to being a celebrity as she had ever come. She was essentially the mascot of the Jujutsu Tech Campus and she had no qualms over that.

“Well if it ain't little Rei-chan.”

Reiki’s paws left the ground as she lifted up and tucked under someone's arm.

“Satoru left you to your own devices huh?” Suguru said.

“I'll have you know I'm an independent dog, I do what I want…within reason.” Reiki barked.

A finger curled under her chin, hitting that perfect spot.

“Let's see how long it takes for him to find you.”

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

“Reiki! Reiki! Reiki!”

“Well look who finally decided to get out of bed,” Suguru jokes.

“Suguru! You stole Rei-chan?” Satoru frowned

Reiki bounded over a rubber ball in her mouth. She dropped it at Suguru’s feet letting out a bark. “Again! Throw it again!”

Suguru picked up the ball and threw it across the field for the hundredth time, Reiki immediately zoomed after it. She never understood the appeal of fetch and still didn't, but boy did something in her doggy body love it.

“Rei-chan!” An offended Satoru shouted. She was so focused on the ball she hadn't even greeted her beloved owner.

“Finally up I see.”

“Sensei?”

Reiki trotted over with the ball. She let it go, dropping it at Suguru’s feet. He picked it up but didn't throw it. Confused, Reiki pressed her front paws on Suguru’s legs begging for him to throw the ball.

“You two have a mission,” Yaga said.

“I’m sure whatever it is will be too easy,” Satoru asked.

“It'll be a joint mission with the Kyoto School.”

Satoru groaned, crossing his arms.

“It's time for Reiki’s first mission.”

Reiki froze. “...Huh?”

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

“So this is the little one who caused such a stir.”

“It really is a dog.”

Utahime Iori and Mei Mei.

They were figures who contrasted one another. Utahime was dressed like a shrine priestess with long dark black hair. Mei Mei had icy blue hair and a sultry glint to her gaze.

Reiki felt a tad nervous in front of the duo, Mei Mei to be specific. While Utahime’s gaze was that of someone who had genuine curiosity, Mei Mei’s stare made Reiki feel like she was being examined. Utahime seemed to be holding back and finally, she burst.

“She’s so cute,” Utahime cooed, stepping forward.

“I know right!” Reiki barked.

“Sit!” Without hesitation, Utahime was requesting tricks.

Reiki compiled, planting her soft bum on the ground. Utahime gushed, cheeks going red.

“Shake,” the teen commanded.

Reiki followed suit, placing her paw in the awaiting Utahime’s hand.

“Goof girl! Now roll over.” Utahime circled her finger gesturing a roll toward Reiki.

Reiki plopped her stomach onto the ground and rolled onto her back then back to her stomach.

“Now speak!”

A bark left Reiki.

“Aww, such a good girl!” Utahime smiled, clasping her hands together.

Reiki didn't mind performing the tricks that should be considered beneath her. The joy on Utahime’s face was worth it, plus she didn't mind some easy praise.

“Only you Utahime would waste precious Reiki’s time with such easy tricks,” Satoru said, shaking his head.

“What was that?” Utahime’s jovialness was gone as she cut a harsh glare towards Satoru with clenched teeth.

Satoru pushed the woman's buttons some more, earning a slew of ire. He seemed to enjoy it.

“Now Satoru,” Suguru put a hand on his friend's shoulder, “it's not Utahime’s fault that she doesn't think outside of the box.”

“Hey!” Utahime snapped.

“Ah, so it's a tag team,” Reiki thought.

“As amusing as this all is,” Mei Mei cut in, “we have business to attend to. I can’t start charging until we start.”

“Boss lady?” Reiki thought.

“Did you two read the briefing?” Mei Mei asked.

The silence spoke volumes.

“Neither of you did, did you?” Utahime asked with a flat expression.

“We skimmed over it,” Satoru said.

“If by skimming over meaning you opened the folder and then closed it, then yeah you did,” Reiki thought.

“We have to clear a festival ground,” Mei Mei said.

“Festival ground?” Suguru questioned.

Utahime nodded. “It's a large area that used to be a former temple. Once a year a group of Sorcerers are enlisted to clear it, but as of recent years, the amount of Curses that have accumulated has increased. We normally don't clear the area so soon, but a few kids snuck onto the grounds and got attacked by a Curse. A local groundskeeper was also attacked in the middle of the day. It was decided that it was best to clear the area now and investigate the reason for the increase of Curses.”

“So what you're saying is…The amount of Curses is too much for you and you need our help!” Satoru teased.

“That's not at all what I'm saying!” Utahime snapped.

Chapter Text

The moment the car door opened Reiki leapt out, racing into the open yard. She had to make a good impression right? This was after all her first mission.

“Someone’s excited,” Suguru jokes.

Satoru chuckled, adjusting his glasses. “She’s probably ready to show off her skills to demonstrate that she’s dominant to Utahime, considering Rei-chan has the stronger power.”

“I heard that!” Utahime growled as she stepped out of the car. “Why couldn't it have been Shoko to come instead of your two!”

“Rei-chan goes where I go and I go where Rei-chan goes.”

Reiki drowned out the peanut gallery, sniffing around the yard. It was, as Utahime described, a semi-forgotten shrine. Its only remnants kept up for the daily festivals that were hosted on its grounds. Grass had been swapped for a cobblestone overlay, but Mother Nature was steadily making her way back. Weeds and grass poking through the space of several stones. There was a small temple towards the back of the field with a torii gate serving as its entrance, a weathered and more well-kept cobblestone pathway leading all the way up to it.

A set of stairs led up to a small overlook. The perfect place to go for a quieter time and examine the festival from a better vantage point. It was probably the best place to watch fireworks.

“That temple is where the groundskeeper was attacked,” Mei Mei pointed out.

“And that way,” Utahime gestured to a stone pathway that led deeper into the nearby wooded area, “leads to a small lake. That’s where the kids were attacked.”

“It sounds like we're splitting up,” Suguru said.

“Okay!” Satoru clapped his hands. “This is what we're gonna do!”

“Hey! Who put you in charge? We're the Seniors here!” Utahime said.

“Suguru and I will deal with the stronger Curse in the temple. While you two head to the lake and take care of whatever is there. We can clean up any leftovers along the way. Here.”

Suguru picked up Reiki, her paws hovering a few feet off the ground as she was shifted over about ten feet and placed before Utahime and Mei Mei. “You two can take Reiki. Now Rei-chan, make sure to watch these two. They are weaker so you're in charge.”

“You little!” Utahime’s eyes twitched as she swallowed her anger.

“Bye Bye Rei-chan!” Satoru waved, turning on his heel. Suguru chuckled following his friend.

“That brat!” Utahime grumbled.

Feeling for the girl, Reiki put a paw on the poor girl's leg, giving her the best puppy eyes she could muster.

“You're so sweet, much better than your owner,” Utahime said.

“Well at least this makes our main objective easier,” Mei Mei said. 

As the boys walked away, Suguru briefly glanced over his shoulder, watching the group of females disappear into the dense foliage.

“There was another reason why we were called here wasn't there?” Suguru said.

“Of course, you figured it out,” Satoru smirked, tucking his hands into his pockets. “This was a test for Reiki. I’m sure Utahime and Mei Mei are really here to report back everything.”

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

“It wasn't even that hard for me to figure out this mission was about ulterior motives,” Reiki thought.

Mei Mei had laid everything out in the open once they were out of earshot. But the icy teen did state that Satoru and Suguru probably had figured out what was going on in the first place.

“If they knew what this mission was really about then why did Satoru give us Reiki so easily?” Utahime asked.

“Maybe he’s just that confident in her skills,” Mei Mei said.

Reiki walked with her head held a bit higher. “Damn right, he should be! I’m the strongest!.... Wow, that personality of his is really starting to rub off.”

Reiki wondered what kind of technique the two Kyoto students had. Judging by that large ax she was wearing, Reiki imagined Mei Mei’s skills dealt a lot with close combat. Utahime didn't carry a weapon that Reiki could make out, perhaps the fact that she was dressed like a Miko had something to do with her technique. For a brief moment, Reiki snickered thinking of a certain anime of a miko wielding a bow and arrow, and thought the aesthetic fit Utahime well.

There was a rustling in the bushes that put an end to humorous thoughts. All three stopped, cautious in their movements.

“You hear that?” Utahime asked.

“Yes.”

Reiki kept her mouth shut but a growl rubbled from her chest. She gave a bark and dove into the bushes.

“Ah, Reiki!” Utahime said.

There were a few shakes of the bush followed by a bark. A second later something came slithering out of the bushes.

“Ah!” Utahime jumped, nearly knocking into Mei Mei. “A snake!”

Reiki came bounding out of the bushes barking. She grabbed the snake by the end of the tail whipping her head to give the reptile a good few smacks to the head. She didn't fear snakes in her past life, so why should she fear them now? And this one wasn't even that deadly.

When the armless reptile was good and stunned, Reiki turned in a circle and tossed the thing back into the bush.

“That takes care of that,” Reiki barked.

“Well we know she can handle snakes,” Mei Mei jokes. “I didn't know you were so scared of them Utahime.”

“I’m not,” Utahime smoothed her pants, reigning in her composure, “It just startled me is all. I'm cautious if anything, I’d rather not be bitten by something poisonous.”

“You mean venomous Utahime. Snakes are venomous. Posionious is if you touch it and you die, venomous is if it bites you and you die,” Reiki thought.

“You know antivenom is a rather lucrative business, the high rewards make up for the high risk,” Mei Mei commented.

Utahime awkwardly chuckled, “Of course, you would know that. I guess I should thank you Reiki for handling that snake.”

“No problem,” Reiki barked back.

“Hm, it's like she can really understand you,” Mei Mei said.

“The rumors of her being smart weren't over-exaggerated,” Utahime said.

“I guess Gojo’s boasting wasn't for naught.”

Utahime’s face turned into a twisted expression of disdain. “Ugh, don't mention him, please.”

“Well we better get back on track, I’m getting paid to see how Reiki does on hunting Curses, not snakes,” Mei Mei said.

“Her money obsession is a tad scary but you gotta appreciate a woman who knows what she wants,” Reiki thought.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

During their little trek to the lake, Reiki wondered if the area wasn't taken care of until an approaching festival. Some tree branches poked out into the pathway, one nearly smacking Utahime in the face. One had almost gotten Mei Mei too but it was met with a swift pruning by the teens' ax. How dare it even attempt to block her path. The bushes were not as nicely shaped.

“Finally,” Utahime said as they arrived.

It was a sizable body of water. No boats were ever going to be able to do anything but a three-point turn but it was definitely the kind of lake where people could go swimming. A river fed into the lake. There was a small dock allowing one to sit on the edge and dip your toes. The remnants of the past festival along with the sprinkling of trespassers littered the area. The lake appeared to be a popular hang-out spot even when festivals were not occurring. 

“This place is a bit of a mess I–oh ball!” Reiki darted right as she chased after a temari being blown by a stray breeze.

“A dog is a dog after all,” Mei Mei commented with lithe amusement.

The temari was no match for Reiki’s speed nor was it a match for her teeth. Reiki frowned as she attempted to grab the ball with her mouth only to have it rip.

“Who makes a ball out of paper?” She thought.

With a huff, she let go of the paper and padded her way over to the lake. Exploring, she hopped on the small dock. The wood boards creaked under her added weight. Reiki huffed at that. She barely weighed fifteen pounds. She hoped that was the natural status of the boards and the fact they were not just worn out and in need of replacement.

Reiki kept her nose to the ground following the scent. Just like Sorcerers, Curses had a unique scent to them. It was nowhere near as enjoyable as the sweet aroma that came from Sorcerers. Curses had a pungent odor to it, it varied from Curse to Curse. A rancid foul odor that sometimes burned her nostrils like soured milk or unwashed socks.

Despite disliking the smell a great deal, Reiki put up with it for the greater good. Today the pungent fragrance mimicked spoiled fish with hints of moldy bread. It got stronger at the end of the dock and ventured off towards the center of the lake.

Reiki raised her head, cooking it to the left. “How do I get out there? Hm, I haven't gone swimming yet in this body.”

She glanced down at the lake. Murky water with an off-green tint. It was impossible to see the bottom. “Yeah, I don't know if I want to go swimming,” Reiki grimaced.

While Reiki was busy on the dock Mei Mei and Utahime had done a survey of the area, each doing two laps around the lake. But other than garbage they found nothing.

“Odd,” Utahime said as she cupped her chin.

“You're talking about the lack of Curses?” Mei Mei said.

Utahime nodded. “According to reports with the amount of Curses gathered we should have encountered a few on our way to the lake. At the very least we should have found some gathered here.”

“And yet the area remains Curse free.”

As the two pondered this further, Reiki settled towards the edge of the dock. She laid down scooting far enough to allow half of her front paws to hang off. Her head peered over the edge to examine the water further. The surface of the water was still. With the dark tint of the lake mixed with the glare of the evening sun, it was impossible to peer deeper beyond a few shallow inches. Despite the circumstances, Reiki continued to inspect the water. It left her in the perfect position to witness a bubble rise to the surface. It swelled before popping with a languish gurgle.

Reiki’s little round brows furrowed with cation. The origin of the bubbles could very easily be a fish but the hollow sinking in Reiki’s stomach told her otherwise. More bubbles followed suit, growing in number at a rapid pace. She growled anticipating something to rise from the water only to witness the collection of bubbles start to drift. They traveled north of the lake, its trajectory putting the source on a straight course for Utahime and Mei Mei.

“Not good!” Reiki barked.

She hopped on her feet and started barking madly. She darted back and forth, unrelenting in her calls to the duo. They were doing good at drowning her out, so she just barked louder and more rapidly. Finally, she caught the attention of the two.

“What’s got her so riled up?” Utahime asked. It took her a moment to analyze the situation, as to why a dog who could see Curses would be so frantic. “Somethings coming–”

It breached the lake's surface sending a tidal wave of water flying each way. Reiki yelped as she was swept off her feet, tumbling back down the dock. Utahime and Mei Mei faced the same, but the duo had more stable ground. Their years of training prepared their bodies to react without a second thought. Utahime had been forced to place one hand on the ground to remain upright, while Mei Mei had stuck the butt of her ax in the dirt. Both were forced to close their eyes to block the dirty water.

Once she regained her footing Reiki shook her body, ridding herself of as much water as possible. She was displeased about being soaked through but did just discover her jacket was water resistant. A scream caused her to look across the lake.

“Are you okay Utahime?” Mei Mei smirked as she swung her az.

“I’m good!” Utahime shouted back.

The two were locked in a battle with the Curse that had been dwelling at the bottom of the lake. It reminded Reiki of a fish she had once seen in a documentary about the deep sea. An angular fish, if she recalled it correctly. A giant one, comparable to the size of a small house. Its body was completely translucent giving full view of the Curses innards. To make matters worse its gaping maw of a mouth was split wide open, each side accompanied by large serrated teeth.

The upper half of its body was on the shore of the lake. It definitely wasn’t built for land but its multiple tongues served as the perfect weapon to reel in prey.

Its tongues kept lashing at Mei Mei and Utahime, each one destroyed, two more were there to replace it.

“Really not good!” Reiki thought.

“Crap!” Utahime cursed as a tongue wrapped around her waist lifting her off her feet.

It didn't immediately pull the teen into its mouth but rather toyed with his potential meal. It tossed her into the air, the young woman screaming as she arced up and came back down.

“Oh no, you don't!” Reiki barked.

She backed up till she reached the junction of where the lake's edge met the start of the pier. Body squared and stance wide, Reiki bowed, getting into a runner's position. A deep breath caused her chest to swell as energy jumped across her body, Cursed Energy building. She charged forward at full speed. With a bark, she leaped over the edge and with a crack of thunder transformed.

Reiki shot at the Curse and smashed headfirst into its side.

“Well, now isn't that something?” Mei Mei said.

Utahime screamed as she fell into the lake. She swam up breaching the surface. Wading the water she turned to the shore where Mei Mei stood. As she began paddling back to the shore something wrapped around her ankle and pulled her under.

Surprised, water immediately invaded her mouth unwillingly filling her lungs. Utahime tugged and pulled at the Curses’ tongue latched onto her ankle. Bubbles escaped her mouth, air quickly depleting.

The darkness crept on the edges of her vision. Suddenly there was a flash of white that darted by.

Reiki appeared, teeth barred as she snapped her jaws around the appendage. The creature's howls vibrated through the water as it released Utahime.

Knowing she needed to get to the surface now, Reiki grabbed the back of Utahime’s top and started pulling her up. Within seconds they broke through. Utahime was coughing as she was welcomed with much-needed oxygen. Reiki doggy paddled all the way to the shore, dragging Utahime along with her.

Once on shore, Reiki shook herself again while Utahime caught her breath.

The ground shook and a low rumble filled the air.

“It's coming back,” Utahime coughed as she wiped her mouth with her sleeve.

“Thanks to you I’ve figured out its attack pattern. Should be easy to handle now,” Mei Mei said.

The Curse ascended from the lake once more, but this time its prey were expecting it. Reiki hopped in front of Mei Mei and Utahime, growling. The two remained still watching the small Shiba Inu take charge, quite literally. Jolts of electricity jumped around Reiki’s body, a bright glow peeking out between her teeth.

As the Curse whipped one of its tongues, Reiki released a bark. An electric ball blasted through the appendage leaving nothing but a sautered stump. Suddenly Reiki took a seat.

She raised her head to the sky and let out a howl. Dark clouds rolled overhead, appearing from nowhere. They were their own separate entities, a biome of storms Reiki had created. Lighting cracked between the clouds and thunder rolled in waves. The howling hit a higher pitch.

The Curse struck with another tongue and Reiki pushed her howl to a higher pitch. There was a second crack of thunder and a bolt of lightning shot out of the clouds. It struck the center of the Curses mass and exploded on impact. 

Steam rolled off the water, wafting about the area. It took a moment to disperse. When they could see again Utahime and Mei Mei were welcomed by the proud and happy face of Reiki. Her tongue slightly lulled as she sat on her wagging tail. She let out a cheerful bark, her Cursed Energy fading as she returned to normal.

“Wow…” Utahime said.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

“Poor Rei-chan,” Satoru cooed, “Having to get all soaked just to save weak Utahime.” He was crouched with a towel in hand drying Reiki’s fur.

Utahime, who had a towel wrapped around her shoulders, seethed behind Satoru. His light teasing that bordered mockery was on full display. 

Satoru and Suguru had a relatively easy time with their part of clearing the area. They encountered a few low-level Curses which were dealt with the simplicity of flicking one's wrist. At the temple, they encountered a Curse with powers that were slightly more elevated. Suguru had in turn snatched that one up to be added to his little army of Curses that he kept in hand.

After comparing their experiences the group came up with a theory as to why such high-level Curses had been created so quickly.

“So two Curses were consuming others in order to build strength,” Mei Mei theorized.

“Yes, one in the temple and one in the lake,” Suguru added.

“But they were no match for us, huh Rei-chan,” Satoru said.

Agreeing, Reiki barked.

“You're gonna need a bath when we get back, you smell.”

Reiki internally sulked. Yeah, she knew.

“Oh, Utahime~” Satoru sang the senior's name out, the young woman shivering at the implications that came from the tone of his voice.

“What?” She cautiously questions with narrowed eyes.

“I think you owe someone a thank you for saving you.”

Utahime’s poor mood soured further at the impish smirk of Satoru. He held Reiki expectantly. There was no way he was going to drop this. While she had no words for the grinning teen she wasn't so prideful to not give thanks where it was earned. But she almost felt ill at the thought of giving Satoru more ammunition to work with.

“Thank you Reiki for saving me,” Utahime said.

“Not a problem,” Reiki barked.

“Now thank me for raising such a great Sorcerer dog!” Satoru said.

“Like I'd do that!” Utahime screeched back.

“I will say she was quite impressive. A wonder to marvel. The first animal to be able to use and execute a Cursed Technique. I bet she’s worth a fortune,” Mei Mei commented.

“Hey. Rei-chan’s not for sale,” Satoru said.

Mei Mei’s chuckles were sultry. “The information on her would fetch a high price as well. After all, she is the first of her kind. I think I need to recalculate the worth of what I collected today.”

With a shake of his head, Suguru let out a sigh, a weary smirk forming. “I shouldn't have expected less Mei Mei.”

Chapter Text

After her first mission, Reiki got the official Jujutsu Society stamp of approval and was deemed a contempt Sorcerer worthy of fulfilling their duties to rid the world of Curses. Satoru had been so proud he had even thrown a little celebration party. It was a simple gathering in his room, with food and music but Reiki did get a large dog-friendly cookie. Seems the sentiment was felt all around, cause even Yaga made an appearance.

After that Reiki was sent out more regularly on missions, always accompanying Satoru whenever he left for missions. She wasn't really needed with Satoru being the strongest after all, but it was nice feeling useful.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

The high-pitched squeaks fell upon deaf ears as those present focused on the matter at hand.

“A rogue Curse user?” Suguru asked.

He examined the files spread out on Yaga’s desk. Satoru sat slightly slumped in his seat only half listening. Ieiri sat with her hands folded in her lap, tired eyes a window into the long night she previously had.

“Yes,” Yaga nodded, “There have been several reports of them causing a bit of chaos with most of their deeds being nothing but petty crimes. They were deemed only a minor menace until two bodies were discovered. There's also been links to several missing people and this person.”

Reiki’s ear flicked at the reveal of “bodies” and “missing people”. She stopped chewing her rubber bone, placing her focus on Yaga.

“Why would a Curse User go around kidnapping people?” Satoru asked.

“We are not clear as to why but the facts surrounding the disappearances have created odd circumstances,” Yaga said.

“Odd in what way?” Suguru questioned.

Yaga placed two photos on the desk for the students to see. A man appearing to be in his late twenties and a young woman who was possibly only a few years older than the students themselves.

“Misaki Abe and Ken Suzuki. They were both reposted missing several weeks ago within days of one another.” Yaga slid out another picture. It was of both Misaki and Ken together. The picture was a tad grainy and appeared to be a caption from security footage. They were in a jewelry store.

“After having been missing for roughly three weeks they were caught on camera in a jewelry store, where it was later discovered that they had been shoplifting.”

“Shoplifting?” Satoru said.

Yaga pulled out a third photo of an older woman, dressed in a business suit. “Tomoe Arai. Just like the other two she was reported missing only to turn up days later at the financial firm she worked at. It turns out she had laundered thousands of dollars. Her body along with Misaki and Ken’s were found days later in a park with Curse Energy residuals. Ieiri did the autopsy.”

“The bodies were in various states of decomposition that would put their deaths on the date of them going missing,” Ieiri explained.

“Wait,” Satoru sat up, “Are you saying dead bodies were walking around? Like zombies?”

“I’m sure zombies aren't at play here,” Ieiri said.

“None of the victims were connected in any way except for meeting with this man.”

Three more photos were presented. A man dressed in all black, face obscured by a blue baseball cap with tufts of dark black hair poking out.

“Fumiji Yatori. From what information we were able to gather, up until recently he was living with his mother who was found deceased in her home a few months back. They said it was by natural causes but we suspect that Fumiji had something to do with it. After her death, Fumiji disappeared. We contacted some of his previous employers but none have seen him once he was fired. Turns out he’s not a favorable worker often described as volatile and often got into fights with both other employees and customers.”

“Sounds like a stand-up guy,” Reiki thought. 

“Your mission is to track down Fumiji Yatori and put an end to his crime spree,” Yaga pulled out a sealed plastic bag. There was a piece of black fabric inside.

“What's that?” Satoru asked.

“The Curse User has been proven to be quite evasive. He’s grown more cautious and hasn't been spotted for the past two weeks. We hoped that Reiki could be of help in tracking him. That was a bandana that fell off him while a Sorcerer was in pursuit.”

“Just like a police dog,” Suguru said.

“Ah! I see! Reiki-chan’s going to use her doggy senses to sniff him out!” Satoru said.

“I’m sure with her skills if she were to engage in a confrontation with the Curse User she’ll be able to deal with him. After all, she’s a qualified Sorcerer. Semi-Frist Grade in fact,” Yaga said.

That’s right after her evaluation and reports from Mei Mei and Utahime, Reiki was awarded the title of Semi-First Grade Sorcerer. There was talk of making her First Grade, possibly even Special Grade thanks to her unique capabilities as an animal but those were put on the back burner for when she faced stronger opponents.

“Let's do this!” Reiki barked.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

The trio of students, and their canine companion, were dropped off at the last known location of the perpetrator. A pawn shop. He was in the midst of selling off the jewelry he had somehow gotten his two victims to steal. The Sorcerer who’d been on his trail had failed to capture him. At first, they thought he was some kind of petty thief somehow roping innocent bystanders into his schemes, but once the poor victim's bodies appeared it re-evaluated the urgency of the situation. Higher-level Sorcerers were now on the case.

“Okay Rei-chan, time yo do your thing,” Satoru said.

Ieiri pulled out the plastic bag–her being the one Yaga trusted most with it–and pulled out the black bandana. She knelt before Reiki holding it out for her to sniff. With her nose pressed close to the fabric, she took in three inhales. She pulled back slightly.

“Has this thing ever been washed?” Reiki grimaces.

Sucking it up she took in two more whiffs. The fragrance had a rancid earthy scent to it, denoting the amount of sweat the rag probably soaked in. Above all that Reiki could pick up the distinct scent that was Curse Energy. This one was sweet mixed with a bitter bite that churned Reiki’s stomach.

“Okay…I got it!”

Reiki pulled back from the bandana tilting her head upwards Her cream little nose wiggled with each sniff she took. She allowed her natural instincts to take over, obeying her nose and trusting it to guide her.

“Do you think she’ll be able to pick up the scent? It has been a couple of days since he was last spotted here,” Suguru said.

“Got him!” Reiki barked. She took off, Satoru smiling at the other two.

“I’d say she’s got it!” Satoru laughed running after the dog.

Suguru rolled his eyes with a smirk forming. He and Ieiri followed, running after the two.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

“Over here? No, over there!”

Reiki zigzagged up and down the streets, with no clear path or direction. She bounced around following the faint trail left behind by the Curse Users' residual Curse Energy.

“I feel like we've run clear across the city,” Ieiri huffed.

“Pretty close,” Suguru said.

“Rei-chan’s gonna find him, I know it,” Satoru said.

Every so often Reiki’s nose would dip towards the ground or rise towards the sky as she did her best to keep track of the scent.

“It’s coming from this way!” Reiki darted around a corner, her fellow Sorcerer’s hot on her tail. Her paws came to a stop as she made it around the corner. “N-no way…” Reiki barked running over to not a man but a woman.

It was an older woman, her black hair patterned with streaks of gray. She had a bag slung over her shoulder. The woman walked with slow lethargic steps, her gaze stuck in a permanent haze, a far-off stare that looked beyond the knowing world.

Reiki approached the woman, cutting off her path and barking at her.

“What is Reiki doing?” Suguru questioned.

Satoru cupped his chin. “Could the Curse User be in disguise?”

Ieiri approached the group having been lagging just a bit behind. She paused, recognition appearing in her gaze. “I know that woman.”

“You do?” Her classmates asked.

“Hana Toyo. She’s one of the missing people from the report. Her daughter reported her missing about five days ago,” Ieiri explained.

“Well, it's not our target but finding a missing person isn't bad,” Satoru said.

“Ma'am, are you okay?” Suguru asked, stepping forward.

Hana turned, stumbling with each movement as her body swayed in an unstable manner. Suguru stuck an arm out attempting to stabilize her. She reached back out.

“Stop!” Reiki barked jumping in between the two.

To the surprise of the Sorcerer students, Reiki clamped her jaws on the woman's wrist. Hana didn't scream. Not a single sound was uttered from her mouth. She merely stumbled back. The woman tripped over her own feet falling to her left. Her head slammed against the wall with a reverberating thud followed by a hallowing crack. As she hit the ground Reiki finally let go.

“Reiki!”

Reiki let go scooting back from the woman, growling.

The admonishing tone of Suguru wouldn't break her from her cautious stance.

“Reiki why would you–”

“Suguru.” Ieiri cut in. “Take a closer look at that woman.”

“What?”

Hana slowly started to sit up. Her movements were jerky, like a marionette on stiff strings. Her chest pulled forward as if it was yanked, while her head remained slumped to the side at an awkward angle. Hana managed to get to her feet. She grabbed her head and with a swift yank her neck snapped back into place with a disturbing crack. There was a gash on her face but barely any blood could be seen from the wound. It was the same with her wrist where Reiki had sunk her teeth into Hana’s flesh. Puncture holes that coincided with Reiki’s jaws encompassed the woman's wrist but not a drop of blood in sight.

“What’s going on?” Suguru mumbled.

“She’s possessed.” Calmly Satoru stepped forward. “It’s hard to make out at first, but this woman doesn't possess any Curse Energy, but right there in her heart there's something generating Curse Energy. That woman…is already dead.”

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

Each of Hana’s steps was uncoordinated clopping of limbs. There was fear of her collapsing with each shaky step she took. The looks she received varied with expressions of worry and fear. Many steered clear of her, some going as far as to cross the street to avoid her bizarre presence. One kind samaritan had attempted to aid the woman, offering help that went completely ignored as Hana shambled down the road.

Feet dragging and the bag almost slipping off her shoulder Hana managed her way to a secluded area. An abandoned yard that was fenced off to the public. She made her way a few feet down to a particular section of fence. With clammy unsteady hands, she hooked her fingers into the holes and gave a tug. There was a low moan as a section of the chainlinks peeled away revealing a hole big enough for a person to slip through. Hana got back on her feet and went through the hole. She traveled further into the yard making her way towards the back of the yard.

“It's about damn time you got here.”

A man stepped out from the shadows. Decked out in black pants and a black hoodie. A baseball cap on his head. Fumiji Yatori.

“Okay show me what you got.” He held out his hand demanding the bag.

Hana handed the bag over, nearly dropping it.

“Idiot!” The Fumiji cursed catching it. “For fucks sake can’t you stupid little good for nothings do anything right? Geeze the things I have to put up with.” He rifled through the bag pulling out a cellphone. Next came a handheld video game console. Some CDs and a few game cartridges.

“Score! Ha!” The man smirked, a smug satisfaction pointed at Hana. “Who knew the body of an old hag like you could be so useful.” He snickered sifting further through his loot.

“So this is where you've been hiding.”

Fumiji yelped, turning around. “Who the fuck are you?” He snapped.

Satoru smirked, tucking his hands into his pockets. “I think you meant who the fuck are we?”

“W-We?”

Suguru appeared. “Hello.”

One Sorcerer behind him another in front of him and his way to the left was blocked by a pile of junk. Fine, he can still escape to his right. With his bag tucked tight, he spun, kicking up dirt as he made a break for it.

“Ah!” The man yelled stumbling back as Reiki appeared, teeth bared and hackles raised, all signs that if he made one more step towards her she wouldn't be merciful in her attack.

“You wench!” Fumiji snapped at Hana. “Do something–”

Hana swayed to her left before toppling over and falling in a dead heap.

“W-What?”

“Fumiji Yatori. You're a rather popular man these days,” Satoru said as he lowered his finger.

“H-How…How the h*ll did you find me?” Fumiji’s panicked eyes darted between the three Sorcerers that had trapped him.

“You can thank Reiki for that! Who's a good girl? You're a good girl Rei-chan!” Satoru cooed from across the way.

Paling Fumiji glanced at the growling Shiba Inu. Was that dog smirking?!

“A Curse Technique that can reanimate corpses, nasty stuff there,” Satoru said.

“Yes, but it can't stop the natural passage of time that occurs when one passes. To use someone's loved one in such a matter,” The edge of Suguru’s lips wrinkled as he sneered with utter disgust, “you're nothing but trash. No, you're lower than trash.”

Suguru’s words rang true, echoing deep within the dark void of Fumiji’s mind. It brought forth a rage that dwelled deep inside of him, one that he so often let loose.

“It's punks like you that have caused me to end up in this situation!” Fumiji snapped. He shouted across the yard, words unhinged and full of malice. “Always looking down on me and–”

“Yeah, yeah,” Satoru cut in, waving off the man's words, “We've heard this all before.”

“It's quite sad really,” Suguru chuckled a mockery glint that reflected in his gaze, “you're that kind of pathetic slump that can’t put forth effort and blames anyone and anything instead of accepting responsibility. I bet you're the type who blames something as simple as spilled milk as the universe trying to personally spite you.”

Satoru laughed, pointing a finger, “You were probably going to say something like ‘Now, that I’ve got these powers, I'm gonna get my revenge and take back what the world owes me’.”

The man froze. The way his form turned rigid it was clear that Satoru had hit the nail on the head.

“Leave it to these two to make fun of a known murderer,” Reiki thought.

“So should I take care of him, or do you wanna do the honors?” Satoru asked Suguru.

“If I may,” Suguru cracked his knuckles.

“Y-You–Stay back! I’m warning you!” Fumiji reached into the pocket of his hoodie pulling out a knife. “You think I'm gonna let a couple of kids come by and ruin what I’ve worked for? I’m just getting back what I’m owed! What the world owes me!”

Reiki lowered her defensive stance, shuffling back just a bit. She had never seen Suguru so angry before.

“You show no remorse for all the lives you've taken.” Suguru slowly stepped forward fist at the ready. “I’d say this wouldn’t bring me any pleasure but then I’d be lying.”

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

“You sure did number on him,” Satoru said. He let out a low whistle as he watched a bloodied Fumiji being loaded up into an ambulance. “Didn't even use your technique on him.”

“It would've been a waste,” Suguru said.

His gaze drifted to a black body bag being loaded into a different car. At least now Hana could rest in peace and her family would have some semblance of peace knowing what happened to their loved one. But still….

Reiki turned to Suguru, sensing the gloom that drifted about him. She walked over, pawing at his pants. The rustling of his pants brought him out of his daze.

“Reiki?”

She tilted her head with a soft whine.  “Come on girl, give him the good ol puppy eyes,” Reiki thought.

“I’m pretty sure Rei-chan is telling you to cheer up,” Satoru said.

“Oh really now?” Suguru knelt offering his hand to the dog. She leaned closer, brushing against him and doing her best to bring him comfort. “Ah…thank you Reiki.”

Chapter Text

Reiki awoke with a start. Her entire body shivered despite the warmth of her fur. Heavy breaths escaped her.

Screaming. Just so much screaming. The pain. It had been so hard to breathe.

“Emi…”

Reiki shook away the tears that brewed. “A-A nightmare…”

She stood up. Satoru was still. Good, her late-night tossing and turning hadn't disturbed him. Reiki hopped off the bed, landing on her own dog bed that had been only used a handful of times at this point.

“Fresh air might do me some good,” Reiki thought.

Her paws soundlessly padded against the wood flooring as Reiki made her way toward the back door. She pushed it open and stepped outside. The cool night air brushed through her fur. It had been a tad stuffy in that room.

“Reiki?”

Head turning to the right, Reiki caught sight of Suguru. He was in his night clothes with a pair of slippers on his feet. He was sitting on his own back porch. Of course, as best friends, he and Satoru would have rooms right next to one another.

“Couldn't sleep as well?” Suguru asked.

Reiki hopped off Satoru’s porch and made her way over to Suguru. She stopped at his feet. He gave a light chuckle and bent over to pick her up. Reiki felt calmer as she was set in Suguru’s lap. His hand worked in gentle slow strokes going from her head and down her back. The night was silent with nothing but cicadas chirping. They spent the night stargazing.

The next morning Satoru was the one who found them sleeping on the porch, and Reiki cuddled into Suguru’s chest.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

Reiki walked down the street, just a few paces behind her were Yu and Nanami. They'd been tasked by Satoru on a very important mission.

Get snacks.

“Reiki-chan knows what I like and where to go, so just follow her!” Satoru had said.

Yu was more than happy to complete a task given to him by one of his seniors. Nanami on the other hand was straddling apathy towards the flighty Satoru.

“Ah I think we're here,” Yu said.

Nanami glanced at the storefront that Reiki had stopped at. Vanilla Waves. It was a combination bakery and convenience store. If one wanted a cake and chips at the same time then this was the place to come. All baked goods were made in-house. It was a place that Satoru often frequented.

There was a tinkle of a bell as Reiki pushed the door open.

“Ah! Reiki-chan wait!” Yu said following after her.

“Well if it isn't little Reiki!”

“Reiki’s here?”

“Reiki!”

The boys were taken aback as nearly every employee dropped what they were doing to greet Reiki.

“Reiki!” A woman appeared with a tray of dog bone-shaped treats in hand. “We just pulled a fresh batch of treats. Peanut Butter flavor!”

“Reiki, your coat is looking extra fluffy today!”

“You're so cute Reiki!”

Reiki soaked it all up, the center of attention. Even a few customers had abandoned their browsing of sweets to greet her.

“Now, now,” an elderly woman stepped out from the back, “we all love Reiki but don't crowd the poor thing. Well, Reiki, if you're here you must be here to get your owner some treats of his own.”

“You know it!” Reiki barked.

“Come along deary, pick out what you want.”

Still a tad shocked Yu and Nanami watched as Reiki paced the front of the display case gesturing to a variety of sweets. Whether it was the use of her nose or her paw, whatever she picked out was grabbed and placed into a box.

“Oh!” The elderly woman looked at Yu and Nanami. “Are you two friends of Reiki’s?”

It was kind of amusing. They were Reiki’s friends, not associates of Satoru.

“No need to stand there slack-jawed, feel free to look around the store and grab something. Those who are friends of Reiki get a special discount.”

When Reiki was done with the confectionary display case she started walking around the store. A worker, happy as a clam, followed behind with a basket in hand. Once more Reiki started picking out snacks, the employee grabbed them and placed them in the basket.

Yu was having a field day, bouncing around the store much like a toddler with far too much energy. Nanami, far calmer, walked around the shop grabbing the things that had been specifically requested by Suguru and Shoko. Of course, he and Yu had been stopped just before they left the school grounds and were asked to pick up more. At least their demands were within reason. Once that was done he started exploring the store for anything that might suit his own palette.

He was examining a row of snacks when Reiki’s barks grabbed his attention. She sat by his side, tail wagging, with a bag in her mouth. It was green and yellow with a cartoon drawing of a garlic bud on the front.

“Reiki? You brought me something?” Nanami took the bag and examined it. Puffed corn snacks fried in garlic oil. He glanced at Reiki and then back to the package. What are the odds that she would pick this out?

“I can smell the garlic on your hands, I know you like it,” Reiki barked.

“Thank you Reiki,” Nanami said as he placed the bag into his basket.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

“Do you think we got enough?” Yu asked.

“Yes,” Nanami said.

“But–”

“It's enough,” Nanami curtly stated.

The duo turned a few heads, the large blue boxes–three for Yu and four for Nanami–weren't exactly discreet. Reiki trailed behind the two with a bag in her mouth.

Satoru sure loved his sweets.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

Satoru was a regular at Yaga’s office, being the problem child of every student in the whole school. Was he a great Sorcerer? Yes. Was he also the source of most headaches? Yes. The amount of times Yaga had to reprimand him was only matched by the shenanigans he and Suguru got into.

Satoru had been called into the man’s office with Reiki in tow. As he took his seat he kept Reiki on his lap.

“A mission with a Kamo clan member? Pass,” Satoru said.

Reiki remembered sitting in on a lesson that went over clans within the Jujutsu community. All clans branched off from the main three. Kamo, Zenin, and Gojo. With  Gojo being at the top. Comparing them to royalty would be a close match-up. They had almost all the power and the fat heads to go with it, at least that's how Satoru would often describe them.

“The request wasn't for you. It was for Reiki,” Yaga said, gesturing to Reiki.

“What?” Satoru gasped. An exaggerated theatrical production all on its own, pulling Reiki in closer to him. “They want my precious Rei-chan? No way! If they want their own magical dog they can go find one.”

Yaga pinched his brow with a hefty sigh. He had hoped for better but this reaction was to be expected. Although in this instance he couldn’t blame Satoru, the reason why they wanted to see Reiki was ridiculous. In fact, he wanted to turn it down himself but he knew that would just cause more issues down the line.

“Why do they want Rei-chan, anyway?” Satoru asked.

“It was at the request of one clan member, Isamu Kamo. His request had to do with seeing Reiki’s true power for himself.”

Satoru rolled his eyes behind his glasses. Leave it to clan members of the Big 3 to be so snobbish and arrogant that they couldn't fathom a dog wielding power.

“So they just want Reiki to show them up huh?” Satoru smirked.

Yup, Yaga knew it would lead to this. He could hear the teen's plotting thoughts. The only thing that came close to Satoru boasting about his own powers was his boasting about Reiki’s powers. He was gonna have a field day with this. If they wanted Reiki to show up one of their members then fine. Who was he to turn down such a request?

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

Despite the mission being extended solely to Reiki. Satoru still accompanied her on her ride to the meeting point. As she had done many times before, Reiki stuck her head out the window, allowing her tongue to flap in the breeze.

“We've arrived,” Their driver announced.

Satoru threw a “Thanks” over his shoulder as he exited the car with Reiki in his arms.

“Looks like we've arrived first.” Satoru chuckled.

Satoru grew increasingly bored with each second that passed. When five minutes passed and the other party had yet to arrive, Satoru pulled out a ball and proceeded to start a game of fetch with Reiki, which she was happy to oblige with.

Over ten minutes had passed when a black car finally pulled up. Reiki had just given the ball back.

“Well look who had finally arrived,” Satoru said.

The driver stepped out of the car, a woman dressed in traditional garb with the Kamo clan pinned to her outfit. It wasn't uncommon for those with lower rankings within the big clans to be deluded to performing menial tasks like servants.

The woman opened the back car door and out stepped a young man, just a few years older than Satoru himself. Following the traditional garb of the Kamo clan, he was dressed in a blue hakam with a white top.

Reiki felt her face drop when she caught sight of the expression on his. “Talk about a superiority complex.”

The air of smugness that wafted around him had accumulated to create a cloud of self-importance that hung over his head. An arrogant smile that screamed, “I’m better than everyone”. He didn't even look straight on but had his head slightly tilted upwards as if looking down on everything and everyone around him. 

“So where is this so-called Cursed Energy-wielding mongrel?”

That’s some first impression and Reiki had already set her bar low, looks like that was even too much for the Kamo member to clear.

“Well if it ain't Isamu Kamo,” Satoru said.

“So they know each other?” Reiki thought.

Isamu turned to Satoru, his haughtiness vanishing and morphing into one of contempt. “You!”

“Yup, definitely know each other,” Reiki thought.

“What are you doing here?” Isamu sneered. “We only requested the dog.”

“I am Reiki’s owner.”

The smug attitude returned, and Isamu crossed his arms. “Are you saying that she can only operate if given explicit orders by you? What use is it if it needs a handler? I’d rather not have to work around some incompetent untrained mutt. I don't want to get bitten after all.”

The more he talked the flatter the expressions of Satoru and Reiki grew.

Reiki adjusted her head to look at Satoru. “Do I have to work with him?”

As if understanding her, Satoru gave a few pats to her head. “Yup, I feel ya.”

He set Reiki down. “Rei-chan is a good girl and the strongest. If she bites you I’m sure you deserved it.”

Isamu fumed, cutting his gaze at Satoru as he grumbled something under his breath. Possibly a vague threat he wouldn't be able to actually follow through with.

“Whatever, let's just get this over with,” Isamu said.

“Take good care and don't get hurt too much,” Satoru said.

Isamu slyly smirked, brushing a finger under his nose. “Your mutt should be fine if the rumors that brag about her are true.”

“I was talking about you.”

“You smug little–!” Isamu managed to compose himself just a bit. “If she's a proper Sorcerer she should know to follow orders from her superiors. I’d rather not be delayed because she can't listen.”

“If that's the case then you should be following her lead,” Satoru said.

Isamu was silent for a moment before he whipped around and shouted, “What?”

“The dog ranks higher than you.”

“What?!” His head snapped back around looking at Reiki.

He seethed at the smug expression of Satoru and the matching one Reiki wore.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

“I might actually bite him.”

The thought had been playing on a loop in Reiki’s head for the past five minutes.

The moment Satoru departed Isamu had done nothing but talk down to Reiki at every chance he got. She wished she had fingers just to shove them in her ears and block out his voice. He threw in a few mocking jabs when he could, insulting Reiki as if she didn't understand him. Even if she wasn't a girl reborn into a dog a normal animal would sense he was talking smack and had gotten the bad end of many animals' ire. Reiki was sure he was the kind of guy that animals and children naturally held disdain for.

“I just need to focus on the mission. Focus...Focus…” Reiki chanted in her mind.

“To think that a common mutt was promoted to Semi-First Grade, that's ludicrous. While I’m a mere Second Grade, it’s outlandish…” Isamu droned on with his endless prattle.

“Focus…Focus….”

At this point, she would've happily welcomed an attack, anything to put an end to this. Even the floor caving in and being plummeted into a vast unknown darkness was a better option.

“And now I’m trapped with this mutt, my luck is abysmal,” Isamu sighed, cupping his face.

Turns out the Curse they were meant to hunt down and get rid of, had the ability to affect the greenhouse it was hiding in. Now they were trapped in an overgrown jungle. Thick vines encompassed the entirety of the space and no matter how hard they attempted to break out, the vines merely grew back within seconds. Their only escape option now was to find the Curse and dispose of it.

At this point, it seems like Isamu had forgotten the reason as to why they were even here. He acted as if his current job was to do nothing but complain. Reiki on the other hand was occupied with actually doing her job. She attempted to sniff out the Curse but that was proving to be a difficult task. With the Curse’s ability to affect the plant life, each plant had residuals of Cursed Energy. Plus the larger the plant the more Cursed Energy it emits. The Curse surely had to be hiding, if Cursed Energy started moving then Reiki would've been able to pinpoint the Curse. It made her job both easier and more difficult.

She paused at a potted flower, putting her paw up on the plantar to sniff it out. “Not strong enough,” Reiki thought.

Reiki continued her way around the greenhouse with the griping Isamu trailing behind her. At least he was present enough to follow her and not walk into a tree. Although walking into a tree would finally shut him up.

“Wait….” Reiki paused.

Isamu, paying little mind to the distance he kept between himself and Reiki, walked into her. “What…Why have you stopped moving? You nearly tripped me!”

Reiki blocked him out. “Something coming….”

“Are you even listening to me? Hey! I–”

Far too engrossed in snapping at Reiki, Isamu failed to notice the vine that was slithering around his ankles. With a sharp yank, he was pulled off his feet and into the air.

“There he goes,” Reiki thought with no sympathy.

“W-What! A vine!?”

More shot out from the surrounding foliage wrapping around Isamu’s arms and legs. Pretty quickly he was ensnared in a viney cocoon with only his head free. He cursed and struggled, unable to free himself. At his rank, he should've been able to avoid such an attack but he wasn't paying attention. A large figure appeared, parting the overgrown fauna.

“That’s not good,” Reiki thought.

A pitcher plant, discolored and corrupt.

“What is that thing?!” Isamu shouted. He struggled more as he was raised higher then dropped into the opening of the plant, its top shutting closed.

Reiki just blankly stared as she heard his muffled cries of disgust. Pitcher plants slowly digested their prey over a series of weeks so she was sure at the current moment he was probably unharmed. She was tempted to just leave him in there to teach him a lesson.

“Guess I better save him,” Reiki sighed.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

Inside the plant, Isamu screamed and wiggled around like a worm on a hook. 

“Damn it! I need to get my arms free to use my technique! I refused to be eaten by some overgrown houseplant!”

He started to gnaw at the vines in hopes of getting out. He found his effort to have little effect, the vines too thick for him to bite through. As he formulated another plan he was suddenly thrown back. The plant shook as something slammed into it. It happened again, Isamu tossed around as he hit the other slimy wall. A large crash followed suit as the entire thing was knocked over on its side.

“What in the…”

The wall to his right started to cave in before something burst inside. Reiki appeared, Cursed Technique active.

“The…dog?” Isamu mumbled.

Reiki huffed and grabbed one of the vines and started to drag him out. Once they were clear of the plant's entrance she ripped away at the vines, tearing them away from Isamu. He sat up, an unreadable gaze set on Reiki, not even making an attempt to clean off the bile of the pitchers' innards.

Reiki shook off the goo. “You're welcome,” she huffed with a slight snort of her nose.

༶•┈┈JɄJɄ₮₴Ʉ ₴₮ⱤØⱠⱠ┈♛

Ieiri was merely walking to her room when her ears picked up a rather interesting conversation coming from Satoru’s room.

“I think we should go with winter melons.”

“Well, I think we should use spring flowers.”

“That scent is far too overpowering.”

“But it smells nice.”

The door was cracked. Ieiri stuck her head in spotting Suguru and Satoru, each boy holding a bottle in hand. Suguru’s is green and Satoru’s is pink.

“Yeah, but you'll smell her coming from a mile away. Not only does it bother people, it could put her at risk during missions.”

“It's not like Curses can smell.”

“What about Curse Users?”

“Spring flowers!”

“Winter melons!”

“Are they…arguing over dog shampoo?” Ieiri thought.

Meanwhile, out on the porch Reiki sulked, fur still sticky from plant goo.

Chapter Text

Reiki was settled in Satoru’s bed. She had done several circles–an instinct she had no clue as to why she did–finding the perfect position to lay down. Satoru had no qualms about letting Reiki sleep in his bed, having slept in his bed cuddled into his side since day one. Even when he was gone and she was left to her own devices the bed was as much hers as it was his.

This day Satoru had gone off on a mission and Reiki had been left. She decided to catch up on anime. She’d forgotten how many good shows came out in 2006. With bangers like Death Note and Ouran High School Host Club, she was happy to be struck with the waves of nostalgia, rewatching some of her favorite shows. Another anime that came out this year was Higurashi: When They Cry. A show that Reiki had never started because of the confusing nonlinear yet somehow linear timeline that also consisted of movies, that sparked so many online debates–not to mention the reboot which turned out to not be a reboot and was in fact a continuation of the original anime–Reiki thought that is all too much for something she wanted to relax and enjoy. But now that she could watch it from the beginning without any other add-ons, she decided to give it a chance. She was about five episodes in and was still confused, but the mystery had her invested.

“Rei-chan I'm back!” The door banged open as Satoru kicked it in. “I brought gifts!”

As much as she wanted to greet him Reiki couldn't miss a second of what was going on, the show was already confusing enough. He’d have to wait for commercials.

“Rei-chan…” Satoru pouted when she didn't move from her spot. He set his bags down and made his way over to the dog. “What are you watching?”

Satoru turned to the TV just in time to witness one of the animated kids meet their violent ill-fated end. He blinked glancing at Reiki, to the TV, and back to Reiki. He went to grab the remote and turn it off only to have it blocked by a paw. He stared deep into Reiki’s stern gaze.

“You're gonna have to fight me for this remote.”

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

“Is he wearing a kimono? Or is it Yutaka? Man, traditional clothing is so confusing,” Reiki thought.

She sat on Satoru’s bed as the boy dawned not his normal uniform but draped himself in luxurious cloth of blues and whites. From the white hakama pants to the icy blue haori he wore, Reiki thought he looked like a different person. The only thing he kept on was his sunglasses.

Satoru stared at himself in the mirror and didn’t look too pleased to be dressed in this manner. He let out a rough sigh, shoulders dropping.

“Your turn Reiki,” He said, addressing the dog.

“My turn?” The confusion was evident on her face.

She didn't put up a struggle when her jacket was removed along with her collar. She was given her own little haori, blue as the sky with clouds that elegantly drifted across the planes of the fabric. Satoru tied a white cloth around her belly creating a bow on her back to keep the haori secure. Her collar was replaced with one of all-white leather and a pure gold dog tag. There was a symbol etched into the leather, one that Reiki couldn't make out.

“There, perfect as always Reiki.” Satoru finished his praise by snapping a picture on his phone. “Let's go.”

He exited the room Reiki trailing after him.

“Ah, Satoru,” Suguru appeared, languishing steps carrying him over, “judging by that outfit you're heading home?”

“Yup,” Satoru said with little enthusiasm.

“Home?” Reiki thought.

“Be back soon,” Satoru threw a lofty goodbye over his shoulder.

Reiki barked with her own farewell to Suguru and followed after Satoru. They made it to the entrance of the school, Reiki expected a car to be waiting for them but saw nothing.

She was picked up and snuggly secured under Satoru’s arm.

“Let’s go Rei-chan,” Satoru said.

“Are we walk–”

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

Reiki heaved and felt like she was gonna be sick. She was set on the ground, her shaky legs barely able to support her weight. Stumbling like a drunk in the street before righting herself. 

She turned to an amused Satoru and snapped. “You gotta warn a girl before doing something like that!” Her pissed words came out only as small little yips, something Satoru seemed to take joy in.

“Rei-chan’s first teleportation! Gotta capture this moment!” He snapped several photos of the dizzy dog.

Reiki knew Satoru’s Cursed Technique supplied him with an arsenal of powers, but she didn't know one of those was teleportation. He couldn't seem to travel that far having to do it several times in order to get them to their destination. The sudden drastic shift in her surroundings was jarring, but to have it happen dozens of times without any sort of warning left Reiki in a slightly delirious state.

“Master Satoru and this must be Mistress Reiki.”

A woman stood at the gates of a compound. Built of solid wood and concrete that towered over any being that dared to peek within the inner confides that the walls protected. The woman was dressed in a kimono, her hair pulled back in a perfect bun, and gentle makeup that highlighted her features.

“We are happy for your arrival.” The woman bowed. “Welcome home Master Satoru.”

Satoru acknowledged the woman with a simple “Hey” and made his way to the open gates. Reiki glanced at the woman who was still bowing then went after Satoru. As she passed by the gates she took note of the symbol on the door. It matched the one on her collar.

The moment she stepped beyond the gates she felt like she had been thrust into a new era. A lovely zen garden decorated with the finest ornament plants. It was but a background to further elevate the grand home that was settled beyond it. The kind of home Reiki only saw in movies about Samurai and Warlords.

Men and women walked about the compound, some tending to the garden and other chores. Reiki could hear the laughter of children, a few playing about the yard with a ball. It was so calm and serene here.

“So this is Satoru’s home.”

Satoru trailed up the path, Reiki by his side. Anyone he passed greeted him with a warm smile and deep bow.

They approached the home, a man greeted Satoru in the same manner as he opened the door. It was closed once Reiki passed through. The inner workings of the home were no less impressive but Reiki started seeing more people who looked like Satoru. The white hair was a dead giveaway. They greeted Satoru just like the others had done outside but with more friendly tones that trickled in with their words.

A man had even stopped Satoru, inquiring about school before laughing, and commenting on how he probably had no trouble being the strongest. 

The entire time Reiki couldn't help but notice that Satoru seemed rather lackluster. That giddy shine that made his eyes truly pop. The underlying silliness that came with each action. Was just gone. It kind of worried Reiki with how bored he seemed.

They reached a set of shoji doors.

“You can stay here Reiki. This is just gonna be boring stuff,” Satoru said.

He gave her a few pets to the head even brushing his fingers under her chin. She leaned in closer to the touch. Why did it feel like he was the one who needed comfort? Satoru opened the doors and disappeared beyond them so fast that Reiki couldn't tell what kind of room he had entered.

“Guess…I'll just wait here.”

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

“Yeah, I’m bored.”

Satoru had been in the room for an hour or at least that's what it felt like, it very well could have just been ten minutes. She wasn't wearing a watch and there were no clocks to be seen. It's not like she had a great attention span to begin with.

“Maybe I could do a bit of exploring?”

No one batted an eye when she entered the home with Satoru, plus the woman at the front gate had even greeted her personally. Those within the Gojo compound seemed to know who she was, so she probably wouldn't have any issues walking around. Worst come she gets a scolding.

“Better to ask for forgiveness than for permission.”

With that in mind, Reiki stood and started her journey around the large mansion-sized home. There wasn't much to see. Any room that possibly had something interesting or cool in it was locked and there was no way she could get any of them open. People she passed by gave her polite greetings no issues with an unfamiliar dog just wandering about. Well, she probably wasn't too unfamiliar to them. Far too many people knew her name for her not knowing who she was.

“Maybe outside would be more interesting,” Reiki thought. She retracted her steps, finding her way back to the long hallway that led to the outside. Her paws lightly thudded on the polished wood flooring. As she drew closer to the door it slid open causing her to stop short.

Those who stood in the doorway did not match the aesthetic of the Gojo clan. Even the workers of the home were dressed in a way that meshed well with the atmosphere of the home. The trio of men who stood before Reiki contrasted with it all.

The man who stood before the other two was older with a sharp mustache. To his left a man possibly in her thirties with a prominent scar on his forehead that took the shape of an X. On his right was a younger man who fit the age range that Satoru was in. He stood out the most with a smug smirk settled on his features.

“Guests?” Reiki thought. She was spotted by the trio of men.

“Oh,” the oldest man said with a cocked brow, “I didn't know the Gojo’s kept pets. Could this be the famed Cursed Energy-wielding dog they've been so proud of?”

Reiki tilted her head. The Gojo clan had been bragging about her? Well, Satoru certainly had, but she had no idea that the entire clan had been included in that pool.

The youngest stepped forward and Reiki immediately scooted back. “Not much to look at, is it? It's quite sad really. They only have one strong Sorcerer and need the tricks of some fleabag to maintain power.”

He attempted to grab Reiki, going for the scruff of her neck. Reiki felt not an ounce of sympathy or regret when she snapped at the outstretched hand.

The young man cursed, jerking his hand back, clearly pissed off. “You little bitch!”

Reiki growled, flashing her fangs. To feel such hatred for one person within a matter of seconds before meeting was a new experience for Reiki. She thought that Kamo boy was bad but this guy created a new level of loathing.

“What are you doing?” Reiki was lifted and settled into the arms of Satoru. If she thought he seemed off before now he seems like almost a completely different person. A stark contrast to his usual personality, was a young man with nothing but an air of unwavering seriousness.

“Your little bitch just tried to bite me!”

“I would've too if you'd try to touch me. Attempting to lay a hand on one of the Gojo clan members, that's bold of you Naoya,” Satoru said.

“Clan members? What are you prattling about now?” Naoya growled.

“Why Reiki of course. She is after all a part of the Gojo clan.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

“Didn't you know Reiki’s full name is Reiki Gojo? It says so on the adoption paperwork.”

Naoya growled and it was clear he wanted to instigate something.

“Well if it isn't Gojo Satoru,” the eldest man said, chuckling as he stepped forward. “Not often you're seen here.”

“Same could be said for you. At least I’m welcomed.”

“Ha!” The man laughed. “Still have that smart mouth of yours. That dog of yours sure has spunk, I imagine she gets it from her owner.”

“What are you doing here Naobito?” Satoru asked.

“We have business.”

The air stilled as the atmosphere tensed with each silent second that passed. Reiki hoped that a fight wouldn't break out but if it did she would support Satoru all the way.

“You know…” Naobito started to stroke his chin. “If you ever grow tired of the dog the Zenin clan would be more than happy to take her off your hands.”

Naoya seems to revel in the idea, with a condescending and vile smirk. “We could teach the dumb thing who its betters are.”

The words had not settled well with Satoru. His demeanor did not change but the tightening on his hold of Reiki could tell he was upset.

Satoru suddenly started to chuckle. It held no humor. “You Zenin sure like to run your mouths. If any of you lay a hand on Reiki…You'll find yourself down a few Sorcerers.”

With that Satoru walked past the trio with his head held high, none of them attempting to say a word in rebuttal. They knew Satoru would make good on his threat. Reiki knew he would.

Satoru had told Reiki about his power and how his very birth had shaken the very foundation of the Jujutsu world. And despite the haughty arrogance that he flaunted he was absolutely right. Even Reiki could sense the immense Cursed Energy he contained and his techniques were unfathomable. She was sure if he wanted to he could topple cities with just a snap of his fingers. His powers probably could only be outmatched by the unforgiving heavenly smite of one's creator. And he had yet to reach his full potential.

To put him further on an unreachable pedestal he was the only one in his lifetime who would ever be this powerful. From what he told her he had two inherited techniques, Limitless and The Six Eyes. Despite those both inherited through his bloodline of the Gojo clan it was impossible for someone to be born with both while Satoru existed. Someone could very easily be born with the OP power of Limitless, and the Gojo clan wasn't skimping on the powerful Sorcerers, but only one bearer of the Six Eyes could exist at a time. It was the birth of people like Satoru that kept the Gojo clan at the top. It was also the reason why he could in theory do whatever he wanted. There was literally no one who could stop him.

Yes, despite having the world at the tip of his fingers, Satoru never toed the line between good and evil. He stayed on the side of righteousness using his powers to help others and not topple the very rigid and traditional society of the Jujutsu world despite having the power to do so. And he would often complain about the power structure of the Jujutsu society. Often giving the ladders harsh critiques and unflattering nicknames. Satoru never painted them in a flattering light and from the comments of others, it was common consensus that their ways were highly disliked. They were nothing but elitists who merely cared about power and used women as broodmares to produce babies with strong techniques. Even when powerful women were born into a clan they were often overshadowed and looked down upon in favor of their male counterparts and if their use couldn't come from creating strong offspring then they added little value even as a Sorcerer.

Arranged marriages were still a thing amongst the Jujutsu Society, mainly within the largest clans that ran everything. Smaller and branching clans vie to marry one of their children into the large ones to garner more power. It was a mess of a cycle that only bred contempt and abuse.

There had been many times when Satoru would offhandedly state he could just kill all the heads if he wanted to. A threat that was only taken semi-serious, everyone knew if he was serious he could have very well done so years ago.

Even Satoru, only sixteen, had been offered several marriage proposals, all of them turned down obviously. Reiki wasn't sure if he told others but he didn't want to marry those women for three reasons. One: He just didn't want to. Two: He felt bad for the girls who were clearly forced into the whole thing. Three: He hated the woman who clearly only wanted to be with him for the status she’d gain for marrying and birthing the children of the great Gojo Satoru. He had even told Reiki that once Suguru had entered Jujutsu Tech and showcased his incredible Cursed Technique and control, he was getting marriage proposals too. Those were declined as well. Despite just being teenagers neither of them appeared to be the kind of guys to settle down and if they did so it'd be later in life.

Guess they never expected someone like Satoru to be born. The Gojo clan was counted as part of the big three clans with Gojo sitting at the top. Reiki wasn't sure if it was because of Satoru being born or if they were always the top dogs. Either way from what Satoru described his family was similar to him and just kind of did what they wanted, tradition be damned. Because honestly who was gonna stop them? Perhaps the other clan heads thought if they could swoop in fast enough or perhaps even through Jujutsu Tokyo Tech thought they could've molded Satoru into the kind of Sorcerer they wanted. One they could control. Less than a human and more a tool.

Yeah, well the complete opposite happened. Satoru fought against the waves of tradition like a rock steadfast in a raging river.

As they left the house walking towards the exit of the compound Satoru kept petting Reiki’s head. “Ignore those weaklings Reiki.”

Reiki shifted in his arms giving herself the leverage to press her nose against his cheek. He paused for a moment before a small smile broke out.

“You too, Reiki.” He said.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

Reiki’s tail wouldn't stop wagging. She was just so excited. Her paws were pressed against the window, they hadn't left yet but what a magnificent view they would get once they did.

“Wow, I’m really flying First Class! And I have my own seat!” She wished she had legs again so she could spread out and enjoy all this available legroom.

“Well Reiki seems excited about this,” Suguru chuckled.

“It is her first plane ride after all,” Satoru commented. He pulled out his phone, snapping a few pictures of the excited pup gazing out the window.

Reiki was amazed that he still had room available on that thing. He had taken so many pictures already of just her.

“To think we're going on a mission overseas. I've never been overseas,” Reiki thought.

Technically she has traveled overseas if you include her sudden transmigration into this world.

“Hello, passengers!” A flight attendant came on the intercom. “We have finished boarding and will be soon departing from the gate and begin our flight to–”

“We're going to France!” Reiki cheered.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

It was roughly a sixteen-hour flight and Reiki slept through about fifteen of those hours. Once they departed the plane and made their way to baggage claim someone was already waiting for them. A gentle-looking man with ginger hair, dressed in a black suit much like the Windows of Japan

“Is that man wearing a Hermes-branded suit?” Reiki thought. How much were the Sorcerers here in France paid?

“Hello, Monsieur Gojo, Monsieur Geto, as well as Madame Reiki.” 

“Oh, Madame, how fancy,” Reiki thought with giddy amusement.

The man's Japanese was well practiced with a few lisps hit in certain words due to his accent. “I am Monsieur Dupont Antonie. I am sure you are all weary after your trip. I shall escort you to your hotel.”

Antonie led the way outside to a fancy black car. It was a short ride to the hotel. Reiki was in awe of the grandeur of the hotel. Satoru and Suguru appeared used to such luxurious strolling into the lavished lobby as if this was normal. A night's stay probably held a worth that Reiki did not dare to imagine.

Upon reaching their floor Suguru and Satoru split, going to their respective rooms. Obviously, Reiki would be with Satoru. The room was as opulent as the lobby. The ceiling had elaborate crown molding crafted by patient hands. The furnishing was made from polished wood, upholstered with the finest fabric. A room fit for the wealthy elite that it so often housed.

Reiki wondered why there were two beds until she was tossed on one by Satoru. He let out a whoop as he jumped on it as well, Reiki baking as she was sent up, bouncing from the rebound. He rolled across the bed letting out a yelp as he nearly bowled over her.

He reached over Reiki, arm stretching out to grab ahold of the hotel phone. “Say Rei-chan, shall we order room service?”

Reiki barked, fully agreeing.

“What should we get?” Reiki answered with another bark. “Anything we want it is!”

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

Suguru knocked on Satoru’s door, entering at the call of his friends “Come in!”

“Satoru do you–” Well this was an interesting sight.

Satoru, as well as Reiki, were sitting on a bed. Swathed in the white fluff of exquisite robes. Plates of food were scattered all around the room. Their faces were obscured by a green mud mask with cucumber slices covering their eyes.

“Sup, Suguru?” Satoru greeted lifting up a slice.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

A restful night in a plush bed was well received after such a long flight. Reiki was refreshed and ready for the day she'd have ahead of her. 

The marble flooring of the hotel was cool against her paw pads, each step refreshing as she followed Satoru and Suguru. There Antonie greeted them, his body draped in a new and equally expensive suit. He was the pinnacle of gentlemanly manners. He escorted them out of the lobby and to the car. 

“We thank you for making the trip to come and aid us.” Antonie’s soothing tones came from the front of the car as he drove.

“Why do we have to be here anyway?” Satoru, always the one to voice his opinion and thoughts. “Don't you have your own Sorcerers?”

If Antonie took any offense nothing reflected such an emotion on his face. “Yes, but as of late we've been rather stretched thin. Our city is quite the tourist destination. We often have an influx of Curses during those times. Recently we've had a rather high tourist count and the number of Curses that have developed have followed suit. To make matters worse, Curse Users think that this is a proper hub to perform their deeds.”

Satoru snapped his fingers. “Ah, I see now. You guys can't keep up with both the Curses and the Curse Users, so you need us, huh?”

“That’s correct.”

“I bet the Curses and Curse Users are having a negative impact on your tourists, am I right?” Suguru asked.

“Yes, you are correct as well. My, you young students sure are bright.”

It was perhaps a genuine compliment, but the dulcet tones that came out in a fluid notion as if the man was singing, made it seem as if he was poking a bit of fun at the two.

“So you need us to clean up your scraps huh?” Satoru asked. Reiki was sure he knew what the meaning of tact was but openly chose to not apply it in any kind of situation. And he really had no reason to. Anybody would end up flatter than a crepe on the sidewalk if they pushed Satoru’s buttons the wrong way.

“There’s a particular Curse User who’s been causing us quite the headache. Do you perhaps know what the catacombs are?”

Reiki’s head perked up at that. She knew what the catacombs were. A macabre tourist destination that had been on her bucket list. Miles upon miles of an underground maze that was lined with wall-to-wall skeletons. Real human skeletons. If Reiki remembered her odd morbid trivial facts the Catacombs have at least six million bodies buried within it.

Antonie gave a quick description of the place, drawing in the fascinated attention of Suguru and Satoru.

“The Catacombs is a prime spot for Curse’s to converge and be created. It's also the hotspot of a rather cumbersome Curse User who enjoys theorizing tourists. We've been lucky thus far that no one has died but a recent incident resulted in a fair few to be injured. All tours of the Catacombs were paused. Without his hunting grounds, the Curse User sought other places.”

“So we've been tasked to hunt him down?” Suguru questioned.

“And take care of any Curses you may find on your way.”

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

The trio of Japanese-based Sorcerers were dropped off at another popular tourist destination in Paris. La Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. A beautiful grand church that was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Curse User, whose name was Bernard, had been spotted skulking about the parameters of the church. Turns out an unlucky music director who had worked late into the night had an encounter with Bernard. Hospitalized thanks to his injuries and mental scars that would follow him for years to come.

“I don't really get churches,” Satoru said.

“That's because you hate tradition,” Suguru said.

Reiki paid little mind to their conversation, sitting down and using her left hind leg to scratch behind her ear. Various low-level Curses flouted about. Tourists and locals alike none the ware to the supernatural beings that coexisted on the same plane of existence with them. With a simple wave of his hand, Suguru had summoned two of his Curses, sending them off to deal with them, minor inconveniences. It was amazing to watch them work as Suguru and Satoru chatted about what spot they wanted to eat lunch at later in the day. To be so powerful that you could casually chat while also doing your job.

Today they'd have to do things the old-fashioned way. No remnants of Bernard had been left behind, so using Reiki to search for him was a no-go. At the very least she could follow the scent of Cursed Energy. Although in a place as big as this locating a trail might be a tad hard. Well, they did have a place to start. As per usual Satoru barged into the church with little regard. Suguru strolled inside just as casually with his hands tucked into his pockets.

“Which way to that guy's office?” Satoru mumbled.

With that Reiki took the lead. At least one of them had paid attention to what Antonie had said.

“Looks like Reiki knows,” Suguru said.

They followed the dog down the opulent halls of the church, passing by the many pieces that drew in tourists. Impressive paintings created by incredible talent that stood against the test of time. Elaborate tapestries that were woven from the finest fabrics. Stained glass windows illuminated the halls as the sun peeked through.

Reiki had to resist the urge to roll across the rugs that lined the halls and bat at the tassels. Satoru was no better, pulling out his phone to take a selfie with a statue. Reiki had attempted to pull him away, tugging at his pant leg. But with her size that was futile effort. She was pulled into Satoru’s shenanigans, tucked under his arms as she was added to the photo.

She did her best to keep things on track, leading Satoru and Suguru to the Music Directors office. It was far less lavish than the rest of the church but still was emboldened by rich history.

“So the Music Director was attacked here?” Satoru mumbled.

“According to Antonie, he was found curled up in the corner, mumbling to himself. Both of his legs were broken as well,” Suguru said.

“Talk about overkill.” Reiki padded her way over to the corner Suguru had gestured to. She took a few good whiffs hoping to catch the telltale scent of Cursed Energy that often lingered after the use of a technique.

“You got something Rei-chan?” Satoru asked scooting closer to the dog.

“This is odd.” Reiki stepped back, taking a seat on the floor. Her head tilted, conveying her confusion. “Not a speck of Cursed Energy.”

“Seems Reiki is stumped,” Suguru said.

She made a few rounds, sniffing at each corner and crevice of the room, but found nothing. Her head dropped when she came up with nothing. Sensing her dejection, Suguru stepped forward patting her head.

Satoru let out a low hum as he cupped his chin. “Rei-chan has an impeccable nose. There's no escape from it. So how did some low-level nobody get away without leaving anything for her to pick up on?”

The two teens started to work the old-fashioned way, examining the room from top to bottom in hopes of picking up any kind of clue that could lead them to Bernard. Reiki joined in, doing her best with the little body she had. There was no way she was reaching the shelves or the cabinets. Any privacy the Music Director had went out the window as they dug into any crevice.

Reiki managed to wrangle a desk drawer open. She hooked her paws into the U-shaped brass handle and used a combo of momentum and body weight to get it open. She stumbled a bit, losing her already lofty grip. The moment the drawer was opened her nose twitched. Scrambling to her feet, Reiki let out a series of barks alerting the boys that she had finally found a clue.

“Looks like Reiki found something. Good girl.” Suguru congratulated her, giving her a deserved pats on the head as he knelt next to the open drawer.

Satoru scooted behind, bending over his friend's left shoulder to examine the contents of the drawer. “Glass?” He mumbled.

“Shards from a mirror.” Suguru pulled out a hand mirror. It was simple with a smooth wooden handle. The reflective surface had been smashed, leaving nothing but remnants of broken glass.

Reiki barked, hopping up to hook her front legs on the edge of the drawer. Her tail wagged, head bobbing as she zeroed in on the glass shards.

“These Reiki?” Suguru was careful as he grabbed one of the mirror's broken pieces, holding the jagged edge closer to Reiki. She barked twice and confirmed that was indeed what they were looking for. It was faint, but definitely there. The telltale scent of Cursed Energy.

Now they had their lead.

Chapter Text

“I’m so tall right now!”

In her previous life, Reiki had been of average height for a young woman. As a dog, she barely pushed a foot in height. Nothing compared to the grand tallness that was Satoru. With his hands full he had plopped Reiki atop of his head, very akin to a certain young teen from an anime Reiki was rather fond of.

Once Reiki got a whiff of their target they had left the church. She led the way until they happened upon a bakery that drew Satoru’s eye. Without warning she was scooped up and carried into the shop with a slightly confused Suguru quickly catching up.

As expected, Satoru had bought all he could carry. There was no doubt that if they weren't on a mission he would've bought his weight in goodies. Turns out the bakery was a pet-friendly one, so Reiki was even able to get her own treats.

Satoru exited the bakery with his arms full–He had spent a good amount of time trying to coax Suguru to fill his arms too but he lost that one–leaving Reiki no room to be carried around. She expected to just walk but found herself once again swept off her feet and plopped atop Satoru’s head.

“Not that I don't enjoy the vantage point but how the heck am I supposed to lead from up here?” Reiki thought. Her contemplative thoughts were interrupted by the wafting scent of peanut butter.

“Here you go Rei-chan!” Satoru held up a macron which Reiki was more than happy to partake in.

“Damn, this is good.”

“You shouldn't feed her so many treats,” Suguru said.

Satoru waved his friend off. “It's fine.”

Suguru sighed and reached up, taking Reiki off her perch. He set her on the ground, allowing her to get back to her job. With a few wiggles of her nose, she was back on the scent accompanied by the ambient sounds of Satoru digging into his bag and snacking.

Weaving through the streets the trial of Cursed Energy led the group to a museum.

“A museum, huh?” Satoru said.

“That does make sense. He’s been targeting tourists,” Suguru said. He dug into his pocket pulling out his phone. “I'll inform Antonie.”

✾જ┆ ┆ ┆ʝօʊʀռɛ́ɛֆ ɖʊ ƈɦɨɛռ┆ ┆ ┆જ ✾

They didn't wait for Antonie to arrive with authorities and clear out the museum, they didn't want their target to get away after all. Much to Reiki’s surprise, they had little issue with getting her into the museum, although there was a fair chunk of people, natives and tourists alike, who turned their heads from the beautiful works of human creativity to side-eye the teens with a dog. One man grumbled something under his breath but Reiki was able to pick it up.

“Hey! I might not know French but I can recognize an insult!” She huffed, narrowing her gaze at the man. They made eye contact and the man jumped at the intense stare from such a small dog. It was unnerving how human her gaze was. He broke the stare down, hyperfocused on the painting before him.

Reiki relaxed, chest-puffing with a bit of pride as she successfully intimidated someone.

“Now…where are you?”

The dense crowd was full of a variety of scents but it could do nothing to mask the unmistakable aroma of Cursed Energy. Head on a swivel Reiki examined the open room full of paintings and people. She snapped to her right, head whipping to the entrance of the next room. A man was casually strolling through the open entry, hands tucked into his pockets.

“There you are!”

With a bark she took off, her fellow Sorcerers right behind her. They followed the man deeper into the museum, cautious of those around them. As they turned their fifth corner they spotted the back of the man as he ducked under a rope that sectioned off the museum from the public. Signs were posted letting those know that the area was closed as they installed another exhibit.

Reiki easily passed under the rope with Suguru and Satoru ducking and following. Not much had been done in the space, with barely anything hung up, and covered with cloth. But from the little context of what was out the exhibit seemed to be themed around glass, with a few intricate glass-blown pieces set up.

In the midst of everything there he stood. A few snickers filled the air as the man turned around. “I knew you were following me. Thank you for walking into my trap.”

Perhaps he was expecting some kind of grand reaction of surprise but all he was met with was the bland expressions of two teens and a dog.

“It was pretty obvious what you were doing,” Suguru said.

“Yeah, only an idiot wouldn't know you were leading us somewhere,” Satoru added.

“Even I knew that,” Reiki thought.

“Alright!” Satoru clapped his hands. “Let's get this over with!”

Bernard sneered. “You foreigners, so fucking arrogant.”

Reiki rolled her eyes with a groan. “He’s one of those guys?”

Satoru folded his hands behind his head, turning to Suguru. “You wanna take care of him or should I?”

“I can–”

Reiki barked, cutting Suguru off. “He’s gone!”

True to the words that the duo could not hear, Bernard was gone. He vanished in thin air right before the watchful gaze of the trio.

“Well that's interesting,” Satoru mumbled. There was no worry reflected in his words, just keen interest in the sudden vanishing act.

“This is this room's only entrance,” Suguru said.

A low growl rumbled from Reiki’s chest as she took a defensive stance. The fur of her tail puffed. Her fangs flashing. The Cursed Energy still lingered in the air, converging into one point.

“He…went into that–!” Reiki barked just as a knife shot out from seemingly nowhere. She along with Suguru and Satoru dodged the weapon.

“Did that just…” Suguru raised a brow.

Satoru nodded. “Yup, it came from that mirror.” He gestured to an ornate mirror with cracks purposefully crafted into the planes of the reflective surface.

“So that's how he attacked that church's music director! He must've come from the mirror and when the director noticed he shattered it!” Reiki pieced together the events that led to where they were right now.

“Pretty impressive reaction time you all have.”

Reiki wouldn't stop barking as Bernard appeared, his form materializing from the side of a glass sculpture.

“So that’s your Technique, appearing from glass?” Satoru said.

Bernard snickered, teeth clenched with the sinister chuckles escaping. “Any reflective surface will do. I can bounce around in the blink of an eye.” He scooted back, placing his hand on the polished frame of an art piece. “You can’t touch me!” His form dissolved as if sucked deep into the very essence of the frame.

“Well this is annoying,” Satoru said.

“Can you see him, Satoru?” Suguru asked.

“Only when he’s out in the open.”

Reiki yelped as a knife shot out darting by her left side. She heard a curse and looked up. An annoyed Suguru was holding his cheek. As he pulled his hand away he revealed a long cut, blood trickling down the side of his face. More knives flew by with a barrage of the sharp weapons raining down upon the Sorcerers. With the use of his Technique, Satoru managed to deflect a large junk of the projectiles. But even he was having trouble keeping up with them as they came from so many angles. Whatever reflective surface Bernard attacked from swallowed any signs of Cursed Energy until the very moment the attack happened. Suguru was fairing well, but his uniform kept getting snagged. Various tears littered the dark fabric with a few dark splotches from where the knives had nicked skin. Reiki darted all around with her Cursed Energy giving her a boost in speed. She was lucky as one knife scraped by her neck, and she could hear the distinctive clink of the metal blade hitting the metal of her collar studs. Unfortunately, she hadn't been so lucky the second time.

A sharp yowl choked Reiki as the edge of the blade caught her leg.

“Reiki!” Satoru scooped her up, pulling her away. She could already feel the blood escaping the wound, drenching her fur.

“This guy is getting on my nerves,” Satoru frowned with heavy annoyance.

“We need to isolate him,” Suguru said.

Reiki wanted to do nothing more than lick her wound. Her leg stung and ached. But she had to help her boys. Satoru set her down to the side as he discussed a plan to fish out Bernard. One of their ideas being destroying all of the priceless artwork to leave him no room for escape. That was quickly tossed out.

“Guess we just gotta force him out,” Satoru smirked.

✾જ┆ ┆ ┆ʝօʊʀռɛ́ɛֆ ɖʊ ƈɦɨɛռ┆ ┆ ┆જ ✾

Gabriel Allard was in his tenth year of tending to the gardens outside one of the most visited museums in the area. He enjoyed the time outside, the fresh air, and being able to converse with nature but also sharing his passion for greenery with guests. With tourists from all around the world filtering in and out, he had seen many odd things. But today was by far something he would be telling his kid, even his grandkids for years to come.

He had filled his bucket, ready to water the large tree that stood within the center of the garden. He hefted the heavy pale towards the tree, setting it down once he reached the base of the tree. He huffed and used the back of his sleeve to wipe away the sheen of sweat that settled on his forehead. After taking a moment to catch his breath he bent over, prepared to tip the bucket over and give the tree its much-needed hydration.

“Huh?” Taking a pause Gabriel glanced at the bucket. Had the water rippled?

Leaning close he witnessed the center of the bucket quiver sending a set of waves that traveled to the edge of the bucket. It happened a third time. Then a fourth. It took a moment for his brain to catch up to his surroundings. The ground was shaking!

He fell over his feet as a loud boom filled the air. Gabriel screamed, ducking and covering his head as the back wall of the museum exploded out into the courtyard of the garden. With a brief moment of bravery, he glanced between his arms and gaped seeing a body flying through the air. The poor human projectile slammed face-first into the tree. Gabriel yelped and scooted back. His fingers digging the dirt and his palms scraping against rocks. He was like a frantic crab trying to escape an army of rogue seagulls, backpedaling on all fours. Garbled words of fear followed each panicked scoot. His back slammed into a pair of legs causing the man to scream and fling himself forward. Rolling over he was met with something that exasperated the bizarreness of this all.

Two people who appeared to be teens and foreigners. One had their hair up in a bun and was brushing some stray debris off his clothing. Another had stark white hair and had a dog tucked under his arm. His wide smile was far too chipper for what Gabriel thought was some kind of bomb that was set off in the museum.

✾જ┆ ┆ ┆ʝօʊʀռɛ́ɛֆ ɖʊ ƈɦɨɛռ┆ ┆ ┆જ ✾

It had taken using one of Suguru’s Curses as bait to get Bernard in the right position for Satoru to launch him out of the building and away from all his attack vantage points. Yes, they had decimated an entire wall of the museum but they had also saved all of the priceless art pieces, well almost all of them, but they had saved more than they had damaged.

“Hey!” Satoru smiled, waving at the shaking man on the ground as he set Reiki down. “You might wanna get out of here.”

Gabriel’s fearful gaze darted from the man splayed out at the bottom of the tree back to the smiling teen. With a cry, he scrambled to his feet and booked it.

A groan came from the tree. Bernard slowly started to sit up, upper body jerking.

Satoru let out a low whistle. “Wow, you're still conscious after that, now that is impressive.”

Using the tree as leverage Bernard managed his way back to his feet. Facing the Sorcerers they winced at the sight of his face, Reiki’s snout scrunching in the process. His abrupt meeting with the tree left his face rather mangled. There was a lot of blood which came from his nose, mouth, and two large gashes–one on his forehead just above his left brow and across his chin going to his right cheek. His nose was clearly broken, which was once straight was now at a sharp crooked angle. At least three teeth had been lost, one of those being the most prominent front tooth. One of his eyes was almost completely swollen shut but you could still catch a glimpse of red as the blood vessels within the orb had been broken dyeing the normal white plains a crimson hue.

“Oooh, that's bad,” Reiki thought. Although she didn't feel too sympathetic, the radiating pain from her back leg as she limped reminded her of the kind of man they were dealing with.

“You little–” Bernard coughed, blood splashing the front of his jacket.

“He might have some internal damage too,” Reiki thought.

“You look pretty bad,” Suguru spoke with the same amount of sympathy that Reiki felt. With the small smile he wore one could tell he was taunting Bernard.

With a sneer that showed his blood-stained teeth–the ones that were left–Bernard grabbed the bucket of water and with a cry of pure rage chucked it at the teens. They sidestepped it easily but within that brief distraction, as the water splashed Bernard took the opportunity to flee.

Both boys went in a defensive stance, Satoru clicking his tongue.

“There’s not much he could have disappeared into,” Suguru said.

Reiki hobbled about putting little pressure on her leg as she attempted to locate Bernard. Suguru was right, there weren't many places he could've used his Technique to escape from. The garden was devoid of reflective surfaces and they were quick to figure out that he had a range to which he could teleport himself.

“Where could he have gone?” Reiki whined frustrated. There was a statue near the tree he’d been pressed against. With A quick once over she determined that he couldn't have used it. It was unpolished stone.

“Where–!”

Water. Water had a reflective surface.

Reiki barked, at the glint of metal. A blade poised ready to plunge into the back of the unsuspecting student. She dove forward….

“No! Suguru!”

She…She wasn’t going to make it! No, she had to. She had to! Suguru!

The world fell away, blinded by a white light with all sounds drowning out. Everything slowed.

“I remember now…”

✾જ┆ ┆ ┆ʝօʊʀռɛ́ɛֆ ɖʊ ƈɦɨɛռ┆ ┆ ┆જ ✾

Reiki had been seventeen when she passed. She was your average everyday teenager, with a sister just two years younger. Emi. Yes, her sister's name was Emi.

They weren't just sisters, they were best friends. They might not have come into this world together but they were attached to the hip at day one. Nights spent cuddled together in bed when nightmares stalked dreams. After-school tutoring. Late-night movies with buttery popcorn and painted toes. The occasional fight or two that ended with forgiveness and tears. Comforting hugs when crushes ended with hearts crushed. Talks of the future and the life ahead.

“Come on ***! We're gonna be late.”

Reiki chuckled as Emi tugged at her hand, pulling her to the entrance of the mall. “The mall doesn't close for another five hours, Emi, we're fine.”

Emi threw her head back with a groan. The call of her people–disgruntled teenagers–bubbled forth. “But my favorite store is having a sale. One of the biggest sales of the season, if we don't hurry, all the good stuff is gonna be gone!”

“Okay, okay, just stop tugging so hard you're gonna pull my arm out of the socket.”

“Ha-ha, you're so funny. You know I'm nowhere near that strong. You're the one who punched Ray in the face.”

“He had it coming.” Reiki sneered at the memory. “He’s lucky that's all I did.”

“You also crushed his camera with your bare hands,” Emi added.

“Don't exaggerate. It was my bare hands, a wall, and my foot.”

Emi giggled, pulling Reiki in close and hooking their arms together. The sisters chatted, going about what happened in their day, as they practically skipped to the store.

“I can't believe you're gonna be gone soon. I’m gonna be sooo bored!” Emi bemoaned.

“Hey, you still have Chase,” Reiki said.

“I love Chase but he’s so old. I can only play fetch for like two minutes before he gives up.”

“Sure he’s not the young puppy he was but four is not exactly old for dogs. Also, cut him some slack, poor little guy broke his hip, of course, he can’t move like he used to.”

“Man, in less than a month you're gonna be across the country. Going off doing cool college stuff, while I'll be stuck here,” Emi huffed.

“Hey, it's gonna be less than two years before you're off to college too. We might not even go to the same college.”

Emi reeled back with a sharp overdramatic gasp. “Blasphemy! Don't you speak such a thing into the universe.”

Amused by her sister's antics she patted Emi’s head. “You want to go to a good school for engineering right? My school is good, but not the best. You're smart enough to go to a school with an even better engineering program. The best schools will be knocking down the door to get you in.”

“But…”

The mood took a turn. The bright chipperness of Emi faded from her eyes. Downcast with a slight frown that pursed her lips. “We haven't been separated for so long before. What if…What if we drift apart?”

A sentiment that touched Reiki’s heart. With a soft gentle touch, she cupped Emi’s face. “We’ll always be sisters no matter how far we are or how long we are apart. Besides, we live in the 21st century. We can talk literally any time. You can video call me anytime.”

Emi sniffled just a bit. “Anytime?”

“Anytime.”

“I love you ***” Emi dove forward wrapping her arms around Reiki.

Reiki returned it, tightly the hold. “I love you too.”

It was a beautiful moment. Full of love and hope for a future to be. 

“Now let's got to shopping–”

The screams had been the first sign. The ground shuttered and vibrated. Light fixtures shook. Tables and chairs were knocked over.

“What's happening!” Emi shouted. Her fingers dug into Reiki’s skin, the grip bruising.

A man's cries of terror confirmed what they all knew. “Earthquake!”

“Emi! Come on!” Her sister's legs gave way like a fawn in its first steps. Reiki swept her sister in her arms, dragging her. They were just a few feet away from the entrance. They could make it. They could make it!

“***!”

The floor gave way, taking the sisters with it.

✾જ┆ ┆ ┆ʝօʊʀռɛ́ɛֆ ɖʊ ƈɦɨɛռ┆ ┆ ┆જ ✾

“***! ***! ***!”

“W-Wha…”

“****!”

Everything hurts. Her lungs burned and every breath pierced her chest like shards of glass.

“***!”

“E-Emi?” Her vision blurred. Red? Why was it red?

“***!” The sobs of her sister pulled her mind forward. Emi lay just under her, back pressed against the rubble and the remnants of the polished mall tiles. A sharp cut went across her cheeks. Her white tank top was splotched with red and dark brown.

“I’m scared!” Emi cried.

“I-It’s okay. I got you.” Reiki choked, each word was a painful endeavor. She had to push through, for Emi.

Something heavy pressed against her back. She attempted to shift only to have it bear more pressure down on her. Something pierced her back. Reiki bit her lip as the back of her shirt was drenched in blood. Emi jolted and a desperate cry left her.

“We're going to be crushed!” Emi sobbed.

So that's what it was. Some of the mall structures must've fallen atop them. They had been buried. The only thing keeping Emi safe was Reiki.

“Don't worry Emi….I promise…I won't let anything happen to you.” She’d bear this for Emi.

“T-There's so much blood…”

“Don't look at Emi. J-Just keep your eyes closed.”

“B-But–”

“Close them okay? Breathe, easy in and out. I’m here. I won't let anything happen to you.”

Reiki’s mind faded in and out. Minutes or hours. Perhaps even days? It all blurred. When her thoughts wavered when her body screamed to let this end, Reiki pushed through.

“Hey! Is anyone there!”

Emi gasped. “Here! We're over here! Help!”

“We got survivors!”

“***! ***! Someones coming! They're coming!” Emi sobbed.

“T-That’s great. I’m so happy. I…love you so much Emi.”

“***? ***?! ***!”

✾જ┆ ┆ ┆ʝօʊʀռɛ́ɛֆ ɖʊ ƈɦɨɛռ┆ ┆ ┆જ ✾

Reiki snapped back to reality. Her new reality. Filled with the people that she cared for just as much as she cared for Emi.

“I don't want those who I care about to get hurt. I want to be stronger…to protect those I love!”

A crack of thunder shook the very heavens above. A bolt of lightning, fierce and radiant, shot out from the sky striking the ground where Reiki stood.

“Suguru!”

Satoru had to cover his face, nearly blinded by the pure light. The air crackled. Satoru felt his skin prickle. When he knew it was safe he lowered his arms.

Pure white hair with tips dipped in red. Skin, unblemished with smooth pure planes.

“Suguru…Are you okay?”

Through his haze Suguru glanced up, meeting eye to eye with a beautiful sunset gaze framed by white lashes like feathers drifting on the wind. Pink lips that slightly parted to give view to a set of small fangs.

“Re….Reiki?” Suguru stuttered.

The young woman cocked her head just a bit, with a hint of confusion that reflected. Suguru was set down on his feet as the woman took a step back. The gravel beneath her feet shifted as she moved. Their steps paused as something brushed against the bare skin.

The familiar hilt of a knife poked through. Fingers wrapped around the fabric hilt, a firm unyielding grip. The Curse User flinched at the sharp turn, a burning gaze set solely on him.

An arm thrust into the air. The knife held high and pointed to the heavens. The very air burned and crackled with energy. A spark jumped at the tip of the knife. It glinted brightly despite the overcast of rolling clouds that blocked out any light. The sounds of thunder boomed.

“Heavens Guardian: Howling Thunder.”

All sound escaped the area. Three…Two…One! A bolt of lightning struck the knife. The power was…infinite. The blade illuminated the entire area a sharp ethereal steel several feet in length and swatted in crackles of energy. 

Feet shifted into a low stance. 

It had all happened in a mere flash of lighting. With a mere blink she was gone and on the other side, feet kicking gravel as she skidded to a stop, sword still poised at her hip. The woman stood. The power of the sword faded as she slid it into its sheath. The hilt met the sheath in a soft click and the Curse Users fell.

He twitched on the ground, mouth agape with slight foam brewing forth. His eyes rolled in the back of his head. He still breathed but the small tinges of electricity jumped across his body causing various muscles to twitch. 

The young woman took one deep breath in, chest swelling and nose to the sky. It would rain soon. She heaved letting out all the air as her body settled. She took one step forward, only to stumble forward on unsteady legs. Her arms shot out, flapping around as she fought to stay upright herself. Her foot dropped forward, toes digging into the ground. Toes…like a human.

✾જ┆ ┆ ┆ʝօʊʀռɛ́ɛֆ ɖʊ ƈɦɨɛռ┆ ┆ ┆જ ✾

It had all hit her at once. A tidal wave of senses crashed against her form, daring to knock her down if she didn't properly brace herself. There was a slight breeze, just enough to tickle the bare flesh exposed to the world. The feel of gravel and rocks that poked at the underpads of feet.

Hands. She had hands again. The revelation of standing upon two legs sent Reiki into a mute state. Her stunned gaze roamed over the plains of supple skin. White hair spilled around her form. Soft like a cloud or like the fur that once covered her body.

“You'll want this.”

Something draped over her shoulders. A jacket. Sweet with a hint of the forest. Satoru.

The jacket hung long enough to drape just barely mid-thigh. Pale fingers quickly snapped the buttons back in place preserving Reiki’s already waning dignity.

“Thank you, Satoru.”

Chapter Text

"Nanamin, how come you don't look happy to see me?"

“You can borrow these until you get your own clothing.”

“Thank you, Ieiri,” Reiki said.

Shoko was the first of the students to be reintroduced to Reiki in her human form. Seeing as she was the only female attending the school she was the go-to choice to get Reiki some clothes. Shoko had several pieces that she had no issues parting with and allowing Reiki to borrow.

Reiki gave her thanks as she was handed a bag.

“You can just call me Shoko. We've technically known each other for a while now. But remember, I am your senior,” Shoko added with a hint of humor in her words.

Reiki gave a soft chuckle. “Got it, Shoko-Senpai.”

“Are you ladies done now?” Satoru’s voice filtered from the other side of the door, whining that they were taking too long.

Reiki made a move to go to the door but paused when Shoko grabbed her arm.

“Let's make him wait a litte longer,” Shoko said.

⋇⋆✦ ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ ✦⋆⋇

There are some days where Yaga believes that Satoru Gojo and Geto Suguru were put on this earth to push his patience to the limit. After teaching them for just a few short weeks he quickly realized that they were going to cause problems. Were they budding Sorcerers whose very presence would shake the foundation of the Jujutsu community? Yes. Were they also the epitome of teenage rebellion? Also yes.

Yaga had to take a good five minutes decompressing when Satoru practically skipped his way into his office pulling along a nervous-looking young woman. He knew Satoru was brazen enough to bring some random civilian girl off the street to the school. So in Yaga’s mind, best case scenario she was someone with Cursed Energy that Satoru dragged along to enroll in the school. Worst case, he had kidnapped someone with Cursed Energy from a prominent family and now he’d be facing the ire of one of the three big clans.

“This is Reiki! Look she's not a dog but a super pretty girl!” Satoru announced with fanfare and a wave of his hands around Reiki.

Yeah, that wasn't on the long list of what-ifs that Yaga’s mind had created. Words were lost.

Finally, he was able to say something. “I…don't even know where to even begin with this,” Yaga mumbled.

“You're gonna enroll her as an official student right?” It was a question but Satoru’s inflection implied that it was most definitely a statement.

A soft squeak left Reiki as Satoru threw an arm over her house and pulled her in close. Things had been a bit odd between the duo since Reiki’s human revelation. The actions of Satoru towards Reiki the dog were vastly different from his interactions with Reiki the human. He would avoid direct eye contact and seemed almost timid to make any kind of physical contact, hesitating before each action.

Suguru took over in the usual care that Satoru would supply. He had done most of the talking, ensuring that Reiki’s mental state wasn't in total shambles.

It wasn't until they were in the airport that Satoru started acting a tad more normal. They still had an hour before the plane boarded and Reiki needed to use the restroom. She split from the group and everything happened as normal up until Reiki exited the bathroom. A man blocked her path, chatting her up and not taking no for an answer. Reiki had wished she’d been a dog again if not to just bite this guy who didn't understand personal boundaries. That's when her knight in a school uniform appeared. Satoru even as a teenager met the grown man eye to eye, bearing down on the rude man with a silent gaze. He guided Reiki back over to the group and wouldn't let her out of his sight.

Now that they were back at the school it was as if Satoru’s odd stint never existed. Sure he still didn't treat Reiki the same way that he did as a dog, he was pretty close. 

“She can have the room next to mine!” Satoru declared. He started firing off things that needed to be done in order to get Reiki settled as an official student of Tokyo Tech. “I already submitted for her uniform.”

He did what now?

“Come on Reiki!” Satoru turned the girl and started pushing her to the door. “We've got a lot to do! Let’s leave Yaga-Sensi to handle all the boring paperwork and logistical stuff!”

“Satoru!” Yaga shouted, calling for his student as he made a hasty exit.

⋇⋆✦ ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ ✦⋆⋇

“Why do you think Gojo-Senpai called us?” Yu asked as he skipped next to his friend.

Nanami crossed his arms. “Who knows with him.”

It wasn't hard for Nanami to get a grasp on Satoru’s personality. One would call him a happy-go-lucky idiot and that's the front he so often displayed but there was more behind that perpetual grin he so often sported. Digging a bit deeper one would find he was mischievous and made himself the nuisance of most around him. But despite all that he disliked about the fair-haired teen he still held a nugget of respect for his fellow Sorcerer. To Nanami, Satoru struck him as that work colleague you'd never be caught dead with outside of work but you always wanted on your team to back you up.

Yu simply admired nearly everyone whom he crossed paths with. He was the ideal underclassman. Always eager and willing to help no matter the task. When the first years were tasked to grab snacks Yu was happy to join. He might not have been the brightest bulb in the pack but that didn't stop him from enthusiastically diving headfirst in and learning.

He was also very gullible, so when Satoru called for him there was not an ounce of suspicion, not like what Nanami held whenever they were subjected to the whims of one who relished in revelry.

Satoru had called for them to meet him at one of the classrooms. The moment they arrived the door was flung open as if Satoru was waiting on the other side.

“There you two are! Finally! We've been waiting forever!” Satoru said.

“Hello Gojo-Senpai!” Yu greeted.

“Evening,” Nanami said.

Satoru pouted, “Nanamin, how come you don't look happy to see me?”

“I told you not to call me that.”

“How come you're not happy to see me, like Yu.”

Nanami merely stared. “Why have you called us?”

“I’ve got an awesome surprise! Come on in!” Satoru beckoned the two in.

“What’s the surprise–” Yu paused in the doorway with Nanami.

Standing in the middle of the room was a girl around their age. She looked a tad nervous, biting her bottom lip and fiddling with her fingers. The sunlight that peeked through the window highlighted her white hair. A different shade compared to Satoru’s. While his held an icy hue worthy of royalty hidden away in a snowy kingdom. This girl's hair had a warm undertone to it, like a bright flame that had reached such temperatures so high that it might blind someone with its brilliance.

“Wow! Do we have a new student?” Yu asked as he beamed.

“Yup!” Satoru spun around the girl stopping to her left, arms out with jazz hands gesturing to her. “You might not recognize her but you sure know her, especially you Yu!”

“Huh?” Yu tilted his head in confusion. “I know her?” His mind sifted through his memories, going through faces he had encountered. She was most likely his own age so he attempted to recall those he went to school with before his arrival at Tokyo Tech. Middle school wasn't ringing any bells nor was elementary. He thought of all the kids who roamed his home neighborhood, he couldn't match a face with the girls’ before him.

“He’s messing with you,” Nanami said. He could practically hear Yu’s mind working. He was the human personification of dial-up.

“Nanami!” Satoru feigned hurt, a hand over his heart. “I’m offended! I would never do such a thing.”

“Weren't you the one who gave him a shaken soda just last week?”

“I didn’t know it was shaken when I gave it to him.”

“You're the one who shook it.”

“Ah, ah, I only lightly tossed it around.”

“That’s the same thing.”

“Satoru, you definitely shook it,” the girl said.

“Ettu! Rei-chan?!” Satoru appeared to have fainted, falling into the girl's arms with an arm thrown over his face. “How could you wound me so?”

“Rei-chan? Ah! You have the same name as Reiki!” A light bulb popped up over Yu’s head. “Gojo-senpai, where’s Reiki?” He asked.

Satoru stood up. “Why she’s right here! Tada! Here we have Reiki, Human Edition!”

A beat passed.

“What?”

The boy's eyes only blinked when a flash forced them closed.

Satoru smirked as he held up a Polaroid camera. “I’m definitely keeping this one! Oh! I bet the others are gonna want copies! Reiki, I'll make some for you too.”

⋇⋆✦ ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ ✦⋆⋇

“Are you ready to head out Reiki?” Shoko asked.

“Yup, I got my list.” Reiki held up a slip of paper and various items scrawled across it.

Satoru had sat her down and helped her make a list of everything she would need now that she was Reiki the human girl. They had thought up anything that Reiki could acquire from clothing to toiletries. Instead of Satoru taking her shopping Shoko decided to take over, turning the outing into a girl's day.

“Good. What kind of budget did the school give you?” Shoko asked.

“Actually, Satoru gave me his card to use.” Reiki slipped out the black card.

Shoko’s brows raised. The stick of her lollipop tilted up as her lips skewed. She pulled the sweet out of her mouth gesturing to Reiki with the sugary end. “Wow, he must really want to spoil you.”

Reiki flushed from ear to ear. “C-Can you not make it a thing.”

Shoko chuckled and hooked her arm around Reiki’s. “Come on, let’s get this show started.” She pulled Reiki along, heading towards the school entrance where their ride would be waiting.

⋇⋆✦ ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ ✦⋆⋇

“I forgot what it was like to walk around and not be at calf height,” Reiki thought.

“This looks good.” Shoko gestured to a clothing store. “What do you think?”

Reiki glanced around her senior taking a peek at the store. Giving it a once over she nodded. “Yeah, it looks good.”

“Come on.”

The girls headed towards the store, two more trailing after them.

“If this was supposed to be a girl's day out, then why are we here?” Nanami asked.

Shoko sent a playful smirk over her shoulder. “You don't expect ladies to carry their own bags, huh?”

Nanami frowned. Yu laughed, skipping along with his friend.

“I think this is gonna be fun! Plus the girls promised to treat us to lunch,” Yu said.

A deep sigh left Nanami.

Chapter Text

“Here these too.”

Reiki groaned under the weight of clothes piled atop of her.

“What about this one Ieiri-Senpai?” Yu appeared with a green blouse in hand.

“Yeah, that’ll look good on her. Here.” Shoko took the top and tossed it onto the growing pile.

“I-I think that’s enough,” Reiki said.

“Go ahead and try them on,” Shoko said.

Reiki managed her way over to the dressing room. There was a light thud as she dropped the arm full of clothing. “This is gonna take a while.”

Ieiri, Nanami, and Yu waited patiently on the other side.

“I don't think I need so many clothes. I’ll mostly be in my uniform.” Reiki called out from the room.

“Satoru said to treat yourself, right?” Shoko called back.

The door opened and out stepped Reiki in her first outfit. A pair of tan shorts with a blue sweater tucked in the waistband.

“Wow, it looks great on you Reiki-chan!” Yu said.

“Nice,” Shoko approved, giving a thumbs up.

The duo turned looking at the stoic Nanami. They awaited his words. Nanami sighed, knowing he wasn't going to get out of this. “It looks good.”

“That’s three yeses. On to the next one,” Shoko said.

Reiki entered the dressing room and a few moments later came out in her second outfit. This one was a white blouse tucked into a pink skirt. Yu was her most vocal supporter, clapping and complimenting. Shoko nodded giving another thumbs up and Nanami, calm and poised, added his own compliment.

This one went on for a good while, Reiki going through each article of clothing given to her.

“I really like this one!”

Reiki stepped out in a pair of yellow overalls. She thought it would have clashed with her hair but the colors paired well. Resting on her head was a sunhat with a white ribbon going around the brim. Reiki gave a little twirl showing off her outfit. Shoko gave a thumbs up, signing off her stamp of approval.

╔══ஓ๑♡ᦔꪮᦋ ᦔꪖꪗక♡๑ஓ══╗

“We've been out all day,” Reiki sighed as she shuffled her way to her room. Her arms were full, dozens of bags hooked on her arms. Spoils of today's ventures. While she had enjoyed her outing she was equally grateful that it was over. She was exhausted and her feet were starting to get sore from all the walking. She was thankful that Shoko had thought of bringing help along. Not having to carry so many bags the entire time would've surely tired her out far faster. The thought of having to carry all of this for so long would've definitely cut the shopping trip short.

Reiki managed to get the door open despite her full arms.

“Your back!”

Reiki almost jumped at the cheerful greeting that welcomed her as she opened her dorm room door.

“Satoru-kun? What are you doing here?”

“Tada! I set up your room.”

“Set up?” Reiki questioned as she entered the room. What had he meant by set up her room? She didn't have anything to set up.

Her gaze swept across the room taking in the once bare area. The bed was made with a green bedspread and matching pillows that had red accents. The empty nightstand had a lamp with a white shade. The desk was filled to the brim with all the materials any student would need. A small TV was propped up on a table across the bed–the same place Satoru keeps the one in his room. A small bookshelf that already had a row full of literature. A corkboard was hanging over the desk with photos already tacked to the board.

Reiki snorted when her eyes caught sight of all her dog toys piled neatly in a corner.

“What do you think? It's perfect right?” Satoru said.

“Yeah…” Reiki smiled. “It is.”

“Alright!” Satoru clapped his hands and pulled out the chair from her desk. He spun it around and planted his butt on the wood. “Show me what you got from the store!”

“S-Serisoly?” Reiki said. After trying on all those clothes she didn't know if she had the energy to do anything else.

“Yeah! It's time for a fashion show!” Satoru cheered.

╔══ஓ๑♡ᦔꪮᦋ ᦔꪖꪗక♡๑ஓ══╗

Reiki was now dead tired and hungry. She groaned as the grumble of her stomach echoed in her room. Satoru asked–more like demanded–that Reiki showcase each article of clothing that she had purchased. From her shoes down to the hats that Shoko had insisted on purchasing.

“Thank you, Satoru for all you've done.” Reiki expressed her gratitude as she put away the last of her clothing. “I promise to pay you back.”

Satoru’s lips pursed as he blew raspberries. “Pffft! Pay me back? As if! Would you sully my kindness with repayment Rei-chan?”

“But I spent so much money.”

“I don't know if my consciousness could handle spending so much of someone else's money without feeling guilty.”

“Nope!” A finger was pressed close to Reiki’s face, Satoru wagging the appendage. “Not happening Reiki. And wipe that gloomy guilty look off your face, it messes with your beauty.”

Reiki jolted cheeks flushing with the sudden compliment. “S-Satoru!” She giggled pushing his shoulder.

“What!” Satoru laughed, throwing his arms around the girl. “Embarrassed? You should be! Any being should want praise from the great Satoru Gojo! Especially girls!”

“Yes, I’m well aware of that.” Reiki laughed as she thought of the many times she went out with Satoru as a dog and ladies fawned over him. Some literally throwing themselves at the young teen. Satoru was good-looking and he knew it. Not that Reiki was without her own attention. As a dog, nearly everyone cooed and gave her compliments. From her gorgeous oh-so pettable shiny fur, her dazzling eyes, the perfect curl of her tail, even the plushness of her paw pads drew people in. Satoru and Reiki the dog sure were a pair, and now it was Satoru and Reiki the human. Who knows how many heads will turn now?

The duo settled their laughter dimming to light chuckles before going silent.

“Satoru,” Reiki said, grabbing his attention. “I just wanted to say thank you. You took such great care of me as a dog and even after finding out who I really am you continue to take care of me. I’m truly grateful for you. Thank you.” She smiled, bright and even with the dim light of the room her eyes shined. “I wouldn't want to be with anyone else.”

His gaze was obscured by his lenses. His brows had quirked just a bit. He was silent as if processing the words. Suddenly he shifted, putting all his weight on his left side. He shook his head giving a light chuckle. He turned away pushing his glasses up.

“Yeah, yeah…You're welcome Reiki.”

They stood in silence. It was a comfortable lag in time set aside for just them. Reiki’s gaze softened further at the gentleness displayed on Satoru’s face. If she didn't know better she would say he was embarrassed.

A low rumble filled the silence, bouncing around the room and echoing loud enough for Reiki and Satoru to hear. The young woman's face flushed, red blooming on her ears and spreading from cheek to cheek.

Satoru laughed, shoulders shaking as he pointed at Reiki. “Whoa, Rei-chan, was that your stomach or are you turning back into a dog?”

“I-I’m hungry okay. I’ve been trying on clothes for hours,” Reiki stuttered.

“It is about dinner time.” Satoru pulled out his phone to check the time. “Let’s go eat!”

An arm hooked around her waist and before Reiki could react she was being guided out of the room.

“To the dining hall!” Satoru announced.

╔══ஓ๑♡ᦔꪮᦋ ᦔꪖꪗక♡๑ஓ══╗

Reiki had just finished getting ready for bed. She shuffled out of her bathroom wearing her new pajamas. She had put her long hair up into two buns to ensure it wouldn't get tangled while she slept. Never in her life did she think she would ever have hair this long before. In her previous life, she had wanted endless waves of hair, working hard to take care of it. She was doing well, her hair having reached about four inches past her shoulders until the incident with Emi.

She’d been in school during her chemistry class when her partner whom she and Emi had thought was a future psycho in the making had set the poor girl's hair on fire. Luckily Emi hadn’t been seriously injured, but an unfortunate victim was her hair. Emi had to essentially get her hair chopped down into a short pixie not even long enough to brush against her ears. The girl spent a good few days crying. In solidarity and wanting to uplift her sister, Reiki had cut off all her hair in a similar fashion that mimicked Emi’s. She remembers the smile that broke out on Emi’s face. The laughter that shook the house, tears spilling down her face. Reiki used to keep a picture of her and Emi on her desk showing off their short hair. After that Reiki and Emi set out to grow their hair back out. Reiki had only gotten it past her ears before the accident at the mall that resulted in her ending up here.

Reiki turned on her TV and settled in bed, ready to watch some cartoons until she passed out on her bed. She’d just found the perfect spot when a knock sounded from her door. Getting out of bed she opened the door.

“Hello?”

“Evening Reiki.”

“Suguru?”

Out of uniform and standing at her door was Suguru. A gentle smile on his face.

“I just wanted to check in and see how you are adjusting,” Suguru said.

“Oh, I’m okay. All of this is…odd.”

Suguru chuckled. “I can imagine. Going from human to a dog back into a human must be a lot.” His head dropped just a tad, warmth in his gaze. “Not having anyone to go to as well, must be a large weight.”

“Yeah…”

Reiki had told everyone the truth. She was from a different world and lucky for her she wasn't viewed as a complete loony. Satoru and Shoko seemed the most interested in the theory that there might be other dimensions similar to their own. Yu had been rather supportive, ready to help Reiki once she informed them she had no family to turn to.

Suguru leaned against the doorframe. “If you have any trouble sleeping at night, remember my room is right over there. You can come get me. No matter the time.”

“Ah…” He must've figured out the reason why she was so often up late at night was due to nightmares. He probably didn't think much of it when she was a dog, but now that he was aware of her human intelligence he connected the dots.

“Thank you, Suguru.”

A hand fell on her shoulder giving her a firm reassuring squeeze. “Goodnight,” Suguru said.

“Goodnight.”

Chapter Text

“Wakey! Wakey! Rei-chan! Time to get up!”

The rhythmic knocking of knuckles upon wood coincided with the cheerful tune of Satoru's voice. He swayed in front of Reiki’s door, fist pounding upon it in an attempt to make the girl on the other side hurry up and answer it.

“Satoru, what are you doing?” Suguru, dressed in his uniform, approached his friend.

“Getting Reiki up. It is her first official day after all. Don't want her to be late now do we?”

Suguru rolled his eyes at that comment. Satoru was notorious for showing up at the last minute, and later if it was a function he didn't want to attend. He must be really excited to have Reiki join the small student body to be up so early without the incentive of sweets.

“Well she’s not in there,” Suguru said.

Satoru paused, fist mid-swing for the hundredth time. “Eh? What do you mean?”

“I passed by her not too long ago. She was on her way to Yaga-sensei’s office.”

“Huh, guess that’s why she wouldn't answer. And here I was thinking I needed to be louder.”

“You were plenty loud.”

“Well then,” Satoru smiled, turning on his heels. “I better go find her and make sure she doesn't get lost on her way to class.”

Suguru truly didn't want to ruin his friend's good mood, but he was going to find out anyway. “You do know she’s not going to be in our class right?”

That made Satoru freeze. “Eh?”

“She’s a first-year.”

“Eh?”

╔══ஓ๑♡ᦔꪮᦋ ᦔꪖꪗక♡๑ஓ══╗

“Whaaat that’s not fair!”

The morning had just started and Satoru was already complaining. The source of his whining? Reiki. Well, it had to do with Reiki.

“She’s new to Jujutsu tech so she needs to be with the first years,” Yaga said.

“But Reiki’s been with the second years for months. It's not fair. That’s like holding someone back. I demand a relook,” Satoru said.

“She’s a first-year and that's final.”

Satoru goraned flopping over and landing on Reiki’s lap. “Don't forget about me, Reiki. Or Suguru. Or Shoko, but mainly me.”

She chuckled with a bit of sweat dripping down her brow. “You act as if we are being separated forever. Besides even if we were how could I possibly forget someone like you?”

╔══ஓ๑♡ᦔꪮᦋ ᦔꪖꪗక♡๑ஓ══╗

“This is gonna be great Reiki! Three first years, how exciting!” Yu was nothing but positive energy and warm sunshine, greeting Reiki with that signature bright beam he seemed to always be sporting.

“We’ll help you catch up on anything you need,” Nanami said. Although with much less enthusiasm Nanami had welcomed Reiki with open arms as well, in his own way reassuring her that he would have her back and she was a fellow Sorcerer.

“Thank you guys. I hope we can accomplish a lot together,” Reiki said.

“Come on, let's set up your desk,” Yu said. He grabbed Reiki’s hand, tugging her over to the pile of desks.

“O-Okay!”

╔══ஓ๑♡ᦔꪮᦋ ᦔꪖꪗక♡๑ஓ══╗

Seriously, was Yaga the only teacher here?

Reiki sat at her new desk between Nanami and Yu. Her new notebook open with a set of pens laid out for taking notes. She didn't have any trouble keeping up with the basic core lessons, she had been on the cusp of graduating in her previous life so a first-year class was nothing. The only thing that was really new to her was Japanese History.

It was the Jujutsu coursework that was giving her a hard time. Sure she might have sat in on the second-year classes but honestly she was half paying attention most of the time. With two Sorcerers at her side, they were more than willing to help, Yaga having no qualms if the boys talked or pointed something out for her.

Morning classes came to an end, and the group of first years were dismissed for lunch.

“Alright!” Yu cheered as he pushed his chair away and stood up. “Time for some lunch!”

“No need to shout,” Nanami said as he stood from his own desk. “How are you holding up so far?” He asked Reiki.

Reiki flexed her fingers. They were a bit cramped. “It feels like forever since I’ve actually written something.”

Yu chuckled. “I bet. You can’t hold a pencil with doggy paws.”

Reiki joined in on his merry laughs with a few chuckles on her own. “That's true. Okay, let's go get some lunch–”

Everyone in the room jumped as the classroom door slammed open.

“Rei-chan! Time for lunch!” Satoru sang out standing in the doorway.

Before anyone could respond Satoru skipped into the room and Reiki was swept off her feet and carried out.

“What…just happened?” Yu questioned.

Nanami huffed and pinched his brows.

“He’s gone already?” There in the doorway was Suguru, a hand against the frame as he leaned slightly.

“He took Reiki and was gone in a flash,” Yu said.

Suguru shook his head and left going after the two.

╔══ஓ๑♡ᦔꪮᦋ ᦔꪖꪗక♡๑ஓ══╗

“Can you believe that Rei-chan didn't want to come play?” Satoru complained to his best friend.

“You do remember she’s not a dog anymore, right?”

The question had come out of left field, at least it seemed that way to Satoru. He and Suguru were in the middle of their usual shenanigans of a friendly game of basketball that always shifted to far too competitive waters.

“You mean Reiki?” Satoru questioned. He had to be, what other recent student was previously a dog? “Of course, I know she’s not a dog. She’s a super cute girl now!” It was a jest to add humor to the seriousness that Suguru had led the conversation with. It was both Satoru’s default setting and his way of avoiding talks he didn't want to have.

“You can't keep treating her like she’s your pet,” Suguru said.

Satoru pulled his focus back to the game, bouncing the ball as he set his sights on the hoop. Suguru spared no energy to stop his friend from scoring, knowing he was trying to brush off the conversation.

“I’m not treating her like a pet,” Satoru said.

“You are. You're not respecting her as a person, let alone a fellow Sorcerer. You don't know how to interact with her do you?”

The ball left Satoru’s hands and missed, hitting the rim and bouncing away. He stood with his back to his friend for a moment. Any semblance of Satoru taking this seriously vanished as he turned around with his lips pursed blowing raspberries.

“That’s ridiculous! The great Gojo Satoru not being able to talk to a girl, how preposterous!”

Suguru took his friends' antics with a grain of salt. The bravado was a good way of concealing the true emotions that dwelled beneath. Others might have taken Satoru’s words at face value, brushing everything off due to his frivolous personality. But not Suguru, not his bed friend.

“You didn't speak with her at all when she first turned back into a human. As if you didn't know how to handle her transformation. And now it seems like you're compensating by treating her as you did before.”

“You know it sounds like you're jealous that I've been spending so much extra time with a girl? Don't worry Suguru.” Satoru turned, angling his glasses to give the world a peek with his eyes. “You're still number one in my heart.” He followed it up with a wink.

Suguru responded with a humorless eye roll. “Think about what I said. You need to start treating her like a person and less like a pet.”

Chapter Text

“How was your first day?” Suguru asked.

“I think it went well. My hands need time to readjust, the cramping is real.”

Suguru chuckled. “What? Did you never learn to write as a dog? I mean you figured out how to wield a weapon, I’m sure a pen wouldn't have been too hard for you.”

Reiki joined in on his chuckles. “But for real I think I’m adjusting well. Yu and Nanami are really helpful and supportive. Even Yaga-Sensei is really helping me out. Lucky for me my previous schooling has kept me up to date. Although…”

Her apprehensions caused one of Suguru’s brows to quirk. “Something wrong?”

“Well…” Reiki sighed as she crossed her arms. “As well as I’m with the subjects there is one thing I’m struggling with.”

“And that would be?”

“The reading.”

“Reading?” Suguru questioned.

“It's embarrassing to say but…if you guys didn't know Japanese isn't my first language. I’m perfectly fine with speaking and understanding…but my skills are abysmal when it comes to reading and writing. If it wasn't for Yaga-Sensei’s teaching style and the help I got from Yu and Nanami, I would have definitely been floundering in class.” Reiki’s head dropped just a bit. “I don't know how long it's gonna take me to get through the homework.” A disgruntled huff left her as her shoulders slumped. “I don't want to think about how long I’ll have to stumble through it. Honestly, I’ve been putting it off, which I know I shouldn't because then it'll take me even longer. I don't want to spend all night on this.”

“Well you're in luck, I'll help you,” Suguru said.

“Really?” Reiki asked. Excitement and hope reflected in her eyes.

“Yes, and from now on you can come to me if you need help, okay? We’ll get you caught up.”

Reiki nodded, her smile glowing as the joy lit up her eyes making them appear brighter. Like the perfect point where the sun greeted the earth just as it was about to depart for its evening rest. Giddy and grateful her cheeks were slightly flushed.

“Thank you, Suguru!”

His usual playful smile settled into something more warm, calm, and compassionate. “Let’s get started, shall we?”

𓆩ꨄ︎ᗫᓎᘜ ᗫᗅᖻSꨄ︎𓆪

“Rei-chan! Rei-chan!” Satoru kicked Reiki’s door, his arms occupied by the box he held. “I come bearing gifts.”

He could hear shuffling from the other side of the door and stepped back. A moment later the lock came undone and the door was opened. Reiki stood in the doorway not at all surprised that Satoru was present.

“Rei-chan I–” Satoru paused when he saw the taller figure hovering just behind Reiki. “Suguru?” The inflection of his voice shifted just a pitch. “What are you doing in Reiki’s room?”

“You make it sound like something suspicious is going on,” Suguru hummed.

“Suguru was just helping me out with my homework,” Reiki said.

“What? You could've asked me Reiki,” Satoru said.

A set of flat looks were sent his way. Even Reiki wasn't buying that.

“Why are you two looking at me like that?” Satoru whined.

Suguru stepped around Reiki. “I'm going to go get something to eat. Good night Reiki.”

“Good night Suguru! And thank you for the help!” Reiki waved him off.

When he was gone Reiki turned her attention back to Satoru. He was still sour that he wasn't the center of attention, pouting with crystal eyes peering just over his glasses.

“What can I help you with Satoru?” Reiki asked.

“I got something for you,” Satoru said.

“What?” Reiki leaned closer to take a peek at the box.

“It's your new uniform!”

“Really? Wow, that was quick. I heard it could take a couple of weeks.”

Satoru laughed with a haughty chortle. “I put it in for an express shipment.”

Of course, the great Satoru Gojo would be able to have sway in such a trivial manner. But Reiki was grateful nonetheless.

The box was shoved into her arms. “Go! Go!” Satoru turned Reiki around and shoved her back into her room. “Try it on!” She had no say as Satoru got her in and closed the door for her. He waited leaning on the wall next to the door. He used his foot to tap a random tune on the wood walkway. The moment he heard the doorknob turn he perked up, standing at full height.

“How do you like–”

Reiki quite liked her uniform, as different as it was from the standard female set. She knew that custom orders were allowed, most likely to accommodate Sorcerer's preferences and abilities. But Reiki had no clue as to what she wanted when it came to customization. She had yet to use her Cursed Technique in her human form and didn't know what accommodations she’d need in terms of clothing to best complement her Cursed Technique. So she had settled for the standard Jujutsu Tech uniform, much like Shoko’s but had requested athletic shoes. She had no clue how Shoko’s feet were not in a constant state of achiness with those penny loafers she always wore.

Despite not putting any special requests in, her uniform was definitely a custom order. A cropped jacket with long bell sleeves, long enough that she could hide her hands. Rather than a skirt she wore a high-waisted skort. A pair of simple brown boots stopped just a few inches short of her ankles. There’d been a belt with a sheath that would perfectly suit her weapon.

“You look great! I knew this would suit you. I am good.” Satoru stood there mentally patting himself on the back. With his long arms, it's surprising he didn't actually do it.

“Huh?” Reiki took a few glances down at her outfit. “You designed my uniform?”

“Of course. Ah, can't forget the finishing touches.” From who knows where Satoru pulled out a pair of sunglasses. The lenses were the same shade as the ones he wore, but the frames were in the shape of hearts. Without asking for permission he slipped the glasses onto Reiki’s face.

“There now it's perfect!”

Reiki felt her nose scrunch as it adjusted to the new weight. Now the world was coated in a soft blue hue. It was somehow both intense yet soothing.

“Thank you. I really like it Satoru.”

It was like second nature. Satoru’s arm reaches out, palm down and heading for Reiki’s head, ready to pet her head.

“You do remember she’s not a dog anymore, right?”

Satoru’s hand stalled, pausing inches above Reiki’s head. He hesitated, fingers curling into his palm. He slowly lowered his hand, bringing his arm back to his side. Noticing his apprehension and sudden shift in mood Reiki spoke up.

“Something wrong Satoru?”

The silence lasted a moment longer. Suddenly the mood shifted back to its original light nature that always seemed to wafted about Satoru. “Nah! All good Rei-chan!”

“Oh, okay.”

“Hey Reiki, what's a hobby of yours?”

“A hobby?” Reiki thought about the question, sifting through the many things she used to do in her free time. She sure missed her Nintendo Switch but that wasn't coming out for another eleven years. “Let me think….I really like video games. I also enjoy cooking. My parents were super busy with work so I’d cook on the weekends to give them a break. I used to be really into crocheting. I wasn't able to do as much because of school, and that sort of ended once I became a dog. Why?”

“No reason.”

𓆩ꨄ︎ᗫᓎᘜ ᗫᗅᖻSꨄ︎𓆪

Later that night Reiki found a bag of crochet items outside her door.

Chapter Text

Satoru skipped down the open hall of the Jujutsu Tokyo Tech dorms. His jaunty movements paired with a random tune that he hummed. He’d been feeling much lighter. A weight that he hadn't been aware that he was carrying was gone.

His lengthy strides carried him to Reiki’s room. As he had done the past few days he awoke and got ready, immediately making a beeline for the young teen's room to greet her first.

“Reiki! Reiki!” Satoru loudly knocked on her door. “It's the amazing Gojo Satoru!”

There was a bit of shuffling and the door opened. Satoru’s smile grew at the sight of the teen. The veil that once obscured their relationship lifted. Reiki was still Reiki the dog but Satoru had come to acknowledge Reiki the human. They were the same yet different. Two sides of the same coin.

Reiki was just as joyous and playful as she was as a dog but there was a reserved shy side. The kind of coy nature reserved for fair maidens. It was a charming aspect of her that Satoru had failed to notice. In fact, he failed to take in the uniqueness that was Reiki. Her gentle warm nature. That uplifting supportive attitude. Qualities that made her soul shine brighter than most. Not to mention she was gentle on the eyes.

“Watcha doing Rei-chan?” Satoru asked.

“Ah, Satoru! I’m just setting up my new phone.” Reiki held up the device showing it off. It was a white flip phone. “I'm also done, I just need to start adding numbers.”

“Then allow me!” Satoru snatched the phone and immediately started typing.

Reiki waited for him to finish. When he was done, he passed the phone back over. “Thank you–” She paused, glancing over the phone's screen. She had been expecting him to put his number in–possibly add other names like Suguru and Shoko–which he did; it was his contact name that drew her eye. Instead of simply putting his name Satoru had typed, Satoru, Best Boy aka your favorite person. He had even added a winky face to the end of the long moniker.

Out of everything, Reiki was most surprised that the phone allowed such a long contact name.

'*•.¸♡🅓🅞🅖 🅓🅐🅨🅢♡¸.•*'

It was two weeks before Reiki was sent out on her first mission. Well first as a human. She was amazed that she wasn't sent out sooner. She thought that the higher-ups would be chomping at the bit to get Reiki out on the field to see if she was still worthy of Semi-First Grade status. In one part they probably welcomed a new powerful Sorcerer they could use as their chess piece in the Jujutsu world. While some were probably waiting on the edge of their seats to see her fail and giddily awaiting to swipe away the higher Sorcerer status for a lesser position. How dare some no-name girl appear out of nowhere and receive such a ranking?

Reiki had already been struggling as a dog, but her canine disposition allowed her the luxury to skid by the usual theatrics and grandstanding that came with being on the watchlist of the higher-ups. Now that she was a human–and a female one at that–things were different. Now she truly had to prove herself and if she died in the process well then that was one less problem in the eyes of the higher-ups.

It was by the grace and hard work of Yaga that Reiki was able to stave off being thrust into real world fighting the moment her human feet hit the ground. He’d done his best to put a pause on the higher-up's demands that Reiki be tested out on the field, allowing her as much time as possible to prep and get used to her human form. She was sure that Satoru had a part in this too. She was grateful for the two of them.

But alas they could only hold off the inevitable for so long. That's how Reiki found herself standing before a closed factory. A series of accidents had caused it to temporarily shutter its doors. The latest of said accidents resulted in a man being horribly maimed. It was thanks to pure dumb luck and a set of helpful hands he hadn't ended up dead, but it was enough to force the factory to close down for the time being.

Reiki gave a small prayer before stepping into the building. It was a change-up from the usual locations she was sent off to. Normally abandoned buildings that hadn't been touched by human hands, save for the occasional squatter or kid being dared by their friends. According to the report given to her the factory had only been closed for roughly four days. The owners worked quickly to get it opened once more, every day it was down they lost a ton in revenue. For a factory that produced stuffed toys, they sure were doing well.

From the state in which things were left, Reiki could tell the employees barely had any time to pack up and leave. A conveyor belt was littered with unstuffed toys of varying sizes and species. Towards the back of the room, a second conveyor belt was traveling sets of completed products, ready to be packaged and shipped off to stores. Reiki grabbed a stuffed dog. A Shiba Inu. Its beady black eyes stared back at her.

“I feel a certain way about this,” Reiki mumbled.

The tan fur was soft but nothing comparable to her fur. There was little to no charm to its stitched face. The curve of its tail wasn't curly enough, and there were no soft squeezable plush paw pads. Reiki shook her head. Was she really comparing herself to a stuffed toy? She set the thing down before the toy dog sent her into an existential crisis.

After putting the plaything down she made her way deeper into the factory. Climbing a set of stairs led her to a mid-sized room. There was a large window that allowed all inside to overlook the factory floor. A set of round tables were set up with four plastic blue chairs at each one. A few were tipped over on their side. Inspirational posters with generic quotes and stock photos were clinging to the bare beige walls. Located towards the back were two decently sized fridges.

“The break room?” Reiki mumbled.

There wasn't much to be seen in the room. Curious Reiki made her way to the fridges, opening the one farthest to the left. Her nose wrinkled and she immediately shut it.

“Ugh, someone definitely did not clean that out.” Further proof that everyone was in a rush to get out. No way was she going to check the second one. Who knows what horrors lie in that one?

Reiki rubbed her nose. Her nostrils burned. The one few cons of having heightened senses. That scent was going to linger for a good few minutes.

The bare break room held nothing more than abandoned tables with tipped chairs and fridges that would need a much-needed scrubbing. Nothing that hinted at a Curse. Wanting to put distance between herself and the wickedness that resides in that fridge she sped walked towards the exit. Reiki had just made it to the door when a grumbling caused her to whip around.

Had the second fridge just…moved?

'*•.¸♡🅓🅞🅖 🅓🅐🅨🅢♡¸.•*'

One perk of being a Jujutsu Sorcerer was the access to a plethora of resources. Collateral damage, while meant to be kept at a minimum, wasn't much of an issue considering the vast amount of wealth just one Sorcerer held at their fingertips. Which Reiki would need to dip into considering she just broke a rather large window.

In her defense, it wasn't her fault. She had been thrown through it.

Reiki grunted as she hit a conveyor belt. Rolling over herself a few times before coming to a stop. The fridge door rocketed overhead and slammed into a wall. Reiki quickly hopped to her feet, brushing off the stray glass that clung to her clothing. Luck was on her side that none had pierced her skin.

Her eyes darted towards the window she had been so violently thrown from. She had left a decently sized hole. A hole in which a Curse was now climbing through. Its body was elongated and bumpy like a misshapen slug. With long spindly arms befitting of someone who had nightmarish dreams of spiders. There was no face but a gaping hole that was meant to be a mouth. It gurgled with incoherent babbles, unable to string together real words much like a toddler mimicking adults.

Its large form wasn't going to fit through the Reiki-sized hole, but that wasn't going to stop the Curse. It shoved its body through. Only its bulbous top which could be considered its head made it through with any sort of ease. It groaned at the resistance and forced further. There was little care for its self-inflicting wounds. The raw edges of broken glass cut deep into the putrid black flesh. Green ooze spurted from the wounds releasing a pungent putrid odor.

Reiki wretched, pushing down the bile that brewed forth. Who knew a set of nose plugs would be something she’d possibly have to add to her arsenal? The Curse shoved its way through. With a mass of uncoordinated limbs, it slapped the floor with a wet plop. The sound reminded Reiki of a soaked towel hitting the ground.

The acrid scent grew. The impact released a noxious wave of foul odor that would make the average person's toes curl and hair stand on end. Reiki honestly thought she was going to lose her breakfast. It was by sheer willpower that she hadn't already.

Breathing through her mouth helped, but not by much. Reiki took a strong stance and with one swift draw pulled out her kunai. Her first real-world application of her Curse Technique in her human form. Hopefully, all that practice and drills would pay off.

'*•.¸♡🅓🅞🅖 🅓🅐🅨🅢♡¸.•*'

“How is it so fast!”

The Curse had a semblance of intelligence. When it realized any sort of head-on attacks were easily negated by Reiki it took to fleeing. Rushing around the factory and darting about. For such a large slinky body that wriggled like a worm, it could move with some impressive agility. It was just fast enough to dodge Reiki’s attacks. A few times she was able to knick it with her kunai but they were nothing beyond superficial cuts. It was a game of cat and mouse that Reiki had no joy in taking part in. Overall she was growing agitated and annoyed with how this was going. As a dog taking down Curses seemed to be second nature. She had no issues as a dog, but it was a shot to her pride that going from four to two legs set her back so much.

“Fine.” Reiki huffed. “I'll just have to move faster!”

The Curse took a sharp turn going behind a machine. Reiki chased after, using the wall to rebound off and charge towards the Curse. With a grin, she swung her kunai, once again merely clipping the Curse. Droplets of its foul blood hit the ground. The retching smell was eclipsed by Reiki’s growing frustrations.

Why was she struggling so much? Her moment of self-doubt left an opening. The Curse whipped its body using its tail-like end to attack. Reiki jerked to the left ready to take off. Two steps and her footing was suddenly off. Her left leg was swept underneath her.

“F*ck!” Reiki cursed as she slipped on that damn plush dog. It was out to get her, she knew it! Those dark beady eyes held nothing but malice. The infernal thing was jealous of her!

She stumbled, forcing her body forward, refusing to fall. A second explicit string of curses left her mouth as the Curse attacked again.

“I need to move! Now!” Her skin tingled as lightning suddenly licked her skin. One second Reiki was within arm's length of Curse then the next thing she knew she was flying across the room crashing into a pile of stacked boxes. She lay crumpled, disheveled, and upside down. Lucky for her the boxes were full of completed orders of stuffed toys.

A groan came from the pile as Reiki shifted and sat right side up. “Ow…Okay, that’s new….” Had she just teleported across the room? Another groan left her as she rubbed her back. She might've just landed in a box of stuffed animals but cardboard boxes still had pretty tough edges. One edge had caught her on the side of her lower back. A second had jammed into the back of her forearm. A third had gotten the side of her head. Not enough to cause any actual harm but that didn't mean it did not smart.

Some of her hair had fallen in front of her face. Her hair was never this long so the thought of tying it up had never occurred to her. She’d have to change that next time. Her fingers ran through her hair pushing the locs back and out of her face. Her hand met something soft and fuzzy. She yelped, pulling it back when she felt whatever she touched move.

“Rat! Rat!” She squealed, jumping up and out of the boxes. Reiki whipped around in search of some sort of movement that would indicate a rodent hiding out in the boxes. She didn't have a fear of rats per se, she was just cautious. It was the same way she felt about spiders. She wasn't scared of them but wary of them, she’d rather not get bit and have venom injected in her veins. With rats–specifically the wild ones–they carried far too many diseases, none of which she wanted to contract. Not to mention rats had a serious bite, those little munchers can sometimes chew through metal and brick. Rats bred and raised indoors, not a problem. Wild rats, that’s a big no.

When Reiki caught sight of no movement from the toys, she used her hands to shake out her hair, weary of one hiding in her mass amounts of hair. She squeaked when she touched the same moving fuzzy thing. 

“What in the…” Tentatively she reached up. With her thumb and forefinger, she lightly grasped the thing in her hair. It was undoubtedly soft. It reminded her of her fur. Her fur…Exploring more of the thing, she found it to be slightly pointed with a triangle shape. Almost like…

“My dog ears!”

A low gurgle put in a pin in her slight panic. She had a Curse to deal with. But how? So far nothing she’d been doing was leading down a path of success. Why had things been so much easier when she was a dog?

Reiki's brows furrowed. A dog…

Her lips curled a smirk coming through.

“Okay then…” She crouched low getting on all fours. Sharpened nails dug into the floor. A tail suddenly swinging behind her. Her canines elongated ever so slightly. Reaming in her crouched position her right arm thrusts out to the side. There was a crackle of thunder that echoed from within the factory. Lighting jumped in the palm of Reiki’s hand, darting between her sharpened nails like mini conductors that helped contain the growing power.

Her lips curled as her chest rumbled with a low growl. The Curse howled and charged.

From outside, the windows of the factory were lit with an ethereal bright white glow.

'*•.¸♡🅓🅞🅖 🅓🅐🅨🅢♡¸.•*'

Reiki straightened her uniform as she stepped onto campus. The sun had just started to make its descent painting the sky with hues of orange and purples. Glancing down, Reiki wrinkled her nose, spotting a splotch of gunk from the Curse's leftovers. She flicked her foot, ridding it of the remnants of her mission. Her successful mission.

It had taken her far too long to get rid of that Curse, but now she was down. All she wanted was a hot meal and an even hotter bath. She paused in her steps as something fell over her eyes. Reiki readjusted the hat on her head. She hoped no one from the factory would miss it. She needed something to hide her ears.

“There you are!”

At the top step of the school's entrance, Reiki was greeted by Satoru, with Suguru right by his side.

“Hello, Satoru. Hello Suguru. What are you two doing here? Do you have a mission?” Reiki asked.

“Nope! We're here for you!” Satoru said.

“Me?”

“Yeah, we wanted to welcome you back from your first mission. How was it?” Suguru asked.

Reiki's answer was cut off by a scoff from Satoru. “As if we need to ask. I bet Reiki did it perfectly.”

A slight chuckle came from Reiki as she rubbed her nose. “As much as I’d love to admit it was a breeze, I sadly had a bit of trouble. It took me a moment to figure out how to apply my technique as a human.”

“But you killed the Curse right?” Satoru asked.

“Yes.”

“See perfect!” Satoru said, “Now come on!”

An arm was thrown over her shoulder and Reiki was pulled along by Satoru. With a few quick steps, Suguru was by their side joining along.

“Where are we going?” Reiki asked.

A smirk was shared between the two boys. “It wouldn't be much of a surprise if we told you,” Satoru snickered. They reached their destination within a few minutes, Suguru’s room.

“What are we–” Reiki paused as her eyes were covered.

“One second.” Suguru’s breath tickled her ear as he spoke.

“We're coming in!” Satoru announced.

Was someone else in Suguru’s room? The door swung open and Reiki–with her eyes still covered–and she was escorted into the room.

“Well, there's the woman of the hour.”

Shoko?

Suguru removed his hands and Reiki was greeted by the smiling faces of Shoko and Yu. Nanami was also present, tucked away in a corner. Suguru’s desk was cleared and set up with a plethora of snacks.

“Congrutionals!” Yu cheered while holding up a soda. He passed the drink over to a confused Reiki.

“What’s going on?” She asked.

“We're celebrating!” Satoru threw up his hands. “In honor of Reiki’s first big girl mission!”

“This is…for me?” Her heart clenched with a sense of warmth that soothed her body. All the aches and strains of the day seemingly melted away. Her body was renewed and the fatigue that plagued her was gone.

“They had this planned since last week,” Shoko commented.

“But you didn't even know if I was going to be able to exorcize the curse,” Reiki said.

There was a hearty laugh followed up by an arm being thrown over Reiki’s shoulders. “Your Reik! There’s no way you'd fail!” Satoru’s vote of confidence was reassuring. There was no doubt in his mind that Reiki was going to come back unscathed. It was nice to know that his boasting of Reiki the dog carried over to Reiki the human.

He snagged a soda from the table and held it high above his head. “A toast to Reiki!”

The others grabbed a soda of their own, holding up their drinks to clink cans. A joyous smile broke out as Reiki grabbed her can of soda tighter. She thrust it up joining in. However, the motion caused her arm to hit the edge of the hat.

The hat slipped off her head, revealing the twitching ears beneath. Silence settled upon the room with the subtlety of a wave crashing against the beach. Lucky for Reiki the awkward moment only lasted for a beat. Thanks to an exuberant first year.

“Whooooa! What are those!” Yu exclaimed.

Chapter Text

"Edgy Reiki."

“Satoru, can you please stop?”

“But they're so soft!”

“Satoru, she asked you to stop.”

“But they're so soft! See for yourself.”

“I’m not going to–Oh….they are soft.”

Reiki groaned as she sunk her chin deeper into her hands. Hovering over her were Satoru and Suguru. The former of the two had gotten his hands on one of Reiki’s dog ears. He wasn't rough but had a firm grip as he endlessly fondled the soft appendage. When Suguru had attempted to separate the two he too fell under the enchantment that was the soft fuzziness of Reiki’s ears.

A day had gone by and Reiki’s dog ears remained. She had hoped that a good night's rest would help dispel whatever was keeping them present but when she awoke with the furry triangles twitching atop her head she found that theory to be flawed.

“What are you two doing?”

Reiki’s head perked up in hopes that her savior had arrived. Shoko stopped before the group crossing her arms with a cock of her hip.

“Leave Reiki alone.”

“Shoko you gotta feel how soft Reiki-chan’s ears are,” Satoru said.

“Stop.” Shoko approached the boys and smacked their hands away and pulled the girl from the boy's grabby hands. She truly was Reiki’s savior.

“Hey,” Satoru whined once Reiki was out of reach.

“There’s nothing worse than a handsy guy,” Shoko said.

Suguru rolled his eyes. Satoru just pouted while he crossed his arms, much like a child who had his new toy taken away. Suddenly a thought struck him.

“Do you have any idea as to how long they may last?” Suguru asked Reiki.

Who knew dog ears were so expressive. Without saying a word everyone knew the question dismayed Reiki as her pointed Shiba Inu ears flattened against her head.

“No clue huh?” Satoru chuckled.

“It's not funny,” Reiki grumbled. She lightly tugged at her ear–it was incredibly soft. “How can I go out with these on my head?”

Satoru’s sudden quiet seriousness to Reiki’s words drew everyone's attention. A hand cupped his chin as his eyes narrowed behind his glasses. “Your right…Reiki is extra cute with dog ears. She’ll be super popular. Who knows what creepy guys will want to touch her.”

Everyone sweatdropped. “You mean like you?” Was the collective thought.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

With her hands poised in her lap Reiki paid close attention to Yaga. He had called her into his office for a meeting. She had suspected to discuss the new addition to her head. Her hypothesis was indeed correct.

“The most logical theory is that this is linked to your Curse Technique. We’ll have to work on your control and that should help you rid yourself of your dog ears in your human form. I’m doing my best to not allow this information to get out to the higher-ups until you have full control, but if you are requested for a mission…”

Reiki’s head dropped, silent comical tears slipping down her cheeks. “I’m screwed.”

Who knows what those codger ornery fools would do to her. Stripping her of her Semi-First Grade Rank would be the least of her problems.

A hand fell upon Reiki’s shoulder causing her to look up. Yaga hovered just before the girl, bending slightly to be closer to her height.

“I would not worry so much. You've shown considerable and formidable adaptability when it comes to your technique. There may also be a plus to this.”

“A plus?” Reiki questioned.

Yaga nodded. “Yes, you may be able to gain the ability to transition between your two forms.”

“You think…I may be able to go from human to dog and vice versa.”

“It is a high likelihood. I have no doubt if it is a possible feat you shall be able to achieve it.”

Reiki’s gaze softened then was alit with burning determination. She sprung up from her seat, fist clenched with a broad smile.

“Okay! If Yaga-Sensei thinks I can do it then I can! I'll work super hard and go beyond your expectations!” She gave a bow before bolting out of the room.

Yaga retook his seat, a twitch of his lips causing a smile.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

Three days went by and Reiki did nothing but work towards further understanding her Curse Technique and mastering it. Her hard work and devotion resulted in nights passing out in her bed from exhaustion. She wanted–no needed to get this under control.

Day four was just like any other. Classes were over and dinner had been served, yet Reiki’s day wasn't over. She was in the school’s dojo working on her technique. Hours ticked by, sweat soaked her clothes, and her labored breaths filled the room. She wasn't going to stop until she could no longer stand. She once more faced her silent opponent–a practice dummy–when she stilled turning around just seconds before the door opened.

“Rei-chan!” Satoru appeared, a plastic bag in hand.

“Ah, Satoru.” Weary, Reiki greeted him with a worn smile. “What–” A towel slapping her in the face cut her off.

“Clean off that sweat and take a break.”

Lowering the cloth revealed that Suguru had also entered, carrying his own plastic bag.

“But I need to keep working,” Reiki said.

“It's not good for your body to keep going like this. You need a break. Did you even eat dinner?” Suguru asked.

“I did.” Reiki was betrayed by the sound of her own grumbling stomach. “I-I’m not lying! I swear!” She glanced away with her cheeks flushed. “I guess I just didn't eat enough.”

“Well, your saviors have arrived.” Satoru held his bag up higher.

Seeing as she had no choice–truly who was she to deny Satoru and Suguru–and took a seat next to the boys on the floor. Opening their bags they revealed a plethora of snacks and drinks.

“I got Rei-chan’s favorite.” Satoru passed her a can. It was a lychee soda. It hadn't been her favorite in her past life but that’s only because she never got the chance to try it. One sip and she was hooked.

“Thank you.” Reiki attempted to pop the tab but the soda was suddenly gone.

“After a workout, a soda isn't what she needs.” Suguru lightly chided Satoru. “Here.” He swapped the soda for a large bottle. Examining the label Reiki read that it was an electrolyte drink, also lychee flavored.

“Thank you.” Reiki grabbed the top ready to crack the bottles' seal when this drink was swiped from her hands.

“Reiki can have soda if she wants,” Satoru said, handing the soda back over.

Not a second later it was gone, replaced once more with the sports drink. “Want and need are two different things. If she gets a sugar high, she’ll just end up crashing before she gets any more work done,” Suguru said.

“I do just fine on soda,” Satoru said.

“No, you don't.”

At this point, the boys were leaning so close that sparks jumped between their butting heads.

“Um…Can I just have something to drink?” Reiki asked.

Her words fell on deaf ears.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

After a bit more back and forth the duo finally calmed. At the very least they could agree upon the snacks they brought. Reiki greedily scarfed down three rice balls. She was far hungrier than she had thought.

Satoru chuckled and reached over. “Messy girl.” His fingers brushed against her cheeks ridding them of the stray pieces of rice that had stuck.

With her cheeks still puffed with food, Reiki gave a closed smile. Her nose wrinkled as her lips twisted in the best grateful grin she could muster while still keeping her chewed food hidden. This elicited a chuckle from both the boys, Satoru pulling out his phone and snapping a picture of the moment.

“You've been working nonstop for the past few days, Reiki. It's kind of impressive,” Suguru said.

Satoru groaned, folding his hands behind his head. “It sounds like a hassle to me.”

Reiki swallowed her food. “It's a necessary evil. I can’t go around with dog ears forever. Besides, the more I practice the stronger I get.”

Satoru waved his hand in a languish manner. “You're already strong enough. You're overdoing it. Besides, I have the perfect solution for your ears.”

“You do?” Reiki and Suguru asked, the latter appearing more skeptical.

“Sure do!” Satoru dug through his bag. “Tada!” He placed something on Reiki’s head, before scooting back proudly examining his work. “The perfect disguise.”

A simple red headband was on Reiki’s head. A pair of holes had been cut out allowing room for her ears to poke through.

A set of flat looks were sent Satoru’s way. Even Reiki couldn't support him in this.

“I don't think this is gonna work.” Reiki removed the headband.

“You could at least give it a try,” Satoru pouted.

“Clearly the best option is for Reiki to keep working,” Suguru said.

“You two are no fun.”

The group settled in a silence only punctured by the sounds of wrappers rustling and liquid sloshing in their containers. Reiki unscrewed the cap of her drink. In order to placate the boys and not pick sides she settled on a plain bottle of water. Lucky for her their ire turned to the drink rather than herself. After a few good gulps, the bottle was finished. Reiki easily crushed the bottle before tossing it in one of the bags.

She glanced back at the boys tilting her head when she noticed their varying expressions of what could only be described as disbelief.

“What?” Reiki questioned.

“You just crushed that like it was paper,” Suguru commented.

Reiki’s brows furrowed. What was the big deal? It was just a plastic bottle. Confused she glanced back into the bag pulling out what she had perceived to be a mere plastic container. It was in fact an aluminum bottle. One of those fancy waters that Reiki only ever splurged on when she was feeling extra that day. Ah, so that's why the boys were giving her those looks. Sure it wasn't that hard to crush something like a soda can but the bottle she held was the kind that would need to hit the floor for a dent to occur.

Chuckling with a bead of sweat rolling down her temple, Reiki put the bottle back. “Guess I never realized my strength.”

“Have you always been this strong?” Suguru asked.

“No way.” Reiki shook her head. “In my previous life, I could barely lift 50 lbs.”

“Past Reiki…” Satoru pursed his lips tapping the bottom one with his forefinger. 

Reiki did not hide her origins at all from the others. We'll most of it. She was clear in her explanation that she had died in her world and woke up in her doggy form in this world, but she omitted the part where she came to an alternative future. No need to overcomplicate things. While many were awed by Reiki’s origins no one seemed to take her as a liar. For some reason, her being reborn as a dog was less far-fetched than a dog being a Sorcerer.

“What did you look like? I bet you were just as cute!” Satoru gushed.

Reiki lightly chuckled. “I actually look pretty much the same. Although my eyes were brown and so was my hair. My hair was also much shorter. I did dye it blonde once.”

“Edgy Reiki,” Satoru said.

“For your situation, you've adapted pretty much flawlessly,” Suguru said. Reiki flushed a bit at his words, taking it as a compliment.

“Yeah! A normy or weakling's brain might have snapped on day one,” Satoru added.

“T-Thanks…” Reiki still took the compliment. “Hopefully I can get things fully under control and be back to normal. Well as normal as I can be. I have discovered a few things while training.”

“Like what?” Satoru asked

“Like I can do this.” Reiki held up her hands. The boys leaned closer interested in what she had to show them. With a swift flex of her fingers, Reiki’s nails grew into a sharp point, popping out of her nail beds like a switchblade. She performed the action again and her claws vanished turning back into her normal nails.

“Cool…” Satoru said, marveling at the sight.

“Well done Reiki,” Suguru said.

“I don't think it'll be much longer before I can control my other canine aspects. Yaga-Sensei said I might be able to switch from human to dog at will.”

“Being able to do so would give you a great tactical advantage,” Suguru said.

“And think of all the pranks we could pull!” Satoru said.

Suguru rolled his eyes but the smirk he wore showed he too would be partaking in siad pranks to be. Reiki snorted before giggling.

This new life might be difficult and the road ahead would be paved with hard work, but Reiki was glad she at least had these two by her side.

Chapter Text

It wasn't often Suguru found Satoru in such a state.

Sitting in deep thought.

The weather was rather nice. The perfect setting for one to laze about outdoors. Satoru sat on a ledge, hunched over with his chin tucked into the palm of his hands. From his angle, Suguru could make out the scrunched brows of his friend. Pulling inward so far that they almost vanished behind the rim of his sunglasses.

“What’s got you so lost?” Suguru asked.

“I’ve been thinking lately…Do you think Reiki still likes playing fetch?” Satoru said.

Suguru held back his groan. He had thought they had gotten over this hurdle.

“Don't give me that look!” Satoru exclaimed with a finger in Suguru’s face. “I know the difference between Reiki the dog and Reiki the human!”

“Really now? Because your previous words don't imply that.”

Satoru sat up and crossed his arms. His chin tilted up as he turned his gaze to the sky. “I was watching that one anime, the one with the half-dog boy.”

Suguru half paid attention but nodded along with his friends' weird ramblings.

“And his love interest threw a stick and he ran after it. So I’m wondering since Reiki is sort of half dog if she also has those instincts,” Satoru summarized.

“This isn't an anime and Reiki isn't half-dog,” Suguru said.

“We should test this theory!” Satoru exclaimed as he hopped to his feet.

“Leave Reiki alone.”

“Huh? Suguru? Satoru?”

The boys turned around and there was the topic of their conversation.

“Rei-chan!” Satoru smiled. “Perfect timing! I need to test a theory.”

“Don't listen to him. He’s being an idiot,” Suguru said.

“What theory?” Reiki asked, she cocked her head with her left ear slightly folding over with the action.

“Reiki, do you still have your animal-like instinct?” Satoru asked.

“Huh?”

The boys were taken aback by Reiki’s sudden shift in body language. Her form stiffened and she broke eye contact favoring something to the left.

“W-Why would you ask that?” There was no missing the stutter in her sentence.

Satoru’s playful manner was heightened, mixed with a mischief glee worthy of the devilish nature he held. “Oh, what's this Rei-chan? You're hiding something.”

“N-Nope!” Her answer was quick and sharp, with a slight elevation in her pitch.

Now even Suguru was interested in her strange mannerisms. He slid closer along with Satoru, his own impish nature blooming.

“I think she is hiding something Satoru,” he said.

“I-I…” Reiki started to sweat as the boys crept closer to her. Matching smirks of the cat that caught the canary. “I need to go! I’ve got an important meeting with Yaga-sensei!” Reiki turned on her heels and booked it out of the area.

There was no way she’d let them know what had been happening. It was an embarrassing secret that she was already having trouble keeping under wraps. No way she’d let the mischief-maker duo find out about it.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

It had only been two days after she had been stuck with her dog features. Reiki was making her way to her favorite tree. She had taken a seat at the base of the tree, letting her back rest on the trunk and relax.

Movement from above caused her to jolt up.

Moments later Nanami appeared, a book tucked under his arm. He paused when he saw Reiki, growling, with her hands pressed against the trunk of the tree. She was barking at a squirrel. The clearing of a throat finally snapped Reiki back. She glanced at Nanami, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. She quickly turned tail and bolted.

This was just one of several incidents.

Yu had been walking with his arms full as he held a brown paper bag. He made his way to his room, stumbling as he tripped on some uneven path. He caught himself but the contest of the bag shifted. An orange slipped out of the paper bag confinements, bouncing on the ground a few times as it rolled away.

“Darn…” Yu had just barely raised his arm to grab the fruit only to have something dart by and swipe it. He yelped, pulling back in surprise.

“Reiki?” He questioned.

Reiki turned to Yu, her pupils slightly blown, ears erect, and she looked utterly elated. She also had the orange in her mouth. The first years gazed at one another in silence. Reiki came down from her high, spitting the orange into her hand. With a red face, she returned the fruit to its owner and quickly walked away.

After cornering the duo in a classroom she made them promise that they wouldn't mention a word of what they witnessed. Reiki made them swear upon their lives.

Yup, there was no way she was ever going to let Satoru nor Suguru find out about that.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Reiki sat atop her bed, legs folded and hands resting atop them. She was breathing in and out in a steady even rhythm. Her eyes were closed. All tension melted away as she allowed her body to relax and sink into the serene tranquility. With the unseen eye, she was swathed in a gentle flame of Cursed Energy. As she breathed in, the flame shrunk, and as she breathed out, the flame grew. The waking world was drowned out, blocked by Reiki’s mind.

The only thing to finally break through Reiki’s mental barrier was a chirpy electric tune. She slowly opened her eyes, gaze drifting over to the phone that buzzed. Getting off the bed, she grabbed the device turning off the alarm she had set.

“I did it. A full hour of meditation.” Reiki softly sighed. “Not even Satoru’s knocking could break my concentration.”

She felt rather proud of herself for reaching the goal she had set. Reiki had always had trouble sitting still, so being able to meditate with only her thoughts and breaths as her only companion was a big deal. Satoru had even appeared at her door twice during her session and even that couldn't break her.

Happy with what she had accomplished she slipped on her shoes heading out to grab something to eat.

“About time!”

The moment Reiki opened the door she was welcomed by the frowning face of Satoru. Right by his side, like a shadow, was Suguru. Unlike his disgruntled friend Suguru was smirking, amused by Satoru’s sour face.

“I told you she was busy,” Suguru said.

“Hey!” Satoru suddenly brightened up. “Your ears are gone!”

Reiki smiled, nodding her head. “Yeah! I gained enough control to make them go away. But I can also do this!” She shook her head just a bit. There was a puff of smoke with pinkish clouds that poofed atop her head. When they cleared up the ears were back. With a smile, Reiki dragged her hands atop her head over the ears and there was a slight crackle of what sounded like an electric jolt, with a bright flash under Reiki’s palms. As she dropped her hands the ears were gone.

“Ooooh! Neat party trick!” Satoru said, clapping his hands.

“Impressive Reiki. Nicely done,” Suguru said.

“Thank you. Next, I’m gonna work on a full transformation.”

“I do miss that fluffy fur,” Satoru commented.

There was a tinkle of laughter from Reiki, her cheeks blooming with a soft pink.

“Maybe you should figure out how to turn into a dog then Satoru,” Suguru jested.

Reiki laughed a bit louder at that.

“Nah,” Satoru crossed his arms, “I'll just leave that to Rei-chan. She obviously makes the cutest dog. Besides...” He posed, his hand forming an L as he placed his chin in it. “How could I deny the world this gorgeous face?”

“Don't forget that endless smugness,” Suguru said.

“I don't think being a dog fits Satoru.” Reiki hummed, tapping her chin. “I think if Satoru were going to be an animal he’d be a cat.”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“Ugh, I asked for no pickles.” Reiki’s nose wrinkled as she lifted her hamburger bun.

“How could you even tell?” Nanami asked.

“Yeah, you didn't even take a full bite,” Yu said.

The trio sat at a table at their local Wacdonald’s dining on lunch. A tray sat before each student with their respective meals. Reiki’s meal consisted of medium fries, a small soda, and a hamburger. The burger was new, part of the restaurant's latest promotional menu. Reiki wanted all the works but just no pickles. The burger was mostly intact safe for some teeth impressions on the soft outer layer of the buns. Reiki had placed the burger in her mouth and immediately removed it.

“My animal senses have carried over into my human form,” Reiki said. “I guess since I'm used to it, I didn't take real good notice of it. For example, I can smell that Nanami has switched his shampoo.”

Nanami paused mid-bite of his sandwich. His taken-back expression confirmed that Reiki was right.

“That’s so cool!” Yu beamed excitedly. “You're like some kind of superhero with powers.”

Reiki chuckled. “Nah, just a strange girl in a strange predicament.” She peeled off the pickles and placed the bun back on. She attempted a second go and took a bite–a real bite out of her burger. Her face scrunched and her nose wrinkled. Yu snickers at the expression on her face as she forces the contents of her mouth down her gullet.

“You good there?” Nanami asked with a raised brow, taking in the disgusted look on Reiki’s face.

“Nah, it's no use, I can still taste the pickles.” Reiki stood up. “I'm gonna go see if I can get a new burger.” As she pushed away from her seat she felt a tickle that pricked the back of her neck. Her nose wiggled ever so slightly as a distinct scent entered her nose. It was faint but cut through the many odors that wafted about the restaurant. The burgers being grilled on the electric flattop, the copious amounts of oil and the starchy vegetables that were soaked in it, the bittersweet tang of over-processed sugary drinks, the perfumes and colognes of patrons mixed in with the sweat of those with lesser hygiene care. It was all obscured in favor of a smell that Reiki had come to know quite well.

Her nose led her gaze towards the front of the casual dining establishment. A worker was just entering. A young man, Reiki would wager probably just a few years older than herself. Possibly college-age, working minimum wage to pay his way through higher education. His movements were sluggish. Each step was more of a shuffle as he trudged towards the counter. His tousled brown hair was shoved into the company-approved hat. His shirt, which was meant to be tucked in, had been sloppily shoved into the waistband of his pants. It was in desperate need of an iron with wrinkles covering most of the fabric. His gaze was hollow, eyes open but staring at nothing. Dark circles eclipsed the underside of his eyes. He was a mess, barely clinging onto what little energy his body had left in his reserves. 

Each person he passed by barely acknowledged his presence. He continued his deadened shuffle reaching the halfway point of the restaurant. That's when Reiki caught sight of it.

It clung to the young man’s back like a parasite. A bulbous head that bobbled on a spindly neck that looked as if it were ready to snap at any second. The large oval-like head rested upon a body that was diminished and malnourished. Skin clung to nothing but a hollow husk; ribs, and bones easily seen. It was nothing but a frame draped in weathered yellow skin. Eyes sunk in so far that they caved in on the skull. A wide grin that overtook the majority of his face. Filled to the brim with large teeth stuck in a permanent grin. They clicked and gnashed against one another in a chitter that mimicked mocking chortles.

A Curse.

It clung tighter to the worker, digging its body closer to its host. The worker stumbled, tripping over his own two feet. Slumping forward as if he’d been further drained.

Reiki’s feet were already moving.

Chapter Text

He hated Mondays. Or was today Tuesday? Crap, it could be Wednesday. If it was Wednesday then that meant he only had two more days before his paper was done.

Masahiko’s thoughts were a plethora of incoherent panicked rants swathed by a fog that jumbled any semblance of coherence he had. At first, he had thought it was nothing but a mere cold. After a week he chalked it up to fatigue from working so hard. Classes were ramping up and he’d been taking more shifts to pay the bills. But how much longer would he go on like this?

“Excuse me.”

A hand fell on his back and drifted up to his shoulder. He barely registered the voice of the girl. He suddenly felt warm. Not like when he’d get a fever but something subtle and gentle, like sitting outside on the perfect spring day to enjoy the sun's rays. The fatigue vanished. Two shots of espresso couldn't make him feel so alert.

He turned to the one who’d call for him.

“Could I get another burger please?”

'*•.¸♡🅓🅞🅖 🅓🅐🅨🅢♡¸.•*'

Being the strongest had its ups and downs, mainly ups for Gojo Satoru. He’d been gone for over a week in nothing but back-to-back missions. The moment he finished one he was called to deal with something else. That was one of the downs.

When day eleven hit, Satoru was back on the Jujutsu Tech Campus. His arms were full, bags hooked to the long limbs as he skipped his way to his destination.

“Rei-chan!” As per usual Satoru pounded on the girl's door with little reserve as to the strength he put behind his knocks. “Come on out! I'm back and I’ve got gifts!”

He kept knocking, not letting up. He’d either break the door or Reiki would answer.

“She’s not here.”

Satoru turned around. There was Shoko.

“Can you stop before you break the door? She went out with Suguru.”

“...What?”

“They've gone out almost every afternoon.”

“...What?”

'*•.¸♡🅓🅞🅖 🅓🅐🅨🅢♡¸.•*'

“Slow down or you might choke,” Suguru chuckled.

He watched as Reiki practically inhaled her cup of boba. The moment she told him she had yet to indulge in boba, both this life and the past he had to remedy that.

“I can't believe I've never had this before,” Reiki said.

The two had been spending a chunk of quality time together, Suguru taking Reiki on mini-tours around town. Suguru found it refreshing that he had someone who was interested in culture and history as he was. She hung onto his every word when he explained a monument or recited a historical fact. Not only did she not just listen, she engaged and asked questions. Who knew that such intellect resided in her?

Shoko had often caught the duo when they left the campus for one of their little ventures.

“Heading off on another one of your little dates?” She would joke every time.

Reiki would laugh it off, taking it as a friendly and good-natured poke that came with friendship. Suguru would simply ignore it and roll his eyes.

They had grown surprisingly close within a short amount of time. With just the two of them, a unique friendship blossomed and flourished rapidly. The only person Suguru had ever clicked with so fast was Satoru.

“Well,” Suguru stood from his seat tossing his empty cup in a nearby bin, “what should we do next?”

Reiki slurped up the last remnants of her drink before throwing it away. She smiled. “I leave that up to you Suguru. I trust you. You've been excellent at picking out spots. It's really fun hanging out with you, and I’ve been learning a lot too.”

A gentle smile pulled at Suguru’s lips. His gaze softened as he took in the beaming Reiki. “Okay then. I know where to go.”

'*•.¸♡🅓🅞🅖 🅓🅐🅨🅢♡¸.•*'

Reiki was lucky that Suguru was so tall or else she would have lost him in the crowd. It was to be expected with it being the weekend. The streets steadily grew denser with bodies flooding walkways, and more people venturing out to enjoy all this day had to offer. Suguru naturally had a fast stride, his long legs easily clearing what would take Reiki two steps to achieve.

“Crap,” Reiki cursed under her breath as someone bumped into her shoulder causing her to fall back from Suguru.

She felt like a kid who was being separated from her parents.

“Suguru–” She called out for the boy but paused as a hand broke through the crowd and grabbed her own. Those in front of her parted ways giving a view of a smiling Suguru. A warm hand, much larger than her own, tightened, a firm yet gentle grasp. She was tugged forward, stumbling just a bit into a warm chest. An arm wrapped around her back.

Reiki took in the scent. A unique blend of fresh books and a tangy citrus zing. It was both comforting and refreshing. A chuckle caused Suguru’s chest to rumble slightly, shaking Reiki’s head. Realizing she had buried her face into his chest she pulled back with an apology. When she attempted to reclaim her hand Suguru merely held the grasp, intertwining their fingers for a stronger hold.

“Here. This way we won't get separated.”

“O-Okay.”

Down the street, the pair walked one with a smirk and the other with a blush.

'*•.¸♡🅓🅞🅖 🅓🅐🅨🅢♡¸.•*'

Reiki giggled, a slight snort in her mirth as she listened to Suguru’s story. He chuckled along with the girl as they made their way up the steps of Jujutsu tech. Hands still entwined.

“Well, well, well, look who decided to show up.”

There at the top of the steps was none other than Satoru. He stood with his arms crossed, a foot tapping, and his lips pursed in a stern frown. He was the perfect picture of a petulant father who'd been waiting for their kids who had stayed out past curfew.

“Satoru!” Reiki happily exclaimed. “Your back!” She jogged over to the boy, tugging Suguru along with her.

“Welcome back,” Suguru casually greeted, tucking his free hand into his pocket.

“How was your mission?” Reiki asked.

“Fine.” His answer was rather curt. “What have you two been up to?”

“Suguru’s been showing me around the city. I never knew how much rich history was nearby.”

“So you've been having fun, eh Rei-chan?” Satoru asked.

“Yeah!” She answered with a smile and nod.

Satoru’s gaze drifted from the happy girl to his friend who wore a rather wolfish smirk. The serious tension that lofted about melted away as Satoru pouted. “Rei-chan, if you wanted to go exploring, why didn't you ask me?”

“Huh?” Reiki blinked, taken aback. “Oh,” she chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. “I just assumed with you being so busy it’d be rude to ask for any of your free time. I mean with you being the strongest and all you are a hot commodity,” She lightly jokes.

Satoru’s pout furthered, mood shifting from stern father to cranky kid. Although he couldn't deny the compliment of being the strongest. It was as fact as the sunrise in the east, but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy hearing it. Especially when it came from someone like Reiki.

“I wanna go out with Rei-chan next time!” Satoru said.

“Okay, the more the merrier.” A sly look overcame Reiki, one brow raised with a coltish manner. “That is if your schedule isn't full, Mr. Strongest.” With a giggle, Reiki skipped away.

The boys watched her go on, her skirt swaying in time with her lively steps.

Chapter Text

Reiki had fallen into a daily rhythm, adjusting nicely to the life of Jujutsu Sorcerer. Days were filled with studying, training, and missions. Maintaining her status as a Semi-First Grade Sorcerer allowed her to be sent on more missions, her proficiency not going unnoticed by the higher-ups. Sometimes they were solo missions and others were joint excursions.

It was an odd life but Reiki had quickly come to love it.

Who knew just one person would shake the unique foundation she had created.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“Finally!” Satoru exclaimed dramatically as he threw open the door to the classroom. “Time to eat!”

The first years joined the gaggle of second years. Well, except for Reiki who had already started to walk off.

“Where are you going, Rei-chan?” Satoru asked.

“Oh, I’ve gotta meet with Yaga-sensei,” Reiki said.

“We just got done with classes. What could he possibly need?”

“Not sure. He said it was important though. I’ll meet you guys later for lunch.” Reiki waved to the group making her way to Yaga’s office.

As she arrived she knocked on his door. A low rumble of “Come in” gave her the all to go to enter.

“Hello Yaga–Huh?” Reiki paused, head cocking to the right as she noticed someone else in the room.

“Who are you!?”

“Isamu?” Reiki questioned.

There sitting across from Yaga was a rather flabbergasted Isamu. Jaw dropped and brows raised in baffled shock.

“I see the news hasn't traveled through the entirety of the Kamo Clan. Isamu this is Reiki.”

“. . . .What?!”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Reiki gave the boy an appropriate amount of time to freak out and process the news that she was no longer a dog. Which took roughly twelve minutes. When he was finally able to communicate, Reiki took a seat next to him. Yaga left the duo alone to speak privately.

Isamu’s demeanor was far different from their first encounter. Eye contact was limited as he fisted the fabric of his pants. He remained silent so Reiki took it upon herself to start the conversation.

“Afternoon Isamu.”

Isamu flinched just a bit before composing himself. He coughed into his fist. “Good afternoon, Miss Reiki.”

Reiki chuckled. “You don't have to be so formal.”

“Right…I am here to apologize.”

Now that took Reiki for a loop. “Really?”

“Yes, after much thought and contemplation, I realized that my previous interactions were unbecoming of someone of the Kamo Clan. I underestimated your power as a Sorcerer.”

“Oh…We,ll thank you. I appreciate the sentiment. It’s hard for one to admit their faults but it takes a strong person to do so.” Reiki finished her sentence with a smile.

Isamu went silent. Gaze locked on Reiki. The silence grew along with the red hue of his face. He shook it off, coughing once more into his fist.

“I also brought a gift.” He pulled something out from behind Yaga’s desk.

If there was any doubt that Isamu wasn't aware that Reiki had turned into a human, his gift was more than enough evidence. Reiki peek into the hefty basket in her hands. There was a large bone, a variety of treats, three tennis balls, and a stuffed toy that most likely let out a satisfied squeak.

“I-I would've bought something else if I had known that you were human I would've picked something else out.”

Reiki glanced back at the basket before looking at Isamu. She smiled, “That’s okay. Thank you for the gift, I appreciate it. It’s the thought that counts right?”

“R-Right…”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“Wonder what’s taking so long.” Shoko was the first to point out Reiki’s absence.

“She’s gonna miss lunch at this rate,” Nanami added.

“I wonder what she could be discussing with Yaga-sensei?” Suguru questioned.

“Alright!” Satoru stood up. “Let’s go check!”

“Don't,” Shoko said, ready to pull him back down.

“I’m here!” Reiki came jogging over, arms full as she carried her gift.

“Finally Rei-chan, I was about to eat your meal,” Satoru said.

She rolled her eyes, setting the basket on the table.

“A gift basket?” Shoko questioned.

“Yeah, it was an apology gift,” Reiki said.

“It has all the dog stuff in it,” Nanami pointed out.

“Yeah, the giver didn't know I was no longer a dog,” Reiki said.

“If you were a dog again would you eat dog treats?” Yu asked.

“Yeah, I don't see why not,” Reiki said.

“Who gave it to you?” Suguru finally asked the main question that lingered in the air.

“Isamu,” Reiki stated.

“Kamo Isamu?” Satoru asked.

“That’s right. He wanted to apologize for the way he acted when we first met.”

“Bah!” Satoru scoffed. “As if a Kamo would just apologize. I bet he’s up to something. He probably didn't want you to bite him if you met again, or butter you up so you’d go on another mission and he could steal the credit. I wouldn't trust him, Reiki.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Just a week had gone by.

Reiki watched the city go by as the car made its way to the destination.

“You've been requested for a meeting by the Kamo Clan.” That's what Yaga had said first thing in the morning.

She barely had time to finish her breakfast before she was whisked off.

The Kamo compound was much like the Gojo one. A traditional style set of homes, surrounded by walls that kept the outside world at bay. Reiki was escorted into the main home and led to a room. The servant who had led her knocked on the shoji door, announcing thier arrival.

“Come in.” A stern low voice echoed from behind the door.

The servant slid the door open and bowed, gesturing for Reiki to enter. She stepped inside, the door closing behind her the moment she cleared the threshold.

The room was occupied by two people. One Reiki recognized and another who appeared rather familiar. There was Isamu, sitting next to an older man with similar features to his own. A relative most likely. His thinning hair was once a rich ebony and now faded with a gray tint taking over. Like Isamu he had a thin yet lean form.

“Reiki, welcome.” The man spoke. “Take a seat.”

Reiki took a seat on the pillow set out for her. She tucked her skirt as she sat.

“I am Kouki Kamo, Isamu’s father.”

“Nice to meet you, sir,” She added a bow of her head to her greeting.

Kouki nodded back in acknowledgment. “Proper manners, something youth such as yourself seem to be lacking.”

Reiki held back her eye roll. No wonder Isamu had such a big complex when they met.

“Tell me, girl, do you know why you've been summoned?” Kouki asked.

“No.”

“Isamu.” Kouki addressed his son.

The boy snapped to attention, sitting up straighter. “Yes, father.”

“Proceed.”

“Yes, father.” Isamu adjusted himself to face Reiki. “I…well…” The stuttering of Isamu steadily grew as did the flush on his face. The red hue started at the tips of his ears traveling all across his face and down his neck. Reiki feared he was going to overheat if he continued. What had him so tongue-tied that he was reduced to such a state?

Attempting to regain some semblance of composure, Isamu swallowed. A deep throaty action as he attempted to force down the lump of anxiety that had formed a knot in his throat. He kept his gaze poised on his lap, fearful of what his body might do if he were to make eye contact with Reiki.

“Reiki…will y-you…will you–”

The shoji doors snapped open, startling those within the room.

“Having a meeting without me? How rude!”

“What the–” Isamu stuttered once more as he flew to his feet, but this time it wasn't embarrassment that had him choked up but pure indignation. Ire set on the person who so rudely appeared.

“Yoo!” Satoru greeted as he strutted into the room, plopping down next to Reiki.

“Satoru?” Reiki questioned, surprised by his sudden appearance.

“Gojo Satoru,” Kouki spoke with a hiss, eyes narrowed in an ire that mimicked his sons.

“Sup, secondary Kamo.”

“What are you doing here? Have you no shame to so rudely interrupt such an important meeting?”

“You’d think if it was so important that you’d invite a rep from Reiki’s family,” Satoru said.

“What are you talking about? Records show Reiki has no relatives.”

“Not blood-related. But Reiki’s part of a powerful clan.”

“And what clan may that be?” Kouki questions with full skepticism.

“The Gojo one of course!” Satoru proudly stated.

“What?” Reiki’s confusion was echoed by the two Kamo men in the room.

Happy as a clam, Satoru presented a slip of paper. Peeking over his shoulder Reiki recognized it as one of the many pages she had to fill out before her official enrollment at Jujutsu Tech. Everything looked normal that is until Reiki zeroed in on a section of penmanship that was definitely not her own.

“Reiki…Gojo?!” She balked with utter surprise.

The shock reverberated across the room, impacting both Kamo men.

“What?” Isamu snapped, with an expression of livid confusion.

Kouki shared a similar expression as his son, but the fury was more prominent with the furrow of his brows and downward tick of his mouth.

“What utter nonsense is this?” He growled.

Yeah, Reiki would like to know what is going on as well. She had left the spot asking for her last name blank. In this world, she was Reiki, just Reiki. Her old name hadn’t followed her over in this new life, that included her last name.

Taking pride in the chaos he had just created, Satoru tucked the paper away. “Well, Reiki was adopted into the Gojo Clan. So her well-being falls upon the Gojo Clan, and who's the head of the clan? Oh! That’s me!”

“B-But that’s when I was a dog. It doesn't carry over into me being human…does it?” Reiki mumbled the last part, perplexed.

“Sure does! Got everything finalized this morning,” Satoru said.

“You little–why are you such a nuisance!” Isamu snapped.

“Why do you want Reiki?” The question lacked the usual Satoru mirth, a sense of seriousness that he rarely displayed. An even and steady tone that lacked humor.

Isamu’s jaw clenched as his fists shook. He threw his gaze to the right, cursing under his breath.

“Eh, what was that?” Back again was Satoru’s usual mannerism. He leaned forward cupping a hand over his ear. “Couldn't hear you? You don't have anything else to say? Okay then!”

Satoru clapped his hands and stood up. Next thing Reiki realized she was being tugged up onto her feet.

“Satoru–”

“If you've got nothing else to say, we’ll be on our way.” Satoru placed his hands on Reiki’s shoulders and spun her on her heels, pushing her towards the exit.

There was no room for argument as the door was opened and she was escorted out.

“Bye-bye!” Satoru mocked the duo still in the room before skipping out.

The door slammed shut, the frame rattling.

“That impudent smug brat.” Kouki snapped his stern gaze to his son. “We will not allow that menace to interfere with our plans.”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Reiki shook off the odd encounter, reeling a bit in the revelation that she was officially a Gojo. At least legally she was. She wondered what that inteled? Did the Gojo clan truly accept her as part of their clan or was this just at the behest of Satoru’s whimsy? They didn't seem to have any issue with her as a dog, but the circumstances were completely different now that she was human.

She could see the advantages of having ties to the most powerful Clan of the Jujutsu Society. Although she didn't want to use Satoru, but he seemed to take pride in having Reiki a part of his clan.

Perhaps she was thinking too much on the matter.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“Reiki! Reiki! Did you hear? Huh?”

Reiki was nearly bowled over by an excited Yu.

“Control yourself, would you?” Nanami spoke as he calmly joined the two.

“What's the big news?” Reiki asked.

“We're getting another student!” Yu exclaimed.

“Really?” Reiki’s brows raised with fascination. From her studies, she knew that Sorcerers were a rare breed. Most of the clans often kept their users under lock and key, with only a select few actually attending one of the Jujutsu schools.

“Yeah, I heard it’s a second year,” Yu said.

“Maybe it'll be a girl to even things out. I don't think Shoko can handle another boy,” Reiki jokes.

Yu laughed along with her joke. “They should get here tomorrow, maybe we can meet them after classes?”

“Oh! We should have a little get-together. A welcoming for our newest student,” Reiki suggested.

“Yeah, that sounds great!” Yu agreed.

“Come on you two, or we’ll be late,” Nanami said.

“Coming!” The duo said following after the stoic teen.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

As per usual Satoru wasn't paying attention. Lucky for him class had yet to start. He was leaning back in his seat attempting to satiate his boredom by balancing a pencil atop his upper lip. Next to him, Suguru settled for reading a book while Shoko had drifted off into a sleep-deprived daydream.

They all awaited for their Senesi, who had gone off to fetch the newest addition to the class.

“I heard the new student is a member of a branch clan from the Kamo clan.” Shoko broke the silence.

“Is that so,” Suguru hummed as he turned the page of his book, half paying attention.

“Think they got kicked out?” Satoru asked, paying just as much attention as his best friend.

“Were you kicked out?” Shoko quipped with light amusement.

Satoru pouted, letting the pencil slip from its perch.

“As long as they fulfill their duty, none of that matters,” Suguru said.

The door opened and there stood Yaga.

“Heya Sensei!” Satoru greeted.

The amusement wasn't recuperated.

“Please meet your newest classmate.” Yaga stepped in, a much smaller form following behind. “This is Ayame Nobuko.”

“A pleasure.” The girl bowed her head.

Her long ebony hair swayed with her movements. Her bangs which were cut in a straight line hovered perfectly to highlight her brown eyes. Instead of the uniform, she wore a more traditional garb of a light blue kimono with a dark blue obi. She looked more suited to be attending a festival than a school for Sorcerers.

“I hope to get to know each one of you very closely.” She gave a poised smile, gaze lingers on just one.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

The lessons continued as normal. Once over Yaga dismissed the second years, allowing them to head off to lunch.

“Ah!” Satoru sighed, stretching his arms up and over his head. “Time for lunch!”

“Ah, Gojo-san.” A lithe and airy voice called out for the clan head.

Satoru was barely out of his seat before thin arms wrapped around his left arm. A body pressed against his side.

“Would you perhaps escort me to lunch?” Ayame batted her lashes, leaning in closer.

From behind Suguru rolled his eyes while Shoko languishly smirked.

“You're a big girl.” Satoru slipped his arm out.

Ayame seemed a tad taken aback by the lack of reaction from Satoru. But she wasn't deterred, closely following behind him as the group of second-years made their way outside to their usual spot for lunch. Ayame made a beeline for the open seat next to Satoru.

Shoko and Suguru took a seat across from the two, pulling out their bentos. Ayame scooted closer to Satoru as she pulled out her own lunch.

“Gojo-san, do you not have lunch? Perhaps you’d like to share with me?” She removed the top from her bento relieving an elaborate display of items. “I’ve been highly praised for my cooking.”

“Nah, I’m good.” Satoru waved the girl off. “My food is coming.”

Her confusion was subtle, a slight tilt of the head with a bewildered reflection in her eyes.

“Senpai’s!” Yu greeted waving his hand. By his side was Reiki and Nanami, the former holding two bentos.

“Ah, Rei-chan!” Satoru smiled as he stood up.

Ayame’s head snapped in the direction of the girl.

Satoru skipped over to Reiki. “Thank you Rei-chan! You're so sweet for bringing my lunch! So thoughtful!”

“Hm, no problem,” Reiki said.

“Come on.” He put an arm around her waist guiding Reiki over to the table.

Mostly everyone took note of Ayame’s grip on her bento top tightening as Satoru guided Reiki into his previous seat and took the spot opposite of the first year.

“Ah, are these the second years?” Ayame gave a forced smile.

“Yup! Yu-chan! Nanamin! And Rei-chan!”

“Don't call me that,” Nanami said.

“Hello, I am Ayame Nobuko.” She greeted but her gaze didn't veer away from Reiki, who had no clue that a pointed stare was set on her.

“Hello Nobuko-Senpai!” Yu greeted happily.

“Welcome,” Nanami greeted.

“Hello, I hope you're adjusting well,” Reiki said.

“Yes, quite well,” Ayame said.

“We were thinking of having a little get-together, meet and greet to welcome you. Would you be free later tonight?” Reiki asked.

Before Ayame could respond, Satoru cooed, pinching Reiki’s cheek. “Awww, so sweet Rei-chan. Of course, she’ll come. It'd be rude not to.”

“Yes.” Ayame’s curiated facade of poise cracked just a bit with the strain of her smile. “I’m honored that you would welcome me so warmingly.”

“Awesome! I’ll make sure to prepare some extra snacks,” Reiki said.

Lunch continued with Reiki either unaware or ignoring the heated glances of Ayame.

Reiki merely enjoyed her meal. She was grateful that the school had a kitchen open for students to use. In her past life, she’d been the head cook of the house. With her parents always so busy she enjoyed taking the reins and learning a variety of recipes to serve to family. Over the past few weeks, she’s dived head-first into Japanese cuisine. Loving the variety and new recipes that she’s been able to try.

“Rei-chan, your lunch looks so good!” Satoru said.

“Thank you. I made some karaage but breaded the chicken with pretzels for a bit of extra crunch,” Reiki said.

“Brilliant! I wanna try!”

“Oh, okay.” Reiki prepared to hold her bento out to give Satoru an easier reach but paused when he leaned in, mouth open wide.

“Ahhhhh!”

Reiki’s lips twisted and brows furrowed with utter confusion, but she still grabbed a piece of chicken with her chopsticks and plopped a piece of chicken in his awaiting mouth. Satoru exaggerated his chews and enjoyment of the piece of chicken. It was indeed good food, Reiki was an excellent cook, but he was definitely putting on a one-act theatrical production.

“Delicous Rei-chan! Perfectly cooked!” Satoru complimented.

“Thank you?” Reiki slowly said, confused by his odd behavior.

From her left Ayame watched the entire interaction, the grip of her chopsticks becoming overwhelming tense.

Across the way, Shoko shook her head, Nanami sharing a similar motion. Satoru glanced at his friends and received a scolding stern stare from Suguru.

Chapter Text

The next day came with little excitement. Ayame trailed after Satoru, any chance she got. But any attempts to curry favor or grab his attention was dissolved by his lackluster and disinterested responses.

When she had asked him if they could study together, he dismissed her stating that “A genius such as myself doesn't need to study.”

When classes were over Satoru disappeared before Ayame could get a word in. She wasn't deterred, rushing about the school in search of the Sorcerer. When she finally located him he was standing at the school entrance.

“Gojo-san! Are you perhaps heading somewhere?” Ayame asked.

“Yup,” Satoru said, not even taking a moment to look her way.

“May I accompany you?”

“No can do. You know the saying three's a crowd,” Satoru said.

“Three? Who are you venturing out with?”

Ayame’s question was answered by a cheery call of Satoru’s name.

“Rei-chan!” Satoru greeted with a wide smile, a sharp contrast to the icy interaction he had with Ayame. “You ready?”

“Yeah! I’ve got my list.”

“Perfect.”

Ayame’s stony gaze did not waver, eyes narrowing as they settled on Reiki.

“Do you have something to say?” Satoru asked.

“No, no,” Ayame lightly laughed as she shook her head. “It's just…” She raised her arm, using her sleeve to cover her mouth to mimic a coy maiden. “It's just rather odd for your junior to address you so casually. Especially someone so esteemed as Gojo Satoru. To use his first name, how bold. One might think it to be rather rude.”

Reiki blinked. She hadn't even thought of using Satoru’s last name, or anyone's for that matter. It was second nature to use first names out of habit from her first life. And no one had corrected her thus far.

“Should…I be using your last name?” Reiki asked.

“Nah,” Satoru waved that off, throwing an arm over Reiki’s shoulder. “There’s no need for that. We’re close enough to avoid that stuffy formal stuff. Besides, your last name is Gojo too, it'd be weird.”

“What?” Ayame’s question was sharp. “Her last name is Gojo?”

“Yup, Gojo Reiki,” Satoru said, adding no context to the explanation. “Let’s go Rei-chan.”

He guided the girl away, leaving behind a silently fuming Ayame.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

As if she had been awaiting his return, Satoru was greeted by Ayame standing just outside his door.

“Welcome back, Satoru-san–”

“Oh, I didn't know we were close enough for you to address me that way. What was it you said earlier?” Satoru hummed with a thoughtful look. “Ah!” He snapped his fingers. “Rather bold and rude, right?”

Ayame held back her irritation and disappointment, putting forth an apologetic smile. “I apologize, I assumed that since the first year addressed you so casually, as fellow classmates I’d be able to do so as well.”

“You assume wrong.” Satoru crossed his arms. “And her name is Reiki. You seem smart enough to remember that.”

“Of course.” Ayame watched Satoru leave, going into his room, a clenched fist at her side.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

This continued for several days. Ayame not at all attempting to connect with others and instead putting her sole focus on catching Satoru’s eye. So far she had accomplished zero with the effort she put in. She found her biggest hurdle to be Reiki. The amount of time she hung out with Satoru tripled.

This didn't go unnoticed by others. Finally, someone said something.

“You're living every man’s dream. Having two girls fight over you,” Suguru jested.

Satoru struck a pose worthy of a magazine cover. “It's only natural.”

Suguru shook his head. He wasn't sure if the sarcasm had been merely lost to his friend or if Satoru just chose to ignore it.

“You're playing with fire,” Suguru said.

“It's fine.” Satoru brushed off any worries that Suguru attempted to present. “You worry too much.”

“I understand that you don't like the Clans meddling with your life but you shouldn't drag Reiki into this.”

“She’s cool with it–”

“Satoru.” The stern tone of Suguru’s voice stripped away the fanciful nature of the conversation. “You shouldn't play with Reiki’s feelings.”

Satoru crossed his arms, remaining silent. It would be fine.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

It was a joint mission that made everything come to a head.

Reiki stepped out of the car, adjusting her uniform as she did so.

“My, that skirt is awfully short. Not very ladylike.”

Reiki’s eyes sharpened, highlighting her annoyance. She might be oblivious at times but she wasn't blind to the disdain Ayame held for her. She wasn't sure if it was her ability to read people or her second sense from her canine side, but Ayame was swathed in utter contempt that was solely reserved for Reiki.

“Actually,” Reiki turned, doing her best to smile without giving away her annoyance, “it's a skort. There are shorts underneath.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Ayame hummed.

“Now that's out of the way, we should get started,” Reiki said. She took in the building before her.

A school.

It wasn't odd for Sorcerers to be dispatched to schools. They were breeding grounds for Curses. With anxiety flares from the pressure of social interactions to rumors that spread like wildfire, Curses popped up on school grounds as frequently as the sun setting and rising. Ensuring that they were dealt with in a timely manner before they could become far too dangerous was always the goal.

This particular middle school had seen an uptick in Curses thanks to a certain rumor spreading. The rumor stems from the fact that this middle school used to be an elementary school that was torn down, and the current school was built on the bones of the former institution. That sparked a rumor that the previous school closed down due to an entire class of students dying–the manner of their demise changing each time.

Reiki took only one step before she was shoulder-checked by Ayame. The young woman looked back at the stumbling girl, hiding her smirk behind her kimono sleeve. When Reiki straightened out, a sneer tugged at her lips.

“As your superior, it makes more sense that I take the lead. Allow me to educate you, 1st year,” Ayame said with a haughty pretentious air.

Reiki swallowed her fury. “Alright, fine by me.”

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

Reiki trailed behind Ayame. The latter making it clear that Reiki should remain a few steps behind her. Reiki had to swallow her instinct to choke Ayame, and kept the animosity under lock and key. Clearing the school of the Curse and making sure it was safe for kids to attend was her top priority.

Bitchy attitude be damned. Hopefully, she could have a sit down with Yaga and somehow sway the teacher into never pairing them up again.

At least with her at a distance, Reiki had the room to concentrate. She closed her eyes taking a deep breath. She inhaled taking it all in. The stale note of chalk. A hint of citrus from the floor polish. A minute scent of wood from desks and pencils. A tang from ink.

“There.” Reiki opened her eyes, catching the sickly scent of a Curse.

“What are you just doing just standing there?” Ayame snapped from the end of the hallway. “Unbelievable, such laziness.”

Reiki almost pressed her fingers to her temples, wanting to soothe her growing headache. “I’m trying to find the Curse. I can use my senses to detect them.”

Ayame let out a low hum in thought. For a moment Reiki had thought that they had created some sort of equal ground to stand upon. That was thrown away when Ayame smirked.

“You really are a mutt,” she said.

Reiki had to hold her clenched fist behind her back, doing her best to maintain her composure. This mission couldn't end sooner.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

Despite Reiki having the ability to literally sniff out Curses Ayame actually refused to use her skill to complete the mission. Ayame boasted that her skills, innate talent, and superb training meant she didn't need to rely on someone else to achieve her goal.

An aggravated Reiki watched as Ayame merely went about the school opening each door and looking in each crevice. Like some sort of kid who was really bad at hide-and-seek. Superior abilities her butt. Ayame wasn't even using the Sorcerror's basic skill of searching for Curse Energy residuals. Not only was she wasting time but she was unnecessarily dirtying the school.

Reiki groaned as Ayame picked up a trashcan and dumped the contents out on the floor.

“Can you please not do that? You're just causing more work for the janitorial staff later,” Reiki said.

Ayame paused, turning to Reiki with the trashcan still in her hands. There was a huff of indignation as she tossed the trashcan letting it roll across the room and hit the adjacent wall.

“That is their job is it not? Who cares? If they didn't want to pick up trash for a living then they should've done better with their lives.” Ayame turned up her nose walking away.

Reiki sighed and walked over to the trashcan picking it up. She started to gather up the trash that had been so unceremoniously dumped. As she placed it back in its previous position the sound of something heavy hitting the floor caught her ear.

Whipping around she found Ayame digging around in a student's desk.

“What are you doing?!”

Ayame ignored Reiki’s exclamation as she pulled out what appeared to be someone's notebook, thumbing through the pages with little regard for privacy or the fact that she could be messing up someone's work.

“What atrocious handwriting,” Ayame commented before tossing the notebook over her shoulder with no care for the owner.

Reiki gasped diving forward and catching it. She smoothed out the pages, placing them back in the desk. Peering inside Reiki frowned, discovering that within a few seconds Ayame had dug into an unfortunate student's desk and tore the thing apart. She took a moment to reorganize the desk hoping everything was put in its proper place. After doing one last once over she turned around to find Ayame sauntering out of the room.

Reiki sighed, shoulders slumping. “I’m gonna get a stomach ulcer at this rate.”

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

Reiki had little clue as to what Ayame’s Curse Technique was. She had no interest in sharing it with anyone, only offering to show it to Satoru as she attempted to get him to join her in training sessions. She was denied every time. No effort was made on her part and she had even so brutally shot down Yu when he was so enthusiastically interested in her technique and wanted to train with her. That alone put her in the red with all the Jujutsu Tech students. Being rude and nasty to Yu was a cardinal sin on campus, it was the equivalent of kicking a kitten.

Not knowing her technique put Reiki at a serious disadvantage in completing the mission. She had no clue how she could coordinate with Ayame. Flying by the seat of her pants wasn't ideal when their line of work had such a high fatality rate.

“I'm gonna go check on the second level,” Reiki said, as Ayame started to make her way into the sixth classroom.

The second year barely acknowledged her presence. If she actually opened her ears and attempted any kind of teamwork she’d know that Reiki didn’t detect a drop of Cursed Energy on the first floor and the scent of Curses came from the upper levels.

Not waiting for the response that she was sure wasn't going to come, Reiki made her way down the hall and up the stairs. She skipped a few steps reaching the second floor. With a wiggle of her nose, she caught a whiff of Cursed Energy. It wasn't that strong, the trail signaling she should head to the third floor.

The school was lucky to have the resources to be four stories. The first three floors are dedicated to each grade level. The fourth floor was where all the extra circular and club rooms were located. And that's where the trail led Reiki.

“This makes sense, rumors did say most of the activity was happening in the club rooms.”

Cautious she unsheated her kunai, on high alert. Her sense of smell guided her to a room five doors down the hall. The Cursed Energy swelled and converged at this one point.

Reiki paused before the doors hand stilling just as she was about to open them. She pulled back her hand cupping it slightly as Cursed Energy started to swirl in her palm. She ran the hand across the top of her head and with a slight poof her ears appeared. Her nose scrunched just a hint as her canine teeth elongated.

“Alright,” Reiki took a deep breath, “time to roll.”

She threw the door open while also swiftly bringing up her weapon in defense. The door rattled just a bit from the force, but other than that the room stayed silent. With tentative steps, she entered the room, head on a swivel. Cursed Energy wafted about the room, a clear sign this was the Curse's main stomping grounds.

“Now where are you hiding?” She mumbled.

Doing a once over she found this to be the music room. Instruments that were far too large for students to take home were set in the room. In one corner was a grand piano and huddled in the other was a trio of xylophones. A collection of music stands were oriented perfectly in a row in the back along with chairs that had been stacked neatly awaiting to be set up for the next class.

“The Curse is…there!” Reiki turned to the xylophones. “Make this easy and come out now!” She growled.

There was a beat of silence. Then another. Reiki took a cautious step forward but stopped as one of the instruments started to shake. Her lips curled as she growled, ears alert and standing on end.

There was a surge of Cursed Energy and the xylophone exploded.

Reiki cursed, ducking out of the way. She slid across the polished floor, keeping her weapon at the ready.

A snarl echoed in the room.

“That's…a new one,” Reiki mumbled.

The Curse had somehow merged with the xylophone taking on an odd form. It reminded her of an eel with stubby arms and legs, not like it needed them seeing as it easily floated in the air. The mass of its body was composed of the xylophone it had possessed. As its serpent body wavered it made a strange clanking noise that grated Reiki’s ears.

“Okay buddy,” Reiki smirked, “Let's do this.”

She charged forward with her kunai poised and jumping with an electrical pulse. She swung her weapon aiming for the thing's skull, only to miss as a blast of air sent her flying across the room and into the window. Reiki grunted as her back slammed into the window with the sound of glass cracking. She was stunned for a moment but quickly recovered.

Getting to her feet she found Ayame, standing poised with a smarmy smirk that was barely hidden behind a large paper fan she held. It was clear that she had used her Curse Technique to attack the Curse giving little regard to Reiki’s safety. The Curse had been hit but it recovered just as quickly as Reiki did.

It hissed, snapping its jaw in the direction of its new target, Ayame.

“Watch out!” Reiki cried out.

Ayame merely chuckled, “As if I need some feeble warning. Watch and learn from your better.” She raised her fan above her head and thrust it forward releasing another blast of air.

The Curse was hit head-on but only pushed back about two feet. It growled once more, far more agitated than before. With its open maw revealing a jaw of sharp teeth it dove forward once more for Ayame.

Not even moving from her spot she did the same thing, only this time the air pressure was slightly weaker. She did the same thing for a fourth time with the flow of air being even weaker than before.

“Shit!” Reiki cursed. She ran forward, scooping Ayame up as the second-year barely missed losing her head.

“You insolent little–”

“Stay down,” Reiki ordered, setting Ayame down.

She faced the Curse, no weapon in her hand having dropped it when Ayame hit her with her Curse Technique. The Curse charged forward and without hesitation, Reiki threw her arm back flexing her hand as her claws popped out.

Reiki let out a fierce cry that was a cross between a “Haaa!” and a howl, a ball of lighting forming in the palm of her hand. She shoved her arm forward, her arm going into the mouth of the Curse. The things' eyes bulged as Reiki smirked. There was a pulse of Cursed Energy and the thing exploded.

The Curse dissipated finally gone with one go. Reiki lowered her arm, letting out a satisfied sigh.

“Finished…” She said relieved.

“What do you think you're doing, you mutt,” Ayame sneered, climbing to her feet.

Reiki threw up her arms. “I've never seen someone perched so high on their horse that they can't give a grain of gratitude for having their life saved.”

“As if.” Ayame snapped her paper fan closed. “I had everything under control.”

“It didn't look like that from my point of view. Did you not notice that you almost lost your head? You're gonna get yourself killed.”

“I don't need some low-level beast to critique my work. You can speak when you're at my level.”

Reiki was so frustrated. She groaned, throwing her head back, and pulling at her hair. “This is the kind of attitude that gets people killed! Do you have any idea how your actions affect others? Would you even care if you got someone seriously injured or even killed? Or do you have to be face up in a pile of your own blood and broken bones for it to sink in?” She huffed, shoulders and chest rising from her rant.

This seemed to go in one ear and out the other, Ayame’s gaze just narrowing. “If one does not have the skill to survive then they deserve their fate. It's not my problem if others die, if I survive then it's clear I’m the superior one.”

“I…can't believe I just heard that. You're the worst kind of person.”

Ayame scoffed, turning up her nose. “That's the way that this world works. I can’t believe such a creature as yourself has the attention of the Gojo clan.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Reiki asked, eyes narrowing.

“It's obvious. Your mere existence is an insult. The way you corral his attention like some kind of sponge is revolting. Do you really think you stand a chance? To think that I’m constantly upstaged by the likes of you. I thought it’d be easy to win him over but it seems he’s far more idiotic than I anticipated judging by the fact that he seeks your attention.”

“What… Did you just say?” Reiki’s voice was steady, each word punctuated with a hint of rising fury.

“Did you not understand you–”

“No, not about me. About Satoru?”

Ayame pursed her lips with a trill of annoyance. “It's little rumor that the Gojo Clan head is indeed a powerful Sorcerer, to say he’s the most powerful is not far from the truth. But he’s a rather whimsical and lofty guy. Far beyond the standards of what I would choose, he should be grateful that a woman of my standing would even give him the time of day. But instead, he chooses you. How pathetic. No matter, I’m sure with some persistence and coaching he’ll make a perfect husband. After all, only some like me is worthy of being able to wield the power of the Gojo Clan’s wife. I–”

Ayame was cut off as a fist met her face. There was crunch and spurt as bone caved inward. Blood splattered the ground and a tooth rolled away. Ayame, with no bearings, fell flat on her bottom with a shriek.

Reiki reeled with fury, barely clinging to the last remnants that kept her from fully decimating the person before her. Ayame groaned with pitiful sniffles, wreathing on the floor as her hands covered her face. She managed to sit up tears spilling down her face as she barely contained the blood that spewed from between her fingers.

“You…You…My face! You ruined my face! You little–”

“What?” Reiki cocked her head. “Bitch? Go ahead, call me that.” She smirked, flashing her fangs.

There was a waver in Ayame’s confidence. She stumbled back slipping in her own blood. Reiki stalked forward like a predator whose sights were locked on its prey.

Reiki was swathed in energy, the air around her crackling.  “Because I am a bitch,” she growled out as a crack of thunder followed suit.

Ayame had no defense to block Reiki as the front of her kimono was snatched. She was yanked forward, nose to nose with a snarling Reiki.

“You can talk about me as much as you want. Insult me, call me names, belittle me all you want, but the moment you trot into the territory of my friends it will not end well. Nothing makes me more furious than people who are two-faced and talk about others behind their backs. Say one more word about Satoru or any of my friends and you'll lose more than just a tooth. Got it?”

Chapter Text

Yaga had truly thought that Reiki would be the one to cause him the least issues. He internally groaned, rubbing his temples to soothe the pulsating headache that persisted. 

“You did what now?”

Reiki sank further in her seat, attempting to bury her red face in the collar of her uniform. “I…punched her in the face.”

Yaga let out a rough sigh. “At least she had the decency to be repentant about her actions.”

“Just…why?”

“Yaga-sensei.” Reiki straightened up in her seat. It was a sudden shift in character that took Yaga back. “Ayame-senpai is a danger to herself and others around her. She doesn't take her job as a Sorcerer seriously and attitude aside she cares not for her fellow Sorcerers nor the people she’s supposed to protect. I could overlook the aspects of her personality that I dislike if she cared for being a Sorcerer but she does not. I apologize for my actions and for not keeping my anger in check but I do not regret it. Someone who doesn't care for the lives of those around her, who does not care for the lives of her fellow Sorcerers…that’s someone I can not respect.”

Yaga took a moment to soak in the girl's words. “I see…”

╔══ஓ๑♡ᦔꪮᦋ ᦔꪖꪗక♡๑ஓ══╗

“Hahahahaha!” Satoru’s laughter was endless. He hadn't stopped laughing the moment the news had reached him. “I can't believe she punched her!” Satoru threw his head back with a hand pressed against his forehead. “Did you see Ayame's face? And she’s missing a tooth! That’s my Reiki!”

Ayame had already departed Tokyo Tech in shame, with the peals of Satoru’s mocking laughter on her heels.

“I think you're getting a bit too much joy out of this,” Suguru said as he crossed his arms.

“Oh, don't deny you don't find this funny?” Satoru chuckled out.

Suguru smirked. “Now I didn't say that.”

“I think we should take Reiki out, and celebrate a job well done by driving out a useless hanger-on.”

“I'm not sure she’ll appreciate being treated after you used her as a chess piece.”

Satoru blew a raspberry, “She doesn't think that.” He smiled, turning on his heels. “Now I’m gonna go find her.”

Suguru sighed, shaking his head. Something in his gut told him that this was far from over.

╔══ஓ๑♡ᦔꪮᦋ ᦔꪖꪗక♡๑ஓ══╗

“Rei-chan! Rei-chan!” Satoru sang out the girl's name, spotting her as she stepped out of Yaga’s office. “Great job! A+ work! You sure showed that blowhard.” He threw an arm over her shoulder. “Can you believe that she thought she could win me over and become my wife? Good thing I had you here.” He cooed, hand coming up to pinch her cheek.

It hovered just millimeters away only to be slapped down. Satoru’s gaze widened, surprised by the action. Reiki pulled away, head dropped as her bangs hung low shadowing her face.

“Reiki–”

“Satoru!” Reiki snapped. “I know you hate the heads of the clan and what they stand for but please….”

Satoru wasn't sure what he was witnessing. He had to raise his glasses to make sure. Reiki’s clenched fists shook at her side. Her nose scrunched as she sniffled. He spied something wet rolling down her cheek.

“Please don't use me like that. I-I’m not some kind of toy.” With that Reiki left.

“Reiki…”

╔══ஓ๑♡ᦔꪮᦋ ᦔꪖꪗక♡๑ஓ══╗

Reiki didn't show up for lunch or dinner. Satoru hadn't seen her since their interaction earlier in the day.

It's not like it's his first time making a girl cry. In fact, it was a common occurrence when other clans would push other girls into his orbit, believing they could bait him into choosing a girl to be his future wife. Really it wasn’t his fault.

Satoru was wholly against them, just like he was for most traditional practices that came from the elders of the Jujutsu clans. Several girls had been offered to him from varying branches of each clan, all of which were turned down. The Gojo clan didn't seem to care which way when it came to marriage as they knew until Satoru left this earth no one would be born with the Six Eyes. And in the grand scheme of things Satoru himself wasn't that important when it came to maintaining their power, as long as Gojo blood remained to give birth to a new Six Eyes user they were always going to remain on top.

But that didn't stop others from trying to get Satoru to pick out a bride. Women practically threw themselves at him and he soaked it all up, but when they had ulterior motives Satoru wanted no part in it. But it was different with Reiki. She was different.

Satoru didn't want to see Reiki cry. He didn't want to be the one to make her cry.

Satoru shook off his worrying thoughts. It was just a misunderstanding. He’d talk to her and straighten things out and they'd have a big laugh about it. It's not like Reiki didn't agree with his notions that the Clan heads were pompous windbags. She’s experienced that firsthand.

Reiki’s had plenty of time to cool off. Yeah, Satoru was sure that if he just talked to her, flashing his charming smile, things would be back to normal.

Satoru made his way down the hall with a plate of meat buns in hand. A peace offering wouldn't hurt.

“Rei-chan! Rei-chan! Come on out! I've got a delicious treat just for you.” Satoru called out as he knocked on the girl's door. He swayed a bit in his spot waiting for the door to open.

He could hear a hushed whisper and a bit of rustling, like sheets being tossed, before feet started padding on the floor. Satoru smiled. He knew Reiki couldn't stay mad at him.

The door creaked open.

“Reiki–Eh?” Satoru’s brows scrunched. “Suguru?”

His friend sighed, stepping out of the room. For a brief second, the moment between Suguru stepping out and the door closing Satoru caught a glimpse of Reiki’s room. He could make out a lump on her bed just before the door cut him off.

“You gonna let me in, or are you gonna stand there and act like a bodyguard?” Satoru asked. “Reiki’s meat buns are getting cold.”

As always there was a slight hint of levity in Satoru’s words.

Suguru found no amusement in any of this. He crossed his arms, standing broader before the door. “Satoru, I think you should go.”

“Geeze,” Satoru clicked his tongue. “Come on Suguru. This is ridiculous. Reiki–”

“Doesn't want to see you. Satoru, you need to go. I don't think you've fully grasped the level of emotional damage you've done. You can't treat this as one of your jokes and merely brush it off. You need to give her time.”

With that Suguru turned and opened the door going back in, leaving Satoru alone.

Chapter Text

This whole thing was ludicrous.

Suguru was being ridiculous.

Satoru fumed as he sat in class. It was one of the rare instances he arrived earlier than anyone else. He had his feet kicked up on his desk, the chair tilted back as he teetered on the back legs.

“Well looks like someone is in the doghouse.” Shoko gave a light chuckle at her pun.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Satoru said, turning up his nose as he looked away from the amused girl.

Shoko took a seat at her desk. “Well, this is a first. The great Gojo Satoru, in a twist over a girl.”

“Still have no clue what you're talking about.”

“I talked to Reiki.”

Now that grabbed Satoru’s attention. He kept his head tilted away but his gaze pointed Shoko’s way, signifying he was interested in her words.

“I’d be mad too.” Shoko twirled a lock of her between her thumb and forefinger. “If a guy used me.”

“I didn't use her,” Satoru huffed.

“Hm? And what do you call prancing her around like a trophy just to make another girl angry?”

“It's not like Reiki didn't know.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Satoru’s lips parted but he paused. As he contemplated Shoko’s words the door opened and in came Suguru. Satoru’s contemplative mood shifted to something more sour as his gaze caught Suguru's. They said not a word, turning away from one another. Shoko sighed, tucking her chin into the palm of her hand.

⋇⋆✦ ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ ✦⋆⋇

Five days passed and nothing was improving. Reiki wasn't talking to Satoru and Satoru wasn't talking to Suguru. It was a strange shift in dynamics that reverberated throughout the entire campus. Having Satoru quiet in class and not causing a disruption had been a dream of Yaga’s but now that it was happening…this was definitely not how he wanted his student to start being a model example.

Someone had to do something. That’s why Yu and Nanami were gathered together by Shoko.

“Okay, what should we do about this Reiki-Satoru-Suguru problem?” Shoko asked.

“Should we even interfere? It's Gojo-Senpai’s own fault he’s in this situation,” Nanami stated.

“Nanami! We gotta help. Can't you see how sad Gojo-Senpai's been? Plus he and Geto-Senpai aren't talking,” Yu said.

“They've been more quiet. I actually enjoy the semblance of peace we've been having.”

“Perhaps it’s been peaceful for you, but I’ve been having to play mediator for the children,” Shoko said.

“Well it's clear that Gojo-Senpai needs to apologize,” Nanami said.

“Of course, but the odds of that happening?” Shoko said.

“He’d do it for Reiki!” Yu said.

Shoko sighed, “I guess we have to have an intervention. I’d rather not have to deal with this.”

“Maybe…Sensei can help?” Yu suggested.

That sparked a bulb of inspiration for Shoko.

⋇⋆✦ ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ ✦⋆⋇

Satoru slumped in his seat as he sat before Yaga. He wasn't in the mood for a mission. He hadn’t been in a mood to do much.

“Satoru, pay attention while I brief you on the mission,” Yaga said

“Yeah, yeah…”

The door started to rattle a bit before sliding open. Satoru had to sit up when he noticed no one standing there. His gaze drifted downward and there was…Reiki! Dog Reiki!

“What the–” Startled, Satoru sprung from his seat.

“I’m sending you and Reiki on a mission,” Yaga said.

“Hold on!” Satoru pointed at Reiki. “What’s going on! Why is Reiki a dog again? When did she become a dog?”

“She was able to perform a complete transformation about two days ago. She said it's the only way she’d work with you on a mission.”

Reiki padded her way into the room, plopping her fury bottom next to Satoru’s chair without acknowledging his presence.

“Now that you're both here, I’ll explain the mission,” Yaga said.

Satoru zoned out, unable to tear his gaze away from doggy Reiki.

⋇⋆✦ ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ ✦⋆⋇

Reiki walked almost four steps ahead of Satoru, keeping her sights set forward.

“Reiki….Reiki….Reiki! Come on, you can't ignore me forever!” Satoru snapped, irritated.

Reiki paused glancing over her shoulder, her eyes narrowed before she gave a huff and turned back around trekking forward.

Satoru clicked his tongue following the dog. He let Reiki lead the way, mostly because he hadn’t been paying any kind of attention to Yaga and didn't actually know where they needed to go.

They didn't have to go too far, making their way to a local park. It was a den of low-level Curses that meandered about the area. There are at least three on each playground equipment. Several were chilling in the sandbox. A long snakelike Curse had curled itself around a tree. A few people who roamed about were fully unaware of dozens of Curse’s that drifted about.

“Geeze,” Satoru tucked his hands into his pants, “Is a body buried here or something?”

Reiki took off, diving at a Curse that had no clue that it was the target of a frustrated Sorcerer. She chomped down on its body, growling and shaking her head as she whipped the thing around like a frenzied pup with their favorite toy. When she was well and done, she bit down hard with a pulse of electricity and the Curse evaporated.

Satoru just watched as Reiki continued on her little rampage leaving a trail of chewed and charred Curses in her wake. A Curse attempted to escape the scene but was quickly caught by Satoru. He easily eliminated it with a snap of his fingers. These Curses barely had enough power to reach level four.

This is how the mission continues. Reiki rushing around the area taking out any Curse she could get her maw on. While Satoru took care of any Curse that attempted to flee the area. He could have easily just removed all of them with a snap of his fingers but something told him that would only further upset Reiki.

It was close to half an hour before the park was clear. Satoru thought that the Curse hunting would allow Reiki to let off some steam. He was sure she’d be more than willing to at least agree on getting lunch together. After all this work it'd be hard for her to deny a meal, there was no way she wasn't hungry. And how could she decline a delicious meal of her choosing, fully funded by Satoru? Then when her belly was full of food and she was satisfied, he’d be able to fianlly talk to her.

While he thought about what restaurant he should take her to–obviously somewhere expensive that he could lavishly shower Reiki with–the doggy girl took to the park goers. She was greeted by familiar and new faces, and welcomed with head pats and scratches.

“Is that Reiki?”

A voice from his left caused Satoru to move his gaze away from the friendly Reiki. There was a man who was the embodiment of a “Businessman”. He wore a suit and held a briefcase. His hair was styled as if he walked into a barber and said “I want your most overworked salary man haircut you have”. Not to forget those glasses, large and square.

For some reason the sight of him made Satoru want to flick him on the forehead.

“You know Reiki? Who are you?” Satoru asked.

“Ah?” The man chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. “Excuse me, I’m Toshiro Shohei. I’m the one who gave Reiki her name.”

“Oh,” Satoru’s head tilted with a smile that held no real warmth, “Is that so?”

“Yeah.” Not sensing the growing animosity, Toshiro smiled. “I was worried when I hadn't seen her for such a long time.”

Reiki let out a series of barks and came bounding over. With a ray of hope, Satoru opened up his arms, expecting Reiki to jump into them like she’d done numerous times before, but instead, she dove for Toshiro. The man gasped as he dropped his briefcase and caught Reiki.

“Reiki! It's so good to see you!” Toshiro laughed as Reiki licked his cheek. Her tail wagged with enthusiasm, as she gave Toshiro all the love she could.

When the reunion settled just a bit, Toshiro pulled Reiki from his face but kept her cradled in her arms.

“You and Reiki sure are friendly,” Satoru said.

Toshiro gently petted the top of Reiki’s head. “I’ve known Reiki for a while. She saved my life. If it wasn't for her, who knows where’d I be.” His gaze dropped just a hint, a somber essence reflected in it. “I might be projecting, but I truly believe it was the luck and spirit of Reiki that brought me out of the spiral I was dangerously falling in.”

“I see…”

“I was planning on adopting Reiki, but the day I came to find her she was gone. I feared something had happened to her until I saw her today. She looks amazing, I’ve never seen her in better shape. I guess someone beat me to the punch in adopting her. But whoever did so is clearly taking great care of her.”

“Obviously,” Satoru crossed his arms, “only the best for Reiki.”

“Huh?” Toshiro tilted his head. “Are you Reiki’s owner?”

“Yes–” Satoru paused. “No. I’m Reiki’s friend. She’s also an integral part of my school. She’s pretty independent and strong. She’s special there and…I’m glad that I got to know the kind of girl she is and hope to learn more. I really…respect her and see her as a great friend. Someone I’d never use a pawn or take advantage of. And if she ever felt that way then I guess…I was wrong for making her feel like that. Reiki’s more than a dog.”

Reiki’s wagging tail started to stall, slowing down as she held a deep gaze with Satoru. It was so heartfelt, a side of Satoru that he never really showed.

“Uh…” Toshiro however took the confession as strange, giving the Sorcerer student an odd look. “That’s good?”

⋇⋆✦ ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ ✦⋆⋇

“Alright Reiki, you get to pick where we eat.” Satoru looked down at the dog, who finally was looking him eye to eye. “Wherever you want. Your choice. For a great job done. No matter dog or human, Reiki gets the job done.”

He turned on his heels, hands folded behind his head. “If you can't decide, I've got something in mind that I know you'll like. I–”

A warm body collided with Satoru. Arms wrapped around his stomach as he was pulled into a hug. Reiki buried her face into Satoru’s back. Her hands fisted the fabric of his jacket.

“Idiot…” she sniffled.

Satoru smiled, “Yeah…”

Chapter Text

Things on campus started to return back to normal. Who knew the dynamics of Reiki, Satoru, and Suguru was such an integral part of the proper function of the school? Well, there was just one thing that needed to be worked out.

“So, Reiki said you apologized,” Suguru said. He stood before Satoru, the teens facing one another in the open courtyard.

“Something like that,” Satoru said.

“Does that mean you're gonna stop ignoring me now?”

Satoru shrugged his shoulders. “I guess we're cool.”

“You guess?” Suguru raised a brow, but a smirk rested on his lips.

“I can't blame you for taking Reiki’s side. I mean who’d choose a dude over a pretty girl?” Satoru snickered.

Suguru rolled his eyes. Yup, things were definitely back to normal.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“Rei-chan! I’ve come to whisk you away for a day of fun!” Satoru skipped before Reiki’s door, knocking loudly to grab her attention.

It opened and there stood Reiki, but she wasn't dressed in her uniform. Satoru blinked, taken aback. A white summer dress that complimented her curves. Light makeup that further highlighted her beauty.

“Awww, is this all for me Reiki?” Satoru cooed. “I wish you would've said we were dressing up. I could make myself look even more handsome for you.”

Reiki chuckled, shaking her head. “Very funny.”

“Well, now I’ll have the prettiest girl with me. Everyone is gonna be so jealous,” Satoru declared.

“Sorry, Satoru but I can't go with you.”

“Whaaat! Rei-chan, I thought you forgave me!” Satoru whined, throwing himself at the girl and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Reiki smiled, patting his head. “I did but that doesn't mean I can just drop all my plans just to hang out.”

“Of course it does!”

Reiki chuckled a bit more, patting his head once more before pulling away. “I have to head out now, or I’ll be late.”

“Cancel.”

Reiki stepped away. “See you later Satoru.” She jogged down the hall passing by Suguru who was just stepping out of his room. “Hi Suguru! Bye Suguru!” She quickly said.

Suguru’s head followed her movements. When she was out of sight he turned to a pouting Satoru. “Well someone is dressed up rather nicely. What’s the occasion?”

“She said she had other plans,” Satoru huffed. “Wait…who is she hanging out with?”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“I hope I didn't make you wait too long.”

Reiki smiled, shaking her head. “Not at all. I arrived just a few minutes ago.”

“That’s good. Here, I bought these for you.”

A set of white roses were presented to Reiki.

“Oh,” she softly gasped, “thank you.” Grateful, she took the bouquet. “They're so pretty.”

The giver flushed, gaze cast to the side.

Across the street, two sets of eyes watched the duo with narrowed skepticism.

“You've got to be kidding me. Him again?” Satoru said.

Isamu was the picture of a schoolboy crush. Flustered with red cheeks, utterly giddy to know that his gift was well received. From their vantage point, Satoru and Suguru couldn't make out what they were saying. They watched as Isamu held out his arm, offering it to Reiki. She tucked the bouquet in her left arm and hooked her right one with Isamu’s. The bright redness of his cheeks grew as he started to lead Reiki down the street.

“They're on the move, let's go!” Satoru said.

He took off, Suguru right by his side.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Isamu was the perfect gentleman. Escorting Reiki to their destination, a cafe. He’d done thorough research. The place had an ample amount of positive reviews, raving about not just the food but the atmosphere and staff. It had plenty of options that Reiki could choose from. Once Isamu knew her favorites he could better curate destinations.

Upon their arrival, Isamu stepped forward, opening the door for Reiki. They were able to get a spacious booth, and Isamu ensured Reiki was properly settled on her side before taking his seat. He watched as Reiki charmingly closed her eyes, her nose wiggling just a hint.

She smiled. “Smells great in here. I’m excited.”

Isamu gave his own more slightly reserved smile, folding his hands atop the table. “I’m glad you like it already. I heard good things about this place.”

Their server came over handing them their menus. Reiki eagerly opened up, eyes darting across the pages as she quickly took in the restaurant's offerings. Isamu just stared, having already studied the menu long before he had set the date of their outing. If Reiki had a question, no need to call the server, he’d have all the answers. He’d even be able to give her any recommendations. He let out a sigh, wistful and airy, chin resting on his folded hands. Yes, everything was going to be perfect. He made sure of it.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“What are they doing now?”

“Reiki is still looking at the menu.”

Satoru peeked over the edge of his menu. As the server stepped over he was waved away by Suguru. The young man raises a brow at the two teens concealing their faces behind the menus in a rather suspicious manner. He shrugged his shoulders not putting any further brainpower into their strange behavior, he didn't get paid enough to care about his customers' odd shenanigans.

“Why in the world would Reiki go out on a date with him?” Satoru sneered, a hiss at the end of his sentence.

“It is pretty odd,” Suguru said.

“Do you think he’s blackmailing her?” Satoru asked.

“With what?” Suguru questioned.

“Good point. Threatening her?” Satoru shook his head dissuading the very thought. “Nah, Reiki’s way too strong to be threatened by the likes of him. Then what could it be?” He hummed tapping his chin.

“Could it be possible that she likes him?” Suguru questioned.

He glanced at Satoru, his best friend looking back. They were silent for a moment mulling over Suguru’s questions before they burst out in laughter. Suguru leaned over the table, shoulders hunched as he laughed and Satoru threw his head back, the palm of his hand pressed against his forehead.

The commotion gathered a few gazes, including the attention of the topic of their surveillance. Quickly they quieted, putting up their poor disguises to conceal their presence.

“T-That was a good one,” Satoru chuckled quietly to Suguru.

“I felt ridiculous saying it,” Suguru chuckled back.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“I’ll have the spicy tamagoyaki katsu sandwich with a side of plum fries.” Reiki read out loud as the server jotted down her order.

When Reiki was done the server turned to Isamu. He rambled off his order in quick succession. The server nodded, reading over his writings to make sure he’d gotten everything correct. With that the server departed leaving Reiki and Isamu alone once more.

Reiki grabbed her mug, steam rising from the porcelain rim. Upon his arrival, the server brought their drinks, Reiki choosing coffee while Isamu had gone for tea.

“Sugar?” Isamu asked just before Reiki could take a sip.

Reiki shook her head. “No, I’m good. I prefer it black.” She enjoyed the straight taste of coffee, and the bitter tang it left on her tongue. No cream. No sugar. No milk. Just like her mother used to drink. Her sister and father always stared at the duo like they were serial killers in the making every time they poured and sipped at their black drink.

Isamu tapped his hands atop the table, in a nervous twitter. “So how are you adjusting to not being a dog?”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“This is just painful to watch,” Suguru said.

“You can say that again.” Satoru agreed with a nod of his head. “Guess that elite Kamo education does not include how to talk to girls.”

“Why would you need that skill when you can just ask the clan heads to set you up with any woman of your choosing?” Suguru commented.

Satoru went suddenly stiff and not a moment later Suguru went still as well as he took in his own words.

“You don't think…” Suguru trailed off.

They looked at one another and then back at the couple sitting a few tables away.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Isamu hadn't touched his meal, sitting red-faced across Reiki. Her plate was almost cleaned.

“Are you not hungry?” Reiki asked as she used her napkin to dab away some food on her face.

“W-Well, honestly I’m just a bit nervous,” Isamu said.

“About what?”

“Well, you see the thing is…the reason why I asked you here is…” Isamu's face steadily grew redder, heat radiating off his pale skin. “Do you know that the Kamo clan is one of the top clans, only rivaled by the Gojo clan?” He suddenly spouted out.

Reiki nodded. Honestly from what she learned at school, she would think Zenin were the ones who were closer to rivaling the Gojo’s, but no need to harshly burst his bubble.

“If there was any clan to join I’m sure that you would be happy in Kamo,” Isamu continued to ramble.

“Where is this going?” Reiki thought growing a bit uneasy.

“That is to say…Reiki, would you do me the honor of accepting a proposal of marriage from me?”

“. . . . .Eh?” Reiki went still, color draining from her face.

“I object!”

“S-Satoru?!” Reiki said surprised.

A second set of hands followed Satoru’s, slamming on the tabletop next to his.

“I agree.”

“Suguru?!” Reiki exclaimed as he appeared as well.

“What the–” Isamu flew to his feet. “Were you two following us?!”

“Reiki, you're too young to get married, especially to blowhards like him,” Satoru spoke ignoring Isamu.

“Hey!”

“Particularly when it's a union that clearly only wants you so they can gain a higher status within their clan,” Suguru added.

“Hey!” Isamu stood up, slamming his hands on the tabletop.

“Come along Reiki.” Satoru put his hands on her shoulders guiding her out of the booth. “Let’s go, no need to waste your time on this anymore.”

Suguru helped, an arm around Reiki’s waist and he joined in guiding her out.

Isamu stuttered and sputtered, head whipping around in a crazed manner. He snarled before chasing the trio towards the restaurant's exit. “Stop right there!” He shouted pointing at the trio.

“Come on Reiki, better hurry, the weirdo is following us,” Satoru whispered.

“Stop! How dare you interfere!” Isamu shouted.

“Stop! Stop! Stop!” Reiki said getting between Isamu and her friends. “No fighting, especially not in public. Suguru, Satoru, I appreciate this but I can talk for myself. If you two would?” She gestured for them to stand aside while she approached Isamu.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“How many pieces do you think she’s breaking his heart in?” Satoru asked Suguru.

“Well he doesn't seem to be in tears…yet,” Suguru Said.

They stood across the street watching the two as they spoke. Well, it was clear that Reiki was doing most of the talking. What a time to not be able to read lips.

They leaned closer as Reiki bowed and Isamu seemed to slump. She gave a smile before turning and skipping across the street to Suguru and Satoru.

“There she is! Our little heartbreaker!” Satoru jeered.

Reiki covers the bottom half of her face with the back of her hand. “S-Shut up!” She was embarrassed enough as is.

“You must've let him down easy, he doesn't seem to be in tears,” Suguru said.

“Can you two stop, this is awkward enough,” Reiki said.

“Awww, poor Rei-chan! She’s just too charming for her own good! Well, we can't let such a beautiful gal go to waste!” Satoru hooked an arm with Reiki’s. “Let’s take the dashing lady for an evening out!”

Suguru joined Reiki’s side with a little more reserved energy, hooking his arm with her free one. “Who am I to deny a lovely evening out with a lovely lady? It’d be almost criminal.”

Reiki let out a “Whoa!” as she was dragged off, the peels of laughter from Satoru to her left and the chuckles of Suguru to her right.

Chapter Text

Things fell back into a familiar rhythm. Classes and training paired with the occasional mission. Satoru and Suguru were back to their usual mischievous selves causing Yaga unwanted headaches.

Reiki stood off to the sidelines as she stretched her body, warming up for the joint training between first and second years. Shoko was sitting off to the side, awaiting her own training.

Today the students were assigned a unique kind of training to handle Curse Users while also giving Shoko the opportunity to better improve her Curse Technique. Two students would be paired up, one restricted from using their Curse Technique. They were both expected to go full out limited to no mortal wounds.

One student got to hone their Curse Technique, another learned crucial skills if they were limited with their Curse Technique, and Shoko got living dummies to work on her Curse Technique.

Shoko had just finished working on Yu who had been beaten to a pulp by Satoru. Despite not being able to use his Curse Technique, Satoru held no mercy for Yu. It was amazing that the cheerful first year managed to maintain a smile, grateful for the lesson. Nanami was less grateful, knowing full well that Satoru was getting a kick out of kicking his juniors.

Reiki would be dueling–

“Suguru,” Yaga called out. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, Sensei.”

“Reiki?”

Reiki hopped onto her feet. “Yes, Sensei!”

“Good, Suguru, you'll be using your Curse Technique. Reiki you are not.”

Oh, well Reiki wasn't expecting that one.

The duo took their place in the sparring area. The nonchalant nature of Suguru didn't waver. His stance is slightly lax, with his hands in his pocket. It was probably why his opponents often underestimated him. If it wasn't his age then it was his confidence that often led to his enemy's gross assurance that they would score an easy victory. Reiki knew better. She theorized that Suguru probably kept his hands tucked in his pockets because it was not only a relaxing position for him but also hid the fact that he needed the use of his hands for his Curse Technique.

“Ready…” Yaga raised his hand. “Go!”

Reiki charged forward, making the first move. She lept, arm reeled back, aiming a right straight for Suguru’s face. He pivoted on his feet, spinning out of the way. Reiki did a quarter turn, right arm jerking back with the intention of slamming her elbow into Suguru’s chest. He just barely dodged, Reiki’s elbow clipping his shirt.

Suguru let out a low whistle, jumping back and putting some distance between himself and his opponent. “My, my, someone’s gotten even faster.”

He raised his hand, summing his first Curse. A serpent-like creature flew out of a black void. Reiki yelped as it slammed into her chest and she was sent flying off her feet. There came a grunt and thud as she hit the back wall, winded. She landed on her hands and knees huffing a few times before hopping to her feet.

The serpent Curse was curled slightly around itself, hovering just before Reiki. Suguru smirked and gave the go-ahead, the Curse attacking. Reiki dove out of the way, the thing slamming into the wall. Reiki pounced, grabbing the Curse's tail and then wiping it about, slamming it on the floor and wall. She raised her arms going in for her fourth strike only to pause and duck as another Curse appeared.

This one sort of reminded Reiki of a misshapen kangaroo. With large powerful bipedal legs, perfect for kicking. And stubby short arms that would serve no purpose.

Reiki had to let go of the Curse she was holding to dodge the other one. To make matters worse a third one appeared, swooping down like a bat as it shrieked, claws going for her head.

“Wow, three Curses, Suguru sure is serious,” Satoru said.

“Seems like a bit of overkill,” Nanami commented.

“Is she going to be okay?” Yu asked.

“She’ll be fine, it's Reiki after all,” Satoru reassured.

Reiki was stuck in a twisted tango of Curses. There was not a moment's rest, the Curses moving with precise coordinated attacks, leaving Reiki with the only option to defend.

The serpent Curse swiped its tail, taking out Reiki’s ankles. She fell on her back as the thick-legged Curse attempted to stomp on her. She rolled over and then performed a kick up onto her feet. The bat Curse swooped down the moment she was up and managed to clip the side of her head.

“Shit,” She hissed.

A superficial wound that Shoko could easily heal but she was starting to get annoyed. Once again she was stuck in this endless loop of defending and dodging the Curses, only managing to get a few hits in here and there. No wonder Suguru was so formidable. As long as no one got their hands on him he could–

Reiki perked up, an idea jolting her brain. “If I wanna stop the Curse Technique…” She turned, dodging the swapping bat-like Curse and hopping over the kangaroo-like Curse, using its bulbous head as a springboard.

Suguru felt as if he had blinked and within that split second that his vision was obscured Reiki had surged across the room. She was right before his very eyes.

“I need to stop the Curse User!”

Hands dropped on Suguru’s shoulders. The next thing he knew, legs were wrapped around his neck. Reiki swung around the momentum carrying her around Suguru’s head. His upper body was flung forward by Reiki. She landed solidly on her feet while Suguru was sent to the floor. He landed on his back, the thud coinciding with the hefty huff that escaped him as all the air was knocked out of his body.

When he attempted to get up, a knee was suddenly on his neck. Hovering over him was Reiki, narrowed stare and a smirk of victory.

“I win.”

Suguru let out a wheeze but smirked. “Really now?”

“Huh?”

The pressure was gone and so was Reiki. Suguru sat up rubbing his neck watching his Curses dogpile Reiki. 

“That’s enough!” Yaga called out. “Suguru wins.”

Suguru stood up, dispelling his technique. He made his way over to Reiki. She was lying on the floor, exasperated with frustrated pursed lips.

“Next time make sure I’m knocked out.” He chuckled, holding his hand out.

Reiki sighed and took his hand to stand up.

Satoru broke out in a fit of laughter. “Reiki! When did you learn that move?”

“I…I’m not sure. I did see it in a movie once.”

This set off another round of laughs.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

Friday was rolling around and with no mission on the books, the students were wondering what to do with their free time.

“How about a movie?” Shoko suggested.

“Yeah! I heard there’s a new thriller movie coming out. About a cursed girl who haunts an apartment building.” Satoru let out a mocking ghostly wail, wiggling his fingers to mimic an excited camp counselor telling a spooky story around a campfire.

“Let’s round up the first years. It can be our treat,” Shoko said.

“Someone is unusually charitable today,” Suguru jokes.

“I–Hey isn't that that Kamo boy?”

Without even looking Suguru and Satoru knew exactly who Shoko was talking about. Their theory was confirmed when they turned around and spotted Isamu. He was speeding down the courtyard with a vase full of sunflowers. His fast steps were carrying him to the dorms. To Reiki’s room.

Satoru clicked his tongue while Suguru rolled his eyes. Shoko chuckled as the duo took off, jogging after them to watch the drama unfold.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

Isamu skirted a corner, head wiping left and right. He had to keep his wits about if he was going to achieve his goal.

“And where do you think you're going?”

Isamu yelped, nearly dropping the flowers as an arm darted out in front of him, slamming on the adjacent wall next to his face. The long limb creating a barrier, preventing him from moving any further. To his chagrin, it was the two biggest obstacles he had hoped to avoid. 

Suguru and Satoru.

“What are you doing here?” Satoru questioned. “Reiki already rejected you. Man, you Kamo men sure are persistent. She already turned you down, so shoo shoo, go on.” He waved his hand like he was shooing away some kind of pest. It only served to further piss Isamu off.

“You know girls don't like pushy guys,” Suguru said.

“Yeah, this is creepy. Stay away from Reiki, creepy guy,” Satoru said.

“You two….” Isamu growled, the flowers shaking in his grip. “I wasn't rejected!”

“Hmm, I didn't know someone saying ‘No’ did not count as being rejected,” Satoru said.

“Disillusioned and in denial, what a poor life ahead for you,” Suguru shook his head with mock sympathy.

“Shut up! Reiki said she didn't know me enough to accept my proposal. Obviously, that means we need to spend more time together!” Isamu said.

“That’s just a gentle no,” Suguru said.

“Ah, he’s stalking her because he can’t accept his rejection,” Satoru said.

“Stop twisting the situation, bastard!” Isamu snapped.

“What’s with all the yelling?” Reiki appeared, not from her room but around the corner with a book in hand.

“Reiki!” Isamu slipped by Satoru and Suguru, arms out as he presented the flowers.

“Isamu? Oh um, what are you doing here?” Reiki skirted her gaze awkwardly.

“I-I came to see if you wanted to go out on another date. To get to know one another like you suggested.”

“That's um, nice?” Reiki gave a strained grin, attempting to remain cordial. It's not that she didn't appreciate the attention, she’s just never been in the presence of a guy who was so eager to date her. Plus she was still reeling from the whole marriage proposal. When she said she’d prefer to get to know him better she wasn't expecting him to pop up barely a week later at her school. Unannounced. He did have her phone number, a text would've been nice.

“Sorry, she can't. Rei-chan has got a movie date with her beloved upperclassmen,” Satoru announced. “Guess you're gonna have to leave. So sad, too bad, bye-bye.”

“You little…” Isamu growled with a heated gaze.

“Come on Reiki.” Satoru appeared behind the girl, hands on her shoulders. “We’ll protect you from your weirdo stalker.”

“I am not a stalker!”

“M-Maybe he can join us at the movies?” Reiki suggested attempting to stay amicable about the situation.

“No need to pity him, Reiki,” Suguru said.

“Shut up!”

From a few feet away, Shoko chuckled behind her hand, a confused and perplexed Nanami and Yu by her side.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

Things at the movie theater didn't get any better, mainly just for Issamu. Any opportunity he took to grow closer to Reiki was interrupted by either Satoru or Suguru.

He attempted to purchase her ticket but was swiftly blocked by Satoru who offered to buy everyone's ticket. When he made a go to ask Reiki her favorite snacks so he could purchase them, Suguru was already at the counter grabbing a large popcorn and a pack of Chibi Sours, passing them over to an elated Reiki.

He was blocked from sitting next to her in the theater as the spots next to her were immediately taken up by her two guard dogs. He fumed, taking the empty spot to Suguru’s right. He spent the entire moving seething, every so often shifting a pointed glare the duo’s way. At one point in the movie Reiki had jumped, scared by something on screen, and had taken hold of both Suguru and Satoru’s arms. The smugness that emanated from the duo as they sent matching smirks Isamu's way sent him over the edge.

The entire time Shoko was thoroughly enjoying herself. She had two forms of entertainment. Nanami merely watched with sweat dripping down his forehead, with a scared Yu hiding in his shoulder.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

The doors to the theater flew open as Isamu stomped his way out. Following the trail of displeasure was Satoru and Suguru, with Reiki sandwiched between the two. Her arms were still hooked around theirs. Despite the scary nature of the movie Reiki was grinning, discussing her favorite parts and even laughing at the amount of times she jumped. Yu, who was now back to his all smiles self, joined in, chatting animatedly at how much he loved the movie despite spending half of it with his eyes closed. Nanami threw in his own comments, focusing more on the technical aspects of the film like props and dialogue.

Suguru and Satoru pulled away, still smug as they looked at the raging Isamu. He was about to blow.

“Aww, what's wrong? Don't like scary movies? Was the poor Kamo boy scared?” Satoru cooed.

“You…You…” Isamu’s fists shook at his sides. “You two did all of that on purpose!”

A few people passing by jumped at the outburst. The discussion over the movie came to a halt in favor of all eyes on Isamu. Shoko, who still had a little popcorn left, was front in center awaiting the conclusion of the drama.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Satoru shrugged his shoulders, turning up his hands. “Do you Suguru?”

Suguru shrugged his shoulders as well with a tilt of his head. “No clue.”

“I'll show you! I’ll transfer to Tokyo Tech!” Isamu threatened.

“Okay, have fun with that,” Satoru said.

“I will! Mark my words! You'll be seeing this face every day of your school life and even longer when I marry Reiki!” Isamu declared before rushing off.

“Wait… Reiki’s getting married?” Yu questions.

Nanami sighed, facepalming.

✧○ꊞ○𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤○ꊞ○✧

A few days later a giddy Satoru was chuckling as he informed Suguru of Shoko telling him she received a call from Utahime about a sulky second-year Kamo boy who had joined the Kyoto School.

Chapter Text

Surprisingly enough it was Nanami who had first noticed something was off. At first, he had thought that she was just more focused on schoolwork, determined to catch up. But it was just more than that. She was quiet during class, on breaks, during training, and even on outings she wasn't as outgoing and bubbly as her usual self.

“Are you okay?”

Nanami wasn't sure what compelled him to ask. He could have easily delegated the task to someone else. He was sure Satoru would be chomping at the bit with anything that involved Reiki. Perhaps he was unnerved by her sudden shift in mood. Maybe he was worried about her being distracted out on the field. A distracted Sorcerer was a dead Sorcerer. Or maybe…he just cared for the general well-being of his friend?

“Hm? What did you say Nanami?” Reiki questions.

“Are you okay?” Nanami repeated his question.

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

Nanami could've left it at that. It was verbal confirmation that she was okay, but still…something didn't feel right. Her gaze did not hold its usual starry brightness. There was a twist of his gut and with the stone that had settled there, he knew it wouldn't go away unless he pried further.

“Are you sure? You haven't been yourself, for the past few days in fact.” There was no need to beat around the bush, at least that was how Nanami saw things.

“I…” Reiki’s gaze dropped, her shoulders sinking just a bit. “So you've noticed? I guess I haven't been doing a very good job at hiding it.”

“If I’m the first one to notice then you're doing better than you think. Are you going to tell me what’s got you so sullen as of late?”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“Whaaaaaat!”

Satoru’s voice bounced off the walls of the common room. He hadn’t been the only one to react, just the loudest of the bunch. Yu had hopped from his seat, jaw dropped in mild disbelief. Shoko’s brows quirked, surprised. Suguru had leaned forward from his leaning position on the wall, one brow raised in query along with a tilt of his head.

“Her birthday is this Friday,” Nanami repeated.

“I can't believe her birthday is coming up in just a few days! Why didn't she tell us?” Yu questioned.

“Perhaps it is a sensitive topic for her?” Shoko theorized.

“It will be her first birthday away from, well everything,” Suguru said.

“This is unacceptable!” Satoru loudly proclaimed. “We are going to celebrate Reiki’s birthday and make it the best birthday she has ever experienced in her entire life!” He declared.

“Well, we don't have much time. We better get started,” Suguru said.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

The sun peeked over the horizon and hung in the sky in the mid-morning day. Reiki was wrapped in her blanket tight like a burrito with half-human half-dog filling, only her head poked through the top of the plush cocoon.

“Good Morning!”

Reiki yowled, startled to the point that she flung herself out of bed. She hit the floor, landing on her side with a muffled thud. Thank goodness she was so well protected. A low gurgle of a moan left her tired lips. Less of a show of pain but a rather disgruntled annoyance of how she was awakened.

“Huh? Rei-chan? What are you doing down there?” Satoru asked.

“Satoru? What are you doing in my room?” Groggily Reiki sat up. She squinted trying to get the blurriness out of her tired eyes.

She rolled a bit on the floor until she was in a seated position, the top of her head peeking over the edge of the bed. Quizzically she studied Satoru, wondering for a brief moment if she was in a half-sleepy daze.

“Are you wearing a party hat?”

Sitting atop of Satoru’s head was a purple cone, the surface decorated with tennis balls and dog bones. The tip was topped off with a blue fuzzy pom pom.

“Nope!” Satoru jogged into the room, pulling something out from behind his back.

Something light set on Reiki’s head and she jumped as something slightly stung her chin.

“We're wearing party hats!” Satoru grinned. He pulled her in for a tight side hug, cheeks pressed against one another. “Happy Birthday!” From some kind of infinite pocket dimension he had on his person, Satoru pulled out a Polaroid camera facing the lens their way.

For a brief moment, Reiki went blind as the flash went off. A grinning Satoru pulled away, grabbing the picture that the little camera produced. He shook it a few times coaxing forth the developing image.

The image revealed a smirking Satoru, an arm wrapped around a befuddled Reiki’s shoulders giving a peace sign. 

“Perfect!” Satoru said.

“Birthday?” Reiki mumbled. She took a moment to shake off the nightly slump. “Wait, you know it's my birthday? How?”

“From Nanami! Now–” Satoru hopped up pulling Reiki with him. “Time to get dressed, we've got a big exciting day ahead! Let’s go!”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

After completing her morning routine Reiki stepped out of her room. Waiting for her wasn't just Satoru but the entire Tokyo Tech student body. She was greeted with a round of “Happy Birthdays” from the group.

“T-Thank you!” Reiki looked at Nanami, the blonde turning his gaze away, obscuring his mild expression of embarrassment.

“It's time to go! Reiki’s Big Awesome Special Birthday Bash Day starts now!” Satoru declared.

“Yeah!” Yu cheered, throwing up a fist.

Reiki let out a small gasp as something fell over her eyes obscuring her sight. Her heart jumped just a bit as something brushed against her ear.

“Can't ruin any of the surprises now? Can we?” Suguru whispered.

“Come on!” Satoru said.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Satoru led the charge with his energetic hypeman Yu right by his side. Reiki was paraded around the streets like royalty behind toted around.

“We've arrived!” Satoru announced and the blindfold was ripped away.

“Tada! The amazing indoor theme park, Joypolis!”

Yu cheered while pulling the string of a party popper behind Satoru, adding more to Satoru’s fanfare.

Nanami looked at his other seniors. “Do we have to stay with them the whole time?”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

With how excited Satoru was acting you would think it was his birthday. 

“What should we do first?” He asked the group.

“Maybe ask the birthday girl?” Suguru suggested.

“Great idea!”

There was a collective eye roll.

“What should we do first, Reiki?”

With everyone's attention set on bouncy Satoru, they had failed to notice how Reiki was distracted by something else. A fish tank was full of neon creatures that swam about. She was stuck in a slight daze watching the many fish swim by.

“Well, she at least seems to be having fun,” Shoko mused.

“Should we have gotten her a fish tank for her birthday?” Satoru mumbled.

“Come on birthday girl.” Suguru chuckled, grabbing Reiki’s hand and managing to drag her away from the fish tank. “What do you want to do first?”

“H-Huh?” Reiki shook off her daze pulling her focus away from the fishtank. “What to do first? Oh, um, we should do rides first. Especially before eating.”

“Good idea,” Nanami said.

“Then what are we waiting for? What ride, Rei-chan?” Satoru asked.

Reiki was plopped in front of a map to examine the sprawling wonder that was Joypolis.

“How about…this one!” Reiki pointed something out.

“Gekion Live Coaster?” Nanami read.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Suropslginy enough Nanami was the one to get motion sickness after a few rides. Reiki had witnessed the young teen basically do barrel turns with weapons in hand and not bat an eye, but the rockiness of an indoor coaster was a bit too much.

They had a blast with the rest of their time in Joypolis.

That meant it was time for their next stop. The blindfold was put back on and Reiki was led off once more. This time once they arrived instead of having the blindfold taken off Reiki was led inside. Their arrival was announced with rousing rounds of “Welcomes” from several other people.

 Reiki’s nose was filled with a variety of delicious scents. She was guided around some more then plopped down in a chair. Once she was situated the blindfold was removed.

Her theory of their location being a restaurant was correct but what she hadn't thought it would be was a themed restaurant.

A pop-up Digimon Cafe. A real-life anime cafe! Reiki had always wanted to go to one. She was always jealous when exploring social media and catching postings of the amazing cafes that Japan had or the random pop-ups here and there that would happen across the country but never in an area accessible to Reiki and her family.

Plus Digimon was one of her favorite shows as a kid. While everyone was obsessed with Pokemon, Reiki was one of those Digimon kids. It was also the anime that she and Satoru bonded the most on. Satoru really did love Digimon.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Their last stop of the day was the biggest surprise to Reiki.

A karaoke bar.

“Order whatever drinks you want, birthday girl, it's on me!” Satoru said as he passed the menu over to her.

“How about you extend that generosity to the others present?” Shoko said.

“No way, I’m only treating Rei-chan because it’s her birthday,” Satoru said.

“You always treat Reiki.”

“Some of us might want to spoil Reiki on her birthday too Satoru,” Suguru quipped.

“Then you gotta be quicker than that, Suguru.”

Despite having just eaten, Satoru was quickly on the phone putting in a large order of drinks and snacks. That boy had a black hole metabolism.

“Oh! Oh!” Yu was pointing in the songbook. “Reiki, let's sing a duet.”

“Okay, okay,” Reiki giggled.

Yu grabbed her hands, tugging her up and onto her feet. He pulled her to the front of the room, handing over a mic as he grabbed one for himself. He was quick to put the song request in, the music starting up as the TV flashed with matching graphics. As the tune picked up the lyrics were scrolling across the screen, Yu taking the lead with the green words that played. As the next set of lyrics appeared, highlighted in blue, everyone awaited Reiki’s voice. But as each note went by, a voice did not accompany it.

“Reiki…” Shoko’s worried call of the girl's voice had her fully turning to face the group.

With a stark expression of undetermined fear Reiki merely stared. Tears trailing down her face.

“Reiki,” Satoru called to her louder.

“Huh…” She was snapped out of her daze. Her hand was suddenly wet. Glancing down at the hand that held the mic she spotted a few droplets on it.

“Oh…I…I’m crying.” Reiki sniffled before wiping away her tears with her sleeve. “Excuse me.”

She set down the mic and quickly exited the room. Satoru was immediately on his feet but Suguru was already out the door.

Chapter Text

The sobs were subtle and gentle, blending in with the noises of fun that filled the halls but Suguru was able to follow it right to Reiki. She was huddling off in a corner, continuing to sniffle and conceal her sorrow. Wiping away her tears just as fast as they came. At one point her dog ears had appeared, drooping slightly to further express her melancholy moment.

“Reiki,” Suguru softly called for her. He approached with tempered cautious steps.

“Oh, Suguru. I’m sorry. I just…” Reiki attempted to speak through her tears, struggling to properly get the words out between stuttering sobs. “I–”

An arm wrapped around her shoulders and she was pulled in close. A hand came around and gently cradled the back of her head while another hooked around her waist. Reiki paused in Suguru’s embrace before burying her face deeper into his chest releasing all that she was attempting to hold back.

Suguru just held her, giving her the comfort she so desperately needed. Minutes went by as the crying slowed till it died altogether. Even when it stopped, Reiki remained in Suguru’s arms just a bit longer. Finally, she pulled back, remnant streaks of tears still staining her face.

“Here.” Suguru pulled out a handkerchief.

Reiki was ready with a thanks to take the cloth and clean up her face, only to have Suguru do it for her. He gently cupped her chin, using his handkerchief to wipe her away her sadness.

“There.”

“T-Thank. Sorry I…”

“No need to apologize. I understand, and I’m sure that the others do as well. This will be your first birthday without your family,” Suguru said.

“Yeah, but it's just not that. It's my first birthday without my sister. You see there was an arcade near where we lived and one day my parents had to work on my birthday. I was so upset that my sister took all the money she had saved up from holidays and birthdays to take me to the arcade. We spent the whole day together, but the last thing we did was sing on this old busted karaoke game they had. We had so much fun that we sort of made it a tradition. The arcade finally got rid of the old thing but our parents bought us our own home karaoke machine, and every year on my birthday we always sing that song.”

Suguru pieced together what Reiki was getting at. “The song that Yu picked out.”

“I see.”

“It may seem a little silly but it was something special just for me and my sister. She was my best friend, and I guess I never realized how much I missed her until now.”

“I don't think it's silly.”

Reiki glanced up at Suguru. She was taken aback by his smile. Charming yet comforting. It was hard to deny the objective truth that he was handsome, but there was something about the kind reflection in his eyes and the low lighting of the karaoke hall highlighted that even more.

“I think it's amazing that you love your sister so much. To have that kind of relationship is special. I'm sorry that you had to lose it. But don't forget that you're not alone here. You've got all of us here, you've got me.”

The need to suddenly tuck her face away arose. Reiki, slightly flustered with pink blooming on her cheeks.

“Thank you, Suguru.”

Suguru huckled. “Now let's get you back. I’m sure the others are worried.”

“Right.”

꧁𓊈𒆜🅷🅰🅿🅿🆈 🅱🅸🆁🆃🅷🅳🅰🆈 🆁🅴🅸🅺🅸𒆜𓊉꧂

The moment Reiki entered the room she was pounced on by a crying Yu, begging for her forgiveness for upsetting her, especially on her birthday.

“There, there,” Reiki petted the poor boy's head. “You didn't do anything wrong. It's alright.”

“Really?” Yu sniffled. He pulled away just a hair to look Reiki in the eyes.

“Yeah, I–”

Yu was bodied out of the way so Satoru could take her place.

“Rei-chan! Are you okay?” Satoru asked.

She glanced around Satoru, sweat dropping at the groaning Yu, sprawled out on the floor. Shoko sighed, shaking her head.

“Y-Yes, I’m fine. Sorry everyone for making you worry. Just a lot of emotions running around. But I’m feeling much better now. In fact, would it be alright if I sang the next song?”

Shoko smiled, leaning further back in her seat. “Who are we to deny the birthday girl?”

Reiki returned the smile, feeling much lighter. “Okay! I know the perfect song!”

꧁𓊈𒆜🅷🅰🅿🅿🆈 🅱🅸🆁🆃🅷🅳🅰🆈 🆁🅴🅸🅺🅸𒆜𓊉꧂

Crying aside today had been a perfect birthday in Reiki's eyes. She had never been able to go out with friends for her birthday and often had to keep the engagement small with family. She didn't even mind that Satoru was waving around his Polaroid camera, flashing her in the face constantly to snag a photo. She would treasure these memories to her very last day.

Sitting down on her bed, Reiki was about to remove her shoes but paused at the knock at her door. She opened it revealing not at all to her surprise, Satoru. At this point, she’d be shocked to find anyone other than him.

“So how did you like your birthday? It was the best one ever right? Right!” Satoru elbowed Reiki, his smirk growing.

“It was great, I loved every moment,” Reiki said.

“Well, it's not over yet!” Satoru grabbed Reiki’s wrist. “We can't end your birthday without traditional cake and ice cream!”

He started to pull Reiki out of the room but paused. He turned around, placing his free hand on Reiki’s shoulder.

“Satoru what–” The gasp was sharp yet soft, almost lost in Reiki’s throat.

Satoru pulled away. He was smiling, not smirking. No hint of his impish playfulness, that made it hard to to take him seriously. Gone was the carefree nature that often made others question whether or not his actions were a joke. The look in his eyes alone was nothing but serene warmth that made Reiki feel special. Like she was the only one who got to see this side of Satoru. A secret just for the two of them.

“Okay, now let's go.”

Reiki merely nodded, too focused on the warmth that lingered on her forehead. As he’ed been doing all day, Satoru started dragging Reiki off. From the path they took she could make out that they were heading to the dinning hall.

“Here we are.” Satoru announced.

Reiki’s left brow perked at that. Why was he stating that so loudly?

“After you.” Satoru grabbed the door and pulled it open. He stepped aside, allowing Reiki to go first.

She shuffled her way into the dark room, palming the edge of the wall to locate the light switch. Her fingers brushed against the wall but couldn't find the switch. She might have known where the dining hall was but she had no clue as to where the light switches for said room were. Her previous days at Jujutsu Tech were spent barely two feet tall, even jumping wouldn't get her at level with the switches.

“Hey, Satoru where’s the light switch–”

Light flooded the room and Reiki squeaked, covering her eyes. She jumped as several loud pop pops sounded off.

“Surprise! Happy Birthday, Reiki!”

“What…”

“Tada!” Satoru bounced into the room, arms spread wide as he excitedly smiled.

The room was filled with familiar faces. All of her friends, Yaga-sensei, even a couple of Sorcerers, and Windows Reiki had come to know her in dog form. All of them had party hats on–even the stoic Nanami–holding party poppers. The room was decorated for a celebration. Colorful streamers tapped from the ceiling and a banner with Reiki’s name hung on the back wall. Balloons floated about. A table was set up with an array of food and Reiki could make out a cake with white icing and a red border.

Reiki cupped a hand over her mouth trying to quell her rising emotions. She was…so happy!

“Y-You guys!” Reiki happily sobbed.

“We had to end your birthday on a strong note,” Shoko said.

“And we had to keep you distracted long enough to get everything set up,” Suguru added.

“You guys already did so much for me today. And now this…how did I get so lucky to have you all?”

“I know, we're the best. Especially me, since I’m the one who came up with it all,” Satoru declared.

“You didn't even know it was Reiki's birthday,” Nanami said.

“I would've figured it out in time!”

Reiki laughed, the others joining in.

“Enough of that.” Satoru waved them off. “We need to sing Happy Birthday and have Reiki, blow out the candles.”

Yaga was the one who lit the candles and held up the cake as the room was filled with the Tokyo Tech’s rendition of Happy Birthday. At the end of the song, Reiki closed her eyes making her wish.

“I wish…that I get to make more wonderful memories like this one.”

Reiki blew out the candles and cheer filled the air.

꧁𓊈𒆜🅷🅰🅿🅿🆈 🅱🅸🆁🆃🅷🅳🅰🆈 🆁🅴🅸🅺🅸𒆜𓊉꧂

Satoru stood against a wall, taking a bite from his large piece of cake Reiki had cut for him. He hummed happily savoring the buttercream iced slice. He was delighted, and somehow knowing that Reiki cut him a bigger slice understanding his love for sweets made each bite all the sweeter. Every so often he glanced up, catching sight of Reiki. She was laughing and chatting with Yu and Shoko.

Suguru appeared, leaning against the wall next to Satoru. He had a can of soda in his hand. The smirk he wore drew Satoru’s eye.

“What’s got you so giddy?”

Suguru raised his drink a little higher, just barely concealing his smirk. “Nothing much. Just…” He pushed away the wall, brushing past Satoru. “I was just quicker this time.”

Satoru’s brows scrunched inward, confused by his friend's words. A small frown settled on his face as he watched Suguru approach Reiki, a hand gently falling on her shoulder as he joined in on their conversation.

Reiki laughed, eyes bright, as she looked at Suguru.

꧁𓊈𒆜🅷🅰🅿🅿🆈 🅱🅸🆁🆃🅷🅳🅰🆈 🆁🅴🅸🅺🅸𒆜𓊉꧂

It was a beautiful bouquet. Carefully crafted to signify a specific meaning.

Orchids, for so how dearly she missed her. White Roses, for the love and bond they shared. Mums, for the grief she felt. And Peonies…They were her favorite.

The bouquet was gently laid on the ground, nestled atop the freshly cut grass, just at the base of the cleaned stone plaque.

“Your sister would've loved these flowers.”

“Yeah, she would've. Do you think next year..Next year we could bring Mac?”

“Yeah, I think he’s old enough now. I mean he loves hearing stories about his cool aunt, the way he gushes about her you'd think she was some kind of superhero."

There was a soft gentle chuckle. "She is a hero."

"I’m sure he’d want to wish her a happy birthday too.”

“Yeah…Happy Birthday. I still miss you and I will love you each and every day.”

Lightning cracked above head, dark clouds rolling in on the horizon.

“I hate to cut this short but that storm does not look good. We better go, Emi.”

“Yeah.”

꧁𓊈𒆜🅷🅰🅿🅿🆈 🅱🅸🆁🆃🅷🅳🅰🆈 🆁🅴🅸🅺🅸𒆜𓊉꧂

▀▄▀▄▀▄🄹🅄🄹🅄 🅂🅃🅁🄾🄻🄻▀▄▀▄▀▄

“Thank you, Suguru.”

Suguru huckled. “Now let's get you back. I’m sure the others are worried.”

“Right.”

Reiki made a move to step around Suguru but was stopped as he pulled her closer. Perhaps she wasn't just yet ready to go back and join the others, leaning into the warmth of Suguru’s tender hold.

“Happy Birthday Reiki.”

She wanted to return the thanks, a mumble into his jacket her words of appreciation, but they never came. Instead, she was stopped as a pair of lips fell upon her forehead. It lingered for a moment, Reiki could even feel a smile forming on Suguru's lips. He pulled away, the smile still present. His hand slipped down to grab Reiki’s, intertwining their fingers.

“Okay, now we can go back to the others.”

Chapter Text

Reiki gasped as her airways were restricted. If she attempted to take a breath in her constraint tightened further blocking off her airways. The low hiss echoed, rebounding down the empty school halls. Her eyes were clenched shut. Reiki refuses to open them.

Who knew doing a favor for a friend would result in her ending up in such a situation?

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Let's take a step back. This all started just a few short days ago.

Reiki sensed something was off all day. She confirmed this by finding Yu sitting outside alone. He was lost deep in his own conflicting thoughts. Only noticing Reiki when she startled him, by tapping on his shoulder.

“Oh, Reiki, what are you doing here?” Yu greeted her with a smile that didn't come close to reaching his eyes. It was forced. There was no warmth or joyous enthusiasm behind the action.

Reiki took a seat next to Yu. “Is there something wrong Yu?” She asked.

“Well…you see it's my sister.”

“Did something happen to her?” Reiki remembered Yu’s sister. Just as kind and bubbly as her big brother. Behind Yu she was Reiki’s number one playmate after school when she was just Reiki the neighborhood wanderin lucky stray.

Yu shook his head at Reiki's question. “She's fine but she's been having…trouble. The kind of trouble that a normal person might not be able to solve.”

That meant it was an issue of the Jujutsu kind.

“You come from a family of non-Sorcerers, right?” Reiki asked.

Yu’s smile was small but still there. “Yeah. I’m amazed you remember that.”

“Despite being a dog, I’m a great listener,” Reiki chuckled.

It was enough to earn a slight chuckle from Yu. “Then I guess that means you remember that my sister can see Curses, right?”

Reiki nodded, she remembered when Yu was having a practically hard day. He’d been comforting his poor sister who was plagued by the burden of witnessing the horrific sight of Curses. One particularly nasty one had spoked the poor girl at night and she spent hours crying, comforted by the only person who could understand what she was going through. Yu had hoped to become a Sorcerer so his family didn't have to be exposed to the Jujutsu world. He wanted a world for his sister where she could sleep peacefully at night without the worry of monsters sneaking into her room at night.

Reiki had done her own diligence in comforting the girl when she was in her dog form. When she could sense the girl was having a hard day she would greet her at school and walk her home, sometimes even staying long enough to play.

“Yu…What happened with your sister?” Reiki asked.

His smile dropped, a frown tugging at his lips. It was so foreign on Yu’s face that it unsettled Reiki. Even when he was in the heat of battle, he had a determined fire burning in his eyes. It was a different form of optimism that pushed Yu further to clear the world of Curses. This...this was the opposite of Yu as a person.

“It's her school. She’s been telling me that she’s been seeing odd things at school. And…kids have been getting sick.”

“Sick?”

Yu nodded. “Yeah, people think it's an outbreak of the flu, but my sister thinks otherwise. She said…something is wrong with the school. Sometimes it gets hard to breathe and it's like a dark cloud keeps hovering over it.”

“I see…”

Yu clenched his fist. “I want to check on her but, I’ve got a mission and….” With gritted teeth, Yu closed his eyes, the weight of his helpless barring down on him.

“I’ll go.”

“What?”

“I’ll go. I don't have any missions coming up, I’ll let Yaga-Sensei know and go check up on your sister for you. And I’ll take a look at the school too,” Reiki said.

“Reiki…You’d really do that for me?” Yu asked, his eyes starting to water.

“Yes, you don't even have to ask.” She knelt before Yu, cupping his hands. “I promise you, I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“Thank you, Reiki!” Yu flung himself forward, arms wrapping around the girl. “Thank you!”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Reiki managed to get permission from Yaga to go out and investigate on Yu’s behalf. He chalked it up as a practical study but made it clear if Reiki was called for a more serious mission she’d have to come back.

That meant she was on a time crunch. Who knows when she may be needed?

The local elementary school in Yu’s neighborhood had been the school he attended as a kid. Now it was his sister's turn. She was in her last year, preparing to enter middle school.

First thing first, she needed to gather info. And she knew the perfect method to easily gather information. Reiki skirted down an alley. There was a loud pop with a bright jolt of light. Seconds later Reiki in her dog form came padding out.

No one thought twice about talking around a dog. Incognito mode, puppy style.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Reiki’s best bet to finding out what was going on with the school was to go to the school herself. She arrived at the school roughly an hour before it let out. Time to do a little reconnaissance. If the source of the mishappenings were caused by a Curse, maybe she’d get lucky and just find it wandering the school grounds. She’d be able to get rid of it real quick and bring the good news back to Yu.

Reiki did a parameter sweep of the school coming up with little. She did wrangle and take out a minor Curse, but its power level was so low that there was no way it could do much even if it had purposeful macle intent. It was a good thing to rid the school of it before it grew into a bigger problem, but it wasn't Reiki’s target.

“Okay, nothing on the outer school grounds guess I gotta go inside.”

The elementary school was walled in by thick cement bricks that encompassed the entirety of the school grounds, playground included. Only a small portion was blocked with bars. A large gate to allow people on and off the school property. They aren't big enough for a small child to fit through but are big enough for a dog-sized Reiki to slip in. She had to wiggle her head and hips a bit but managed to squeeze her way through the bars and get inside the school grounds.

The school consisted of the main school building, a play yard with a large field, and a large shed. Reiki did a lap around the main building. Yes, now she was closer she could pick up a hint of Cursed Energy.

This was where she would search next.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“Reiki!”

“It's Reiki!”

“Look Reiki!”

“Aww, my adoring public,” Reiki snickers with a tease.

The moment the school bell rang children came pouring out of the school rushing for the gates to make a break for it. Reiki had been waiting patiently just outside the gates. The first kid who had spotted her let out a surprised gasp with her name and came barreling down. She started a chain reaction, a gaggle of elementary-aged kids shouting her name and rushing over to see Reiki in all her fluffy glory.

Reiki could make out some familiar faces but noted that a few were missing. There was a girl, Kayaoko. She was notable with pigtails and red glasses. A bit shy in nature but that nervous energy would vanish when she was in Reiki's presence, fighting the sea of kids to get her hands in Reiki’s fur. There was also Katsuro. He sort of reminded her of a mini Nanami, with his stoic nature. He could often be found fast-stepping out of the school to hit the local library. He was never found without a book and was top of his class with exemplary grades. He had even skipped a grade. He never missed a day of school and neither would Tomoi. That girl was built like raw steel. You know that kid who eats dirt and falls out of trees? Yeah, that was Tomoi, she literally fell out of a tree with only a few bumps and scratches. The girl was completely fine. Meaning nothing could put that girl down, so that meant she was always at school.

That's three familiar faces that Reiki was always greeted by when she stood outside this school. One is a coincidence, two is an accident, but three is a pattern.

“Reiki…”

There she was. Yu’s little sister managed her way through the crowd, reaching Reiki. It was at that moment she was grateful that it was she who had come rather than Yu. If he had seen the state that his sister was in, his worry would surely hit new heights.

The kind of pale that would have eluded to some higher status of society in the 1800s but it was ghastly sight in today's age. She looked prepared to star in her own horror movie as the ghost of a Victorian child. That ebony hair that was often tied back by two pigtails hung in limp strands, curtaining her face in shadows further highlighting the hollowness of her tired face.

Reiki was surprised her parents even let her leave the house, let alone come to school. Reiki’s seen overworked and unpaid corporate employees look less drained than her. Concerned, she padded her way over to the sickly-looking girl, whimpering and whiny as she did a circle in front of her.

“Oh, Reiki, you sound sad.”

“Of course I am! Look at you!” Reiki pressed her nose against the girl's hand. Her hands were cold and…

She pulled back for a moment then leaned back in, nose pressed further against her skin. She took four strong sniffs. That was it! The hint of Cursed Energy. It lingered on her skin clinging to her like a sickly film that enveloped her tiny form. And…she wasn't the only one like that.

With worried-filled eyes, Reiki cast her gaze on not just Yu’s sister but also the other children in the crowd. One by one she started spotting children with the similar veneer of Cursed Energy laid atop them. An unseen veil of darkness that consumed them. Each child was in a different stage of weariness. Pale and sickly. No wonder some parents thought an outbreak of the flu was going around.

“Huh? A dog?” A male voice spoke up.

He was a kahiki-suited tower, standing just at the edge of the crowd of children. Reiki didn't know who this man was.

“That’s just Reiki!” One of the teachers Reiki recognized, spoke up. “Ah! You're new here Bunji, so you don't know. She’s a local dog who the neighborhood sort of takes care of.”

“A stray? Should we be letting the kid touch it then?”

“It?” Reiki huffed annoyed.

The teacher chuckled. “It's fine, it's fine. Reiki’s harmless, the sweetest thing really.  They say if you pet her it brings you good luck.”

“Now that's just ridiculous,” Bunji said.

“It's true! In fact, one time, I had these horrible stomach aches for like two weeks. Reiki came by and sat on my lap and after a petting session, my stomach ache was gone. Poof! Just like that!”

The man’s flat gaze spoke volumes.

Despite the man’s apprehension, Reiki darted around the crowd of kids making note of each one who seemed supernaturally sick, afflicted with the same Curse ailments.

“This is bad. Yu had every right to worry. There’s definitely something going on in that school. Okay! I’m only gonna get to the bottom of this…I’m gonna need to get into this school.”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

The clacks of a keyboard as the user endlessly tapped away sounded in the small office. For an elementary school, there was much work to be done for all the staff members. The head secretary was no exception. Her work doubled once the strange flu outbreak hit.

“Excuse.”

The woman paused as she glanced up from her computer.

“Hello, I’m here as a volunteer!”

Chapter Text

Reiki nervously smiled as she handed over her ID along with a few pieces of paper. Her credentials showing proof that she was perfect for the job as a volunteer and tutor.

She had thought up the idea as she settled into her hotel for the evening, wondering on how she could possibly enter the school without causing much fuss. Going around as a dog wasn't going to fly. She could get away while she remained outside, but the moment she stepped inside she was sure an uproar would occur. That meant she had to go in as a human.

But she couldn't just roll up into a school as if she was a student herself. That meant Reiki needed an in. Reiki had phoned in a favor from the most powerful person she knew, Satoru. She can still hear his voice clearly in her head as if their phone call had just occurred seconds ago.

“A favor you say? Of course, anything for my precious Rei-chan!” He boasted over the phone.

By the time morning came Reiki had a fake ID and a resume boasting her skills. After all, she wasn't lying…again. Technically she was a certified and accredited tutor, just not in this world. Honestly, with her struggle in the written language, she shouldn't be guiding anyone. Hopefully, all she’ll have to do is help with some menial tasks around the school while she snoops.

The secretary appeared relieved as she took Reiki’s info. She didn't say much and typed a few things in. Moments later Reiki was handed a pass.

“Make sure you wear this at all times.”

Reiki nodded as she took the pass and put the lanyard around her neck.

“I’ve already got your first task. Here.”

Reiki was handed a stack of papers.

“Please hand these out to each classroom. I’m swamped.”

That was all the instructions Reiki got before the woman went back to her work.

“Guess I'm on paper duty.” Reiki shrugged her shoulders. “Well, this will be the perfect opportunity to explore the school.”

Hitting each room, Reiki hoped her efforts would bear some fruit. The first three classes only came up with more children afflicted by the strange Curse.

“Excuse me.” Reiki knocked as she entered the next classroom.

“Oh, a high schooler?” Bunji glanced from his writing on the chalkboard.

“I’m a volunteer. My name is Reiki.”

All of the kids perk up at the name. Quizzical eyes examined Reiki. She was sure their underdeveloped minds were comparing her to her dog form. The thing is the kids made her more nervous than the adults. If adults heard her name and knew Reiki the dog, they brushed it off as a funny coincidence. Kids, however, had the fanciful minds to think outside the box. Who knows where their imaginations might take them? She just hoped that rumors of her being a werewolf didn't start to spread.

Reiki presented her pass to Bunji. “I was asked to hand these out.” She passed one of the papers over to Bunji.

The teacher let out a low hum as he did a once-over on the sheet. As he was distracted Reiki examined the room.

“The number of kids surrounded by that strange Cursed Energy…There’s almost double the amount compared to the other classes. Could that mean–”

“Thank you.” Bunji set the paper down on his desk.

“You're welcome, sir. Would you happen to need help? I noticed your class seemed to have more kids than the others.”

Bunji sighed. “True this is the largest class of the year, but at the moment I have no need of any assistance.”

“There goes my plan of finding clues under the guise of volunteering.”

“Okay, well if you need my help I'll be here volunteering all day.” Reiki waved to the teacher before heading out the door. As she was about to open it the door opened on its own.

It was a woman. Not a teacher, at least not one Reiki recognized.

“Oh! Well, aren't you a little old to be in this class?” The woman let out a joyous round of laughter, finding joy in her own joke.

“I’m just a volunteer,” Reiki said.

“How kind. It’s so nice knowing that the younger generations can be so kind and generous.”

“Are you a teacher?”

“No, no, I’m Misao, Bunji’s girlfriend. Although I do a bit of my own volunteering around the school. Mainly helping out with after-school activities.”

“Misao what are you doing here?” Bunji asked. He wasn't upset just curious about her appearance.

 Misao helped up a small wrapped box. “You left your lunch again, so I thought I'd bring it to you.” She chuckled looking at Reiki. “This is the fourth time this week. He can be so forgetful!”

“I understand. I have a friend at school who acts like that, although…” Reiki chuckled with less mirth and more awkwardness, “I think he just enjoys not having to cook and use his legs to actually get the food.” She finished with a mumble of, “He tries to make me feed him.”

Misao laughed, a poised delicate action as she covered her smile with the back of her hand. “Oh, men! What would they do if they didn’t have women like us in our lives?”

“Thank you, Misao.” Bunji walked over. “Sorry to trouble you so much.”

“It's okay, it's my pleasure knowing that you're getting a hearty meal. It's important to keep up your strength.” Misao leaned closer. “We don't want you getting sick now.”

Bunji nodded as he took the lunch from his girlfriend.

Misao pulled out a second container. Much bigger than Bunji’s lunch bento. “I bought a little something for the kids.”

There were a few excited cheers as Misao set the large container on Bunji’s desk. “Okay, I've gotta go, now. I don't have much time left in my lunch.” She kissed her boyfriend's cheek. With a short wave and a smile, she was gone.

“Reiki,” Bunji said. “Can you help me hand these out to the kids?” He gestured to the container of snacks.

“Yes.”

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

The school was closed, but many still lingered around. Older kids staying behind to partake in various clubs. Reiki stayed too, continuing her farce as a simple volunteering teen. A few kids were adamant on getting her to help out their club.

She darted around the school helping in any way that she could. A perfect opportunity to scope out the school in its entirety.

It happened when she was grabbing a box of supplies for the art club. A scream. One of terror and fear caught Reiki’s ears. She immediately dropped the box and rushed to the source of the sound. Skidding around the corner Reiki spotted a boy hunched over on the brink of passing out. Just at the other end of the hall, the pungent odor of a Curse came. Her sharp eyes caught sight of something slithering around the corner.

Reiki glanced at the boy who stood on wobbly knees. She clicked her tongue and ran past him. She had to catch that Curse. It was the only way to undo whatever this was. Reiki raced down the halls determined to catch whatever this Curse was. It's fast, Reiki just trailing after it as it darted down the halls.

As it skirted around another corner Reiki heard the distinct sound of a door opening and slamming shut. She quickly made it around the corner spotting a door rattle just a bit from the aggressive nature of it being shut. Running to it, Reiki threw the door open the moment she got her hands on it.

Bunji jumped as the door abruptly opened.

“W-What? The volunteer girl?” He mumbled. “Why did you slam my door open?”

Reiki’s eyes darted about the classroom. Nothing. It was gone. The only thing in the room was…Bunji.

“Young lady, what do you think you're doing?”

“I–”

“Oh, is that the little school helper?” From behind Misao appeared, smiling as she stood inches from Reiki. “You're still here? Helping out with the clubs? How sweet!”

“There’s a boy down the hall, I think he might be sick,” Reiki said.

Bunji sighed. “I'll go check it out.” He sped by the two in the doorway leaving.

“Thank you, for letting us know,” Misao said.

“No problem.”

Misao skipped off after her boyfriend. Reiki’s eyes narrowed as she faced the classroom. Cursed Energy lingered everywhere. She was sure–no she knew that the Curse had come in here.

She knew what to do next.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

The moon had reprised its role as it took its place in the night sky. The school was closed but it was not empty. Not just one but two were within.

The steps echoed down the hall, the shadow from around the corner growing.

“So it was you after all,” Reiki said.

The figure appeared. Bunji came staggering around the corner. A blank expression settled on his face. His eyes were open but his gaze was hollow, no light or life to be seen. Dead.

Reiki’s lips curled as her nose wrinkled in disdain. “Misao.”

From around the corner out came the woman. Confident strides as she stepped around Bunji. Misao smirked, one arm folded just under her chest as she rested the elbow of her other arm in it. A hand was poised snidely before her smirking mouth.

“So you figured out it was me, huh?” Misao said.

“I’ll admit I had my suspicions. I thought the culprit had been Bunji, but thanks for proving me wrong,” Reiki said.

Misao flipped her hair. “Aww, and I thought I hid myself so well. So how did you know it was me?”

“You might be all smiles and kindness on the outside but you're swathed in as much putrid Cursed Energy. And I saw it. You looked far too happy when I said that boy was sick.”

Misao giggled. “I guess I did get a bit ahead of myself. I just get so giddy when I’m doing work.”

“Work? You get giddy when you make kids sick?” Reiki sneered.

“Oh, them getting sick is just a side effect. I don't do it on purpose, but it can’t be helped. I need them after all.”

“For what?”

“Hmmm…Let me ask you dear, how old do you think I am?”

Reiki’s brows furrowed. What kind of question was that? But she’ll play her games.

“I’d say you're in your early twenties.”

“Oh well thank you. I’m actually turning fifty this year.”

Reiki’s confusion furthered. That wasn't possible. The woman didn't have any signs of aging. Not a single wrinkle in sight.

“You see dear, I maintain my youth by taking energy from others. I used to siphon it off from others. Such as models. Focusing solely on beauty. But I discovered something even more bountiful than just mere beauty.”

“And that is?”

“Youth. Draining someone of their youth is far more rewarding. I mean, why do I need to enhance my beauty? I'm already gorgeous, flawless. The only thing that can mar such perfection is time. Youth is what I need.”

“So you purposely sought out and started dating a teacher just to gain access to children?”

“Of course, genius is it not? With youth, I can remain beautiful inside and out.”

“The inside part is highly debatable,” Reiki mumbled.

Misao missed the quip, continuing on with her little monologue. “My skin stays smooth, blemish-free, with elasticity that leaves it with a nice firm bounce. I don't fall ill, my hair is healthy and full of absolute luster. My eyes shine with utter brilliance and….”

Reiki started to tune out the woman as she delved further into a speech that focused solely on herself. She had never met someone who bragged about themselves so much. Not even Satoru got close to reaching these levels of smugness. The woman seemed to operate on her own pompous fumes.

“It's pretty shameless how you used your boyfriend like some kind of human shield to prey on children. That is if he was even human.”

“Oh, you figured that one out too?” Misao walked around Bunji, draping an arm across his shoulders. He barely reacted to the contact, swaying at the added weight. Her amusement came with a smarmy smile as she ran her index finger across the blank man's chin.

“Disguising a Curse as human.”

“Pretty clever, right?” Misao said. She pulled from Bunji and snapped her fingers.

Reiki took a step back as Bunji started to violently shake. The hairs on the back of her neck raised, with her tail and ears popping forth. There was a drastic spike in Cursed Energy. There was the horrid sound of bones snapping, Bunji’s body twisting and convulsing. There was the tearing of clothing as Bunji’s body enlarged. Or was it his skin? He fell to the floor writhing, but not a sound left him. His eyes snapped open, long gone were his brown eyes instead replaced by bright red orbs. His tongue split into two. Bunji’s skin melted away revealing a plethora of green scales.

Hackles raised Reiki took another step back as she heard a low hiss.

“Isn't he a beauty?” Misao curved her arms around the head of the massive snake.

Reiki suddenly felt woozy, her stomach churned, as her knees grew weak. Her gaze connected with the snakes and Reiki immediately looked away.

“Aw, now don't turn away, now.” Misao chuckled. “I'll let you in on a little secret. Bunji needs to make eye contact in order to drain his victims. It leaves them listless and in a daze, and Bunji’s image is nothing but a hazy nightmare. I mean a giant snake roaming around would cause a bigger stir don't you think? Now then…” Misao snapped her fingers.

Bunji whipped around, his giant tail swinging around like a club. Reiki reacted fast, raising her arms, and guarding herself. The impact sent Reiki flying off her feet and not just into but through a set of classroom doors. The momentum kept up as she soared through the classroom crashing through several desks. A few unfortunate students will definitely not have desks tomorrow.

“Just once…” Reiki groaned as she sat up, untangling herself from the pile of crushed desks. “I would like a mission where I’m not thrown into something.”

“Poor girl,” Misao snickered as she stepped through the broken doors. “That must've hurt. Here, why don't we help you up? Bunji?”

All the air was forced out of Reiki as her feet were lifted off the ground. Bunji’s body winded around the girl, constricting her movement and breathing. Reiki winced as she attempted to move any part of her body. Arms glued to her side with her own elbows digging into her ribs. Knees knocked together. Lungs burning as it became more difficult to breathe. But through all that Reiki kept her eyes closed.

“My you sure are defiant. It must be getting difficult to breathe, right? If you just open your eyes it’ll all be okay. Everything will seem like nothing but a bad dream,” Misao said

“Heh,” Reiki snorted, scoffing with a mild huff of laughter. Bunji’s grip got tighter.  “You're so focused on surface-level appearances, but you see there’s truly more than meets the eye.”

Misao rolled her eyes. “If you're about to give me some kind of speech about beauty and things being only skin deep, you can save your breath. By the looks of it you're going to need it.”

“No…”

The hall got a bit warmer as the air jumped with energy. Misao’s brows furrowed in confusion as she noticed a sudden shift in Reiki.

The young teen smirked, flashing her fangs as Cursed Energy swathed her form. “You think you've caught me, because you couldn't see that I’m more than I am.”

Misao jumped at the sound of thunder. Was a storm coming? But the skies were clear. There was a flash of white light and Reiki vanished.

“What?” Misao gasped, taking one step forward. “Where did she go–” The woman yelped as something white darted out from Bunji’s coiled form. It came to a halt just a few feet away down the hall.

“A-A dog?” Misao stuttered.

Reiki growled, teeth bared, as she took a defensive stance.

“N-No way…she turned into a dog, but–” Misao clicked her tongue and pointed at Reiki. “Bunji get that mangy mutt!”

Bunji hissed and followed Misao’s commands. He dove for the dog, gaping jaw open to snap her up in one gulp. The large snake received nothing but empty air. Reiki had easily evaded Bunji. The snake attacked once more but missed Reiki by a long shot. It was a game of cat and mouse, with the mouse doing nothing but toying with the cat.

“Bunji! You useless thing! Catch her!” Misao shouted.

There was an influx of Cursed Energy as Misao forced Bunji to move faster. Reiki only matched his speed going faster herself. She pushed past her limits. It was exhilarating as Cursed Energy surged through her body. Reiki pinged across the room. Bouncing from surface to surface, with nothing but a trail of light following her.

Misao gasped as her eyes darted across the room attempting to keep track of the agile Reiki, but all she caught were glimpses of the trail of lights that followed Reiki. Even Bunji had been unable to keep up, the large snake’s head whipping around as it found its target impossible to track.

“Bunji–” Misao stilled. It had happened so quickly, just within the time it took her to take one breath.

Lighting streaked across the room, filling the room with a bright warm light. It had briefly blinded Misao, there was no time to cover her eyes. As her vision adjusted, the sight before her was Reiki across the room–just on the other side of Bunji–a kunai clenched between her teeth. Remnants of electricity jumped across the metal surface of the knife. 

“Bunji?” Misao turned around. “Bunji, what the hell are you doing just standing there, she’s right–”

A shriek left Bunji the snake flailing. There was a crackle of power and Bunji burst into nothing but Cursed Energy.

“W-What..” Misao staggered in her spot, witnessing her cursed creature just implode. “No way. With just one strike, she destroyed my Bunji.” 

“Hey.”

Misao turned around. Reiki had never felt so satisfied at the sound of bone crunching and the feeling of flesh caving around her fist. A satisfied smirk split her face as Misao crumbled beneath her blow.

“There, now your outside matches your inside.”

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

Reiki smiled as she made her way onto campus.

She climbed up the steps that led to the main courtyard of the school. Her smile faltered as she was greeted by a rather odd sight.

Suguru and Satoru were flying through the air with matching expressions of impish mirth. A seething Yaga, fumed with his fist still in the air. An equally as frustrated Shoko was shouting with her fist for some reason dug deep into the stomach of an already injured Yu. And a poor awkward Nanami standing off to the sidelines watching it all go down.

Chapter Text

Confidence had never been Reiki’s strong suit, at least not in her previous life. But there was something that never wavered and that was the solidified reassurance that Reiki was no dummy. Tests were constantly aced and exams were passed with high marks. Anything that Reiki couldn't understand or grasp quickly could easily be remedied with a little extra hard work and study time.

But right now Reiki felt like the biggest idiot in the whole world. So far her grades have been acceptable. Yaga was more than lenient on her, allowing her to fill out answers in English as she stumbled her way through Japanese. But she knew that wouldn't last forever. Whenever it came time to fill out reports she had to sit down with someone and spend far too much time just spelling one sentence.

To make matters worse she felt like a complete fool when she had her lessons with Suguru. She felt far too inferior. Sure his native language was Japanese but he spoke and wrote beautifully. Not to mention he spoke and read English far better than most his age. Of course, he had an accent and lisp here and there when his tongue hit the roof of his mouth when he said certain words, but Reiki had no trouble understanding him.

If she was going to be dropped into a foreign country why wasn't it one where the native language was Spanish? She knew Spanish!

“Reiki concentrate.”

A pair of fingers snapping in her face drew Reiki back to the real world. In her lap sat a workbook. The kind you’d get for a grade-schooler to help them learn their alphabet and grammar. Yup, Reiki felt stupid.

Suguru pulled his hand back. “Come on, just a few more drills and you'll be done.”

“Suguru…” Reiki turned to the boy looking utterly devastated. Her dog ears were drooped and her sunset gaze was brimming with tears. Puppy eyes to the tenth degree. “Am I stupid?”

“Huh?” Suguru stared at the girl and her comical expression of devastation. He shook his head with a chuckle. “No, in fact, you're quite smart. One of the smartest people I’ve come across.”

“Then why is this so hard?” Reiki groaned, slumping forward and burying her face in her book. She leaned into the workbook, nose filled with the scent of ink and pulped paper.

The book was lowered and Reiki came face to face with Suguru. He was crouching before her, faces inches away. A hand reached out to pat her head.

“You're doing fine Reiki. No one expects you to learn an entire language in a day. Considering the circumstances you're doing great. No need to get frustrated. Besides you speak perfectly fine. How about after we're done here we can go into town and grab a bite? My treat.”

“O-Okay,” Reiki stuttered.

He smiled, leaning a bit closer.

The sudden sound of a horn caused the two to pull away, turning to the source of the noise.

“Is that Satoru?” Reiki asked, tilting her head.

“On a bike?” Suguru questioned tilting his head the other way.

Pulling up on a black bike was indeed Satoru. It was a casual bike meant for city riding–the kind commuters often rode–with a basket hooked onto the front. Satoru kept honking the horn letting all around him know of his presence.

“Hello!” Suguru sang out as he braked the bike rather hard, kicking up some dirt and rocks. “Check out my sweet ride.”

“Where did you even get that thing?” Suguru asked.

“A mission,” Satoru said as if that answered all questions.

“Satoru, did you…steal a bike?” Reiki asked.

“No, I just picked it up after some dude left it after running away from a Curse.”

“That’s stealing,” Suguru said.

“Nah, dude said he didn't want it anymore because he thought it brought him bad luck. Technically he was right, it actually had a Curse stuck to it. So I got rid of it. But he was still adamant about not wanting it so I took it.” Satoru winked, giving a cheeky smile.

“Why do I get the feeling there's more to that story,” Reiki said.

“Come on, let's go for a ride!” Satoru said.

“You're only fitting one other person on that,” Suguru said.

Satoru looked at Reiki, his smile growing with an expectant glimmer that she could easily pick up even with the glasses he wore.

“Yeah, yeah,” Reiki sighed as Curse energy swirled around her, “I know what you want.”

Suguru turned to Reiki only to find she wasn't there. His gaze drifted down and found dog Reiki. She trotted her way over to Satoru, the Sorcerer happily picking the girl up and placing her in the small basket that was strapped to the front of the bike.

“Okay, Reiki is good to go.” Satoru looked at Suguru patting the back half of the seat. “Come on Suguru, you know you want to.”

Suguru rolled his eyes but smiled as he made his way over to the bike, hopping on the back.

“Hold on tight! We ride like the wind!” Satoru announced.

Reiki barked as Satoru rang the bell. As he promised, Satoru shot off, pedaling with all his energy. Suguru did have to hold on tight, hands gripping Satoru’s shoulders. Satoru’s laughter was mixed with the excited barks of Reiki. She was loving this. With her tongue lulled and the wind flowing through her fur, was an amazing feeling.

“Here comes the stairs!” Satoru announced.

“Wait stairs?” Suguru said, slightly panicked.

Satoru whopped and cheered as the bike went over the edge sending the trio tumbling down a set of stairs. Suguru shouted, gripping tighter to Satoru as the bike was wildly rocked by the stone steps. Reiki was in the same boat as Suguru, yelping and doing her best to hold onto the basket to her best ability. Turns out that is extremely hard when you don't have thumbs. They hit a rather hard bump and Reiki was so startled that she was going to be sent flying, she poofed back into her human form. She screamed as she was awkwardly draped across the front of the bike, her bottom sunk into the basket while her back was supported by a still laughing Satoru. Terrified, she gripped his shirt with one hand while her other was wrapped around Satoru’s head, her frightened eyes set on the remaining stairs.

With one last bump at the bottom, they finally made it to the end. Satoru brought the bike to a stop. Heavy post-adrenaline breaths came from both Suguru and Reiki, disheveled after Satoru’s little stunt.

“Don't–” Suguru took a deep breath in, “–ever do that again.”

“I double that,” Reiki said.

“You two need to live a little. Now off to the bakery!” Satoru said.

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

“You've read over the report?” Nanami asked.

“Yup!” Reiki said.

“Good,” Nanami nodded. “Then let's get to it.”

Reiki would be lying if she said she wasn't a little excited. Most of her missions had been solo endeavors. She was sure that the higher-ups were putting her through the wringer considering her Sorcerer status. This would be her second mission with another Sorcerer post-dog transformation. And she got to work with Nanami. A truly dependable person. If it wasn't for him Reiki would really be in hot water in class. He was not only smart but was excellent at explaining things to Reiki. He took the best notes–Nanami had impeccable handwriting–and was patient when it came to helping Reiki with classwork. If Nanami was just a fraction reliable in class then he’d be an amazing partner to go on missions with.

Nanami led the way, the case he always wore bouncing against his back with each step. Reiki always thought it reminded her of an attache more than a school bag for a teen. Once she had asked Nanami about his case, he gave a curt and very Nanami-esque answer of “My weapon”.

Reiki was pretty interested in that. “I wonder what Nanami’s Curse Technique is. I've never heard him talk about it.” She tilted her head, cupping her chin with her thumb and forefinger. “Now that I think about it, Yu’s never told me about his either. I’ll have to ask him later.”

“Hello! Over here!”

A man called out as he waved to the two teens. Somehow his green jumpsuit made him both stand out and blend in with his surroundings. Nanami and Reiki were pretty sure they knew who he was, but the name tag sewn on his clothing confirmed that he was Jin.

Jin jogged over to the two greeting them with a smile. “Wow, you two really are high school students. When my coworker said you two were coming I honestly couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.”

“Despite our age we are qualified,” Nanami said.

It was clear that Nanami was possibly one of the most mature teenagers that ever existed. His no-nonsense and stoic nature paired with his often steady tone with little inflection made him seem more like a business executive. He had that calm professional demeanor that sealed deals. It’s also why he was able to get the most cooperation with non-Jujutsu-related civilians. 

“I’ll be taking you two to the campgrounds,” Jin spoke gesturing behind him. “My vehicle is parked over there.”

Parked by some trees just at the edge of the forest was a green Jeep, a perfect offroading vehicle for such an uneven terrain. Nanami and Reiki followed the man, Nanami took shotgun while Reiki sat in the back.

“The drive shouldn't take more than ten minutes. The campgrounds were built in mind that you're far enough from the city to be one with nature but close enough that you could get cell service in case of emergencies,” Jin said.

Nanami nodded giving a silent signal that he was listening, but that calm demeanor was momentarily broken as the Jeep was jolted. Nanami grunted holding onto the seat as he bounced just a bit. Reiki caught a bit of air too.

Jin apologized with a good-natured laugh. “Sorry! The road can be quite bumpy.”

One bumpy ride later the group arrived at their destination. A large sign loomed overhead letting all those who entered exactly where they had arrived.

Midori Springs

A summer camp that was last year turned into a resort. The place received its name from a natural hot spring located a nice hike away. As of late, there had been a rash of odd happenings across the grounds.

A summer camp would make sense for a Curse to develop. Kids of all ages, ranging from grade school to teen, gathered in one place is a breeding ground for Curses. Campfires are the perfect setting for ghost stories and every camp has their own special legend. A tale told across the years passed down from camper to camper. Growing and twisting as it passes the lips of each generation. Although it would take a Curse a bit of time to develop. It might be fueled by the negative energy of the campers but they're only present for less than two months out of the year. Festering and growing as it's fueled by each person who stays here.

There had been tails of the grounds being haunted. That led to stories of paranormal activity. And soon you have couples running out of their cabins in hysterics. Not only that but someone went missing in the words. He was found three days later, dead. It was quickly determined that this was the work of a Curse.

Reiki read the mission file carefully. Within the folders information listed the many rumors that wafted about the campgrounds. Two stories had stuck out to Reiki. The first one was called the Wandering Woods. The tale goes that a camper had wandered off into the woods. He was lost for three days before his body was found. So the legend created states that if you wander off into the woods passing by the exact tree the camper had at precisely 11 pm then you'll find yourself lost in an endless sea of trees, and your body will be found three days later.

The second story tells of a camp cook who would secretly kill campers and counselors to make meals out of them. Legend has it he still wanders the campgrounds at night searching for new people to add to his menu.

None of these stories were based upon any documented cases, but that's why they're called legends. Both of those stories would explain the current mysteries of the camp. Curses that fed upon the legends to gain tangible forms in the real world.

The campgrounds consisted of twelve cabins spread out in a circular pattern. Each cabin had a number painted on the door in bold white paint. A larger cabin was built across from the cabins. A large green sign labeled Welcome Center” was hung above it.

The car came to a stop, those inside getting out. The sounds of the car doors slamming echoed throughout the wooded area. Reiki closed her eyes, taking it all in. She inhaled deeply and was rewarded with a nose full of the strong notes of chestnut from the trees. The rich earthy scent of slightly damp soil. She took in the sounds. It was almost silent. Nothing but the gentle breeze that passed through the branches.

“Odd…” Reiki mumbled.

“Something wrong?” Nanami asked.

“I can't hear any animals.”

“Alright,” Jin interrupted, “So I guess this is where I leave you.”

“Yes, we’ll contact you once we need to be picked up,” Nanami said.

“Geeze,” Jin smiled but his lack of nerve was reflected in his unsteady gaze. “I feel kind of weird leaving two kids out here all alone.”

“Not to worry. We're professionals,” Reiki said.

Jin gave them one more once over then got back into his car driving off.

“So I guess our first task is to do some exploring. I think we should check out the cabin from the report,” Reiki said.

“Yes, that sounds like a good start,” Nanami agreed.

Falling in step with one another, Nanami and Reiki made their way to the cabin labeled number five. Four wood steps led up to the small porch. Two small windows rested on each side of the door. It made the front of the cabin appear like a face with window eyes and a door mouth. A welcome mat rested right before the front door. Nanami grabbed the door knob attempting to open the door. The knob wiggled a few times but the door didn't budge.

“It's locked,” Nanami commented with a hint of annoyance.

The workers had been informed of their arrival. Why did people always have to make things harder?

“Hey.”

Nanami turned to Reiki. She was standing before one of the windows, which was open.

“We can get in through here.”

Stepping over he explained the window. “It's too small.”

“Is it?” Reiki glanced back with a cheeky smile that unsettled Nanami, it looked far too similar to one of his Seniors.

Not a moment later Nanami was lifting up doggy Reiki and slipping her through the window. He barely heard a sound as she vanished into the cabin, landing on soft padded feet. There was a bit of rustling and the door opened revealing a rather proud human Reiki. No door was going to defeat her today!

“Hurdle number one cleared,” Reiki said.

Nanami stepped into the cabin pausing when he saw the state it was in. “Guess they didn't bother to clean up.”

The interior was in shambles. Remnants of the terrified guests who had fled into the night. There was a small living space with an open kitchen to the right. A set of stairs led to a loft which was the sleeping area.

There was a cushionless couch, what was left of its seating was spread out in a massacre of scattered fluff. All of the kitchen cabinets were open and each item within had been tossed out. Even the door to the oven and fridge was open. A lamp was knocked over, and the bulb shattered. There was a flat-screen TV that barely clung to the wall, amazingly it was mostly untouched save for its skewed position.

“Looks like the aftermath of a great party,” Reiki commented. Her nose wiggled just a bit as used her other senses to take in the cabin. “There’s Cursed Energy almost everywhere.”

“Yeah.” Nanami adjusted his weapon case. “I can sense it too.”

Reiki shook her head and her ears appeared. “I’m gonna see if I can get a stronger hit.”

Nanami stepped aside, allowing Reiki to do her thing. She sniffed about the cabin in search of a trail that would lead them to the Curse.

Nanami didn't think that he would experience something so odd. He watched Reiki dart about the cabin, nose to the ground, sometimes quite literally. She jumped on the couch, nose trailing just inches above the armrest. Hopping over the back she quickly stepped towards the kitchen. At one point she stuck her head into one of the cupboards. Nanami thought she was gonna hop inside.

He was slightly startled when Reiki suddenly whipped around. Her pupils were slightly enlarged.

“This way,” Reiki said.

Nanami followed her as she rushed upstairs to the sleeping area. It was in a similar state as the rest of the cabin. The mattress had been knocked off with all the bedding thrown about. Feathers were everywhere as if the pillows had exploded. All pictures that were hung up had been knocked off. A shattered vase lay at the base of the nightstand, the flowers it once held were crushed and wilted. All the drawers of the dresser were open and the contents flung about, the same had happened to the closet.

Nanami knew immediately why Reiki had been drawn to this part of the cabin. The Cursed Energy residuals lingered like stains.

Reiki grabbed one of the tattered pillows. She brought it to her nose taking a deep inhale. There was the soft scent of lavender detergent, a musky lingering that must've come from the last person who laid their head on it. Then there was the last scent. It gave notes of the trees outside with sour notes that reminded Reiki of curdled milk. Then she inhaled the scent, committing it to memory.

When she was finished she put the pillow back down. “It's safe to assume that the Curse is no longer in the cabin.”

“Yeah,” Nanami agreed.

“But I’ve got its scent,” Reiki smirked. “So I should have no trouble tracking it down.”

Chapter Text

Nanami had no qualms about letting Reiki lead the way. It was the most logical action to take. As a dog with the ability to follow the scent of Cursed Energy to not let her lead the way would be idiotic.

He would never admit it without being prompted but Nanami was impressed by Reiki. She did have a natural talent for being a Sorcerer but that can only bring one so far. Reiki worked hard. Nanami often caught her doing all she could to not only catch up but she aimed to be the best she could. What Nanami found most admirable about it was the fact that Reiki did so not for praise, not to be the best, but simply because she wanted to do the best possible job she could.

Dog Reiki’s padded feet crushed leaves and twigs as she followed the trail. Nanami was right behind her, cautious about his surroundings. Reiki hopped over a large root with Nanami easily clearing it with a large step. A few more steps and Reiki came to a stop.

There was a pop with a puff of clouds and Reiki returned back to her human form. “There,” she pointed forward.

Nanami followed her finger. Just a few feet away past some trees was the opening to a cave.

“The trail ends there,” Reiki said.

“I see….” Nanami sighed and unshouldered his case.

Interested Reiki watched as he set the case down and opened it. She was even more curious as the teen pulled out a large cleaver. It was a peculiar weapon with a large speckled cloth wrapped around the blade.

Now Reiki really wanted to know what Nanami’s Curse Technique was.

“Are you prepared to enter, Reiki?” Nanami asked.

“Huh? Oh yes.”

“We don't know how deep the cave goes so we may reach a point where it's too dark to see.”

“That won't be a problem.” Reiki smiled, giving a thumbs up. “I can navigate in the dark. Although if it did get to that point wouldn't it be dangerous for you to fight? Not to mention we have no clue how big it is inside. We’d be putting ourselves at risk if we end up encountering the Curse in an enclosed space.”

Nanami took in her words. Her reasoning was sound and fair, but also logical.

“I have an idea," Reiki said.

“Go on.”

“How about I go inside and lure the Curse out? You wait at the entrance and strike once it's out.”

Nanami mulled on the plan for a moment, then nodded. “Okay. Before you enter I have to tell you something.”

“Hm? What’s that?” Reiki asked with a tilt of her head.

“What my Curse Technique is.”

“Really? I thought Sorcerer’s were big on not revealing their Techniques?”

Would the answers to her curiosity truly be that easy?

“Normally yes. But I set a condition for myself. If I tell others about how my ability works I can maximize the output of my Cursed Energy for attacks.”

“Really? That's Incredible,” Reiki said.

Nanami swung his arm a few times, loosening up and giving a few test swings of his weapon. “We’ll follow through with your plan.”

“Right! Leave it to me to lure out the Curse and I’ll leave it to you to finish it off”

Nanami nodded in agreement.

Reiki trodded up to the cave pausing to give him a thumbs up before disappearing into the darkness. 

- - ┈┈∘┈˃̶༒ ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ ༒˂̶┈∘┈┈ --

Nanami waited, poised and ready. Time ticked by leaving Nanami alone with nothing but the whistle of the wind through the trees. Five then ten minutes went by.

That's when he heard it. It was distant at first and steadily grew with each passing second. Barking. It was barking. Nanami gripped the handle of his cleaver tighter. Reiki was coming. As her barks grew louder Nanami could start to make out a low thudding.

“It sounds big,” Nanami said.

Reiki’s barking bounced around the cave echoing out loudly. She broke through the mouth of the cave espcaring the darkness. As her paws met the ground she reverted back into a human.

“Nanami! Here it comes!”

There was a flash of light and Reiki vanished in the blink of an eye. Nanami was mildly confused, taken aback as Reiki appeared several feet away. Stumbling forward as she caught herself from skidding on the first floor. How? When did she get so fast? He shook off his surprise, no time to dwell on it.

The Curse came tumbling out of the cave. It ran on all fours with a low-hanging stomach that dragged on the ground. It did not run but more so used its long fingers to drag and push itself. A single eye cemented in the center of its head. Its skin was pale to the point that it was almost translucent.

Nanami narrowed his gaze, his technique activating.

Eager and amazed Reiki watched as Nanami surged forward. He reeled back his arm and with one fell swoop his knife cut through, going from neck to end.

“Amazing…” Reiki said in awe.

It was a one-hit attack. At least it should've been.

The Curse let out a horrendous howl that echoed through the forest. The skin immediately started to stitch itself together. Within seconds no mark was left, no semblance that it had been attacked at all. Nanami only appeared mildly frustrated but didn't falter. Prepping and attacking again.

He performed his attack over and over, and any damage he did was immediately repaired.

“This isn't good,” Reiki mumbled.

Nanami paused, huffing from all the exertion. He was growing even more frustrated. This was truly annoying.

“Nanami.” Reiki rushed over.

“It heals too fast for me to do any real damage. Also, its skin is tough, it’s as if I’m attempting to cut through stone.”

“Attacking on the outside is a no-go.” Reiki grimaced. “I have an idea. I’m not too fond of it but it may work.”

“What is it?”

“I need you to make the biggest opening you can. Preferably on its stomach. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Okay.”

Reiki took a few steps back, standing directly behind Nanami. He prepared, the Curse already charging for its next attack. As before he sliced through the Curse, his Ratio Technique guiding him to the perfect spot to strike. The Curse's stomach split open. Nanami wondered what Reiki was going to do, but he wasn't expecting her in her dog form to jump into the Curse.

“R-Reiki!” Nanami shouted stunned.

The cut healed up, sealing Reiki inside. Nanami could make out Reiki through the skin. Her small form was nothing but a shadow floating in the thing's stomach. She was kicking her legs like she was attempting to swim but made no progress. Nanami’s fear rose as her movements started to slow. Then she went still.

He cursed internally and raised his blade prepared to get her out. That's when it happened. A set of clouds rolled overhead. Dark and angry, ready to unleash a torrential force of nature.

Nanami covered his eyes as lightning erupted from the clouds and struck the Curse dead center. The thing exploded, leaving behind a visceral mess of the Curse's innards. They would evaporate and become nothing in minutes but that didn't make it any less disgusting.

Kneeling in the center of the mess was a mussed Reiki. One knee on the ground along with a hand to keep her stable. She was drenched in yellow liquid and coughing up the extra she had accidentally swallowed.

When her airways were cleared she turned to Nanami. She had to move the wet hair that was clinging to her face.

“I'd very much like to go back now…and take a shower.”

 ┈ ⋞ 〈 ⏣ 🅙🅤🅙🅤 🅢🅣🅡🅞🅛🅛 ⏣ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Yaga raised the mug to take a large sip. This morning he enjoyed his daily cup outside. It was raining last night, the downpour breaking just as the sun's first light hit. Yaga enjoyed the fresh smell that coated the earth after a rain. An earthy richness that somehow made the air purer.

A set of rushed footsteps sounded off behind Yaga. The man glanced over his shoulder spotting Reiki rushing towards him. She appeared delighted with a wide smile and dilated pupils.

“Ah, good morning Reiki–”

The teen flew past Yaga. She kept running, reaching the edge of the pathway. Instead of stopping, Reiki jumped, flying a few feet into the air before landing face-first into a pile of mud. Stunned Yaga merely watched as Reiki rolled around in the mud like a pig trying to cool off in the summer. She was having the time of her life. Chuckles left her as she flopped about.

Yaga finally found his voice. “Reiki, what in the world are you doing?”

Reiki froze. She rolled over and onto her feet. She was caked in mud from head to toe.

“Uh…”

Unable to find a proper answer, Reiki–flushed under her layer of mud–started walking. She sped past Yaga a trail of muddy footsteps left in her wake.

Chapter Text

Reiki glanced at her phone checking the time. She had just finished another mission. A rather simple one that had her clearing out a Curse that lingered around a convenience store. It was affecting the automatic doors, trapping several patrons each time they attempted to enter or exit. No one was seriously hurt, just a few bumps and bruises.

Now that she's done she was waiting for her ride back to school. Of course, she finished just as rush hour traffic hit. Too bad there were no trains to Jujutsu Tokyo Tech. Her driver was doing their best to keep her updated with their location. Unfortunately thanks to the traffic, they were seriously delayed.

The streets were crowded with people getting off of work and schools letting out. Reiki did her best to stay out of the way of those who needed to pass by, taking a spot at the edge of the corner snuggled up next to a building.

Not too far a group of teens–all boys–were gathered together. They were being loud and obnoxious in the way you'd expect from rowdy teens. At least they had the decency to not take up any more space on the sidewalk than they needed. They were posted up next to a bike rack, two of them actually sitting on it.

Their words drowned out in the noise of the bustling streets,that is until their subject shifted.

“Guys check her out.”

“I know right?”

“Think she dyes her hair?”

“What about her eyes? Color contacts?”

“Nah dude, it's like some kind of genetic thing. I had a neighbor whose dog's eyes were like that.”

“Look at that uniform.”

“Bet she goes to one of those fancy rich schools.”

“Does it matter? She’s hot!”

Reiki grimaced. Her sensitive hearing picked up everything, not that the boys were being quiet or subtle.

“I’m gonna go talk to her.”

This earned a round of laughter from the boys. Some egged him on while others doubted his chances.

Reiki had a feeling their conversation would lead to this. She took a deep breath in and prepared for the conversation to come. She did her best to not set a pre-judgment. While she greatly disliked being called hot, that didn't mean the person who used the word was bad. Teenage boys were not well known for their vast vocabulary.

“Hey.”

A simple greeting to grab Reiki’s attention. She turned in kind to take in the person who had approached her. His uniform signaled he was in high school. Brown hair with blonde streaks dyed in it. Definitely not an approved style for local schools. He was taller than Reiki but he wasn't taller than the others she encountered in her daily life.

“Hello.” Reiki returned the greeting.

“My name is Tsuneo and yours?”

She attempted to return the favor of giving her own name but a shadow that suddenly blocked the sun hovered over her head. There was a slight thud as an arm wrapped around her waist.

“Her name is Reiki and I think you should leave.”

“S-Satoru?”

From where he appeared could be anyone's guess. When he wanted to, Satoru could move as silently as the wind. Well, whenever he was beforehand didn't matter. All Reiki could focus on was the position Satoru had just put her in, or rather put them in.

Perhaps he’d been watching too much anime, or this was just an action ingrained in males. With one arm above Reiki, forearm pressed against the building she’d been leaning on, Satoru was performing the ever-classic kabedon. But he took things another step forward, wrapping his free arm around Reiki’s waist to tug her close and eliminate as much space as possible.

Tsuneo frowned, glaring at the person who had invaded their conversation. He opened his mouth, probably prepared for a verbal altercation before taking in Satoru and his entirety. Eyes alone, Satoru was an intense individual. Then there was the height difference. Satoru was definitely taller than your average teen, and he had a good foot on Tsuneo.

Perhaps Tsuneo’s brain gave him a glimpse into the future of what might happen if he confronted Satoru. He clicked his tongue, turning his head away as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

“Whatever,” He said before leaving. Tsuneo stomped his way back over to his friends who were already taking jabs at the magnitude of his failure. The howls of laughter echoed through the buzz of the crowd.

“Did you even get her name?”

“Shut up!”

Reiki blinked a few times, her brain finally registered what had happened. She turned from Tsuneo and his friend facing Satoru. His glasses had slipped down the bridge of his nose giving Reiki a view of his aqua gaze. They were silent for a few moments with nothing entering their small world.

“Aren't you going to thank me?” Satoru said.

“H-Huh?” Reiki softly gasped.

“I saved you from that guy.”

“Uh…thank you?” Reiki didn't need savings of any kind but gave the gratitude Satoru asked for.

“Now…”Satoru pulled Reiki even closer, erasing the little space that they had. Chest to chest and nearly nose to nose. “How about my reward?”

Reiki’s entire face had lost its usual shade, filled with red. Satoru leaned even closer and Reiki, unable to handle what was happening, snapped her eyes shut.

“I want you…to make me some cheesecake.”

Reiki’s eyes flew open and she was welcomed by the charming smirk of Satoru.

“Satoru!” Reiki snapped. She pulled away and pushed Satoru. He laughed as he stepped back. “That’s so not funny! My heart almost escaped from my chest!”

“Aww, I’m sorry! But you should've seen your face!”

Reiki frowned, still red in the face and clearly displeased.

“You're so cute when you're angry,” Satoru cooed.

Her eyes narrowed further showing her displeasure of the situation.

“Don't feel too bad Reiki, it's normal for girls to fall for this handsome mug.”

“I’m leaving.” Reiki turned around to pull out her phone to text the driver that she would be in a different location.

She got two steps in before her arm was grabbed. Instead of being pulled back, Satoru stepped forward. Wrapping his arms around Reiki as he rested his chin atop her head.

“Ah, a perfect fit,” Satoru said as he snuggled into Reiki’s hair.

“Satoru…” Reiki warned.

“It was just a little joke, don't get so angry Rei-chan!”

She was ready to retort but paused as something warm pressed against her cheek. Satoru pulled away, head hovering over Reiki's, giving her a clear view of his upside-down smile.

“There, my apology.”

Reiki went quiet looking down. “Fine.” She simply stated before pulling out of Satoru’s grasp.

“You still mad at me?” Satoru whined.

“Satoru, you know it's gonna be really hard to find a girl to put up with your shenanigans,” Reiki said.

“Hmmm, that’s okay. What’s the point of having someone who can't have fun? If I wanted to be near an uptight biddy I’d go hang out with my grandma.”

Reiki snorted, a chuckle coming forth from the comment. “You're ridiculous, you know that?” She playfully jested as she shook her head. “What are you even doing here? Did you have a mission?”

“Nah, I came to get you!” Satoru said

“Really?”

“Yup!”

“Oh…okay. But first, we need to stop at the store.”

“For what?” Satoru questioned.

“We don't have all the ingredients for a cheesecake.”

“Wait, you're actually gonna make me a cheesecake?” Satoru asked with a grin.

Reiki crossed her arms. “Yes, that's what you asked for. What do you no longer want it?”

“No, I do! And fresh strawberries on top too!”

Reiki softly smiled. “Strawberries too. Now let's go.”

“Yes ma'am!”

Reiki started to walk off Satoru, not moving, just merely watching.

He tucked his hands in his pockets. “Hm, why would I need another girl when I’ve got you by my side.”

“Satoru!”

“Coming!

𓆩ꨄ︎ᗫᓎᘜ ᗫᗅᖻSꨄ︎𓆪

Reiki flopped on her bed exhausted. The air was warm. Summer was steadily approaching.

As of late, the students had been stretched thin, as were all of the Sorcerers. The number of Curses had been ramping up and everyone's workload had been tripled. Reiki alone had been sent on seven missions and it was only Wednesday.

There had been an influx of Curses. She hadn't seen any of the second years in three days and she had rarely seen her own classmates. Classes had been limited due to all the missions.

Reiki awoke, face-planted in the bed, not even realizing she had fallen asleep. Glancing at her alarm clock the numbers 8:00 pm flashed.

“Crap, I missed dinner,” Reiki mumbled.

A bit groggy she sat up. She had to get some food or her stomach wouldn't allow her a proper night's rest. Sliding some shoes on she made her way out. Her feet shuffled down the hall, Reiki barely having the energy to lift her feet. She was in and out, grabbing a few snacks to satiate her until she could have breakfast. There was little that could get her to cook right now.

With food in hand, Reiki shuffled her to back out her room. She turned the corner but stopped.

“Suguru?”

The boy in question glanced up. He looked terrible. Reiki thought she was exhausted but Suguru had decided to take the blue ribbon home. The bags under his eyes could compete with Shoko’s. His hair was mussed and his uniform was disheveled.

“Oh, Reiki, good evening.” Suguru managed a small smile. An effort that was strained.

“You look…bad,” Reiki said.

Suguru gave a chuckle. It was in the same realm as his smile. Forced and weary.

Abandoning her route to her room, Reiki made her way to the tired teen. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine, just a little tired.”

“You look more than tired.”

Suguru was prepared to offer his remark but was cut off by the growling of his stomach.

“Sounds like you're hungry too. Come on.”

Suguru had no choice as he was helped to his feet by Reiki. She led him to the kitchen, dropping him off at the table before grabbing an apron.

“You're going to cook?” Suguru asked.

“Yup.” Turns out one of the few things that could get her to cook appeared before her.

“You don't have to do that,” Suguru protested.

“I think I do. You look like you need something comforting to eat, plus I need to eat too,” Reiki stated as she started sifting through the ingredients in the kitchen. Something quick and hearty.

Soon the kitchen was filled with the telltale signs of cooking. The chopping of vegetables. The burner sparked to life. Meat being sizzled in a pan. The low hum of the rice maker.

“Have your missions been going well?” Reiki asked as she cooked.

“Yes. It's just been a lot as of late.”

Reiki nodded in understanding. “The number of Curses has increased as of late.”

“And because of it, we were put to work even harder.” Suguru sighed. “But this is the unfortunate life of a Sorcerer. It's our duty to protect the weak.”

“Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can neglect ourselves. When the rescuer becomes the rescued then everyone loses.”

Her words drew a genuine chuckle of amusement. “I’ll remember to keep that in mind…Reiki, do you know how my Curse Technique works?”

“You can take Curse’s and use them. Although I don't know how you do so.”

“If I defeat a Curse I can turn them into a black orb. Then I have to ingest it.”

“Wait.” Reiki paused in her current task. “You have to eat the Curses?”

“That’s correct.”

“That sounds unpleasant.”

“Curses have a foul rancid taste. Like ingesting a rag used to wipe up vomit.”

Reiki’s nose wrinkled at the description. “I can imagine that it's a horrible experience. So they taste as bad as they smell huh?”

“Smell? Oh, that's right you can smell Curse Energy.”

“Yeah, and Curses have a particular scent to them. Each one is unique but just disgusting all the same. The first time I ever smelled one I wanted to vomit.”

Suguru lowered his head, staring at his clasped hands. It was an odd sense of comradery that washed over him. Never once had he encountered anyone with powers similar to his own, meaning he had never met a person who shared similar experiences as his own. While Reiki’s Curse Technique was as far from his own, in comparison there was a kernel of similarity that he could grasp onto. No one knew the smell of Curses and no one knew the taste of Curses, except these two.

“Suguru.”

He glanced up. Reiki had turned away from the stove.

“I’m very proud of you.”

He sat up straighter with surprise. The out-of-the-blue statement caught him. “What?”

“I may not know exactly what you have to go through but it's not easy. You give up a lot to help others. I don't think Sorcerers get enough thanks or credit at all, that goes for you too. To have to do what you do day in and day out, not so much as thank you…and you take it all in stride. I've never heard you complain, or curse the world in anger. You go out of your way to make sure normal people have the chance at normal lives. You shoulder pain and anguish that no person will ever come to realize. So, I’m proud of the person you are and the work that you do. So from all those who have never said, thank you Suguru.”

“Reiki…”

The thudding in his chest was the only thing he could hear. The world is pulling away to leave just him and Reiki. The rancid taste of Curses that lingered on his tongue somehow shifted, far less bitter. The weariness that held him down was gone as he was uplifted by the gentle warmth of Reiki.

He smiled. This time with no force.

“Thank you, Reiki.”

Reiki smiled and turned back to her cooking. Not too much longer, Suguru had a plate of food in front of him. Reiki sat across from him with her own food. As always her cooking was delicious. Suguru welcomed the warm meal, it was a palate cleanser washing away the days of ingesting putrid Curses. It wasn't often that he asked for seconds but he was more than happy to ask Reiki for more, who was even happier to dish the food out.

“That was great. Thank you, Reiki.” Suguru gave his compliments fully satisfied.

“Not a problem. It was my pleasure.”

Suguru went to grab his dishes but was stopped by Reiki.

“I got this, you go get some rest.”

“But–”

“No buts. Go, shoo, shoo,” Reiki said

“Okay, okay,” Suguru chuckled, putting his hands up in surrender.

Suguru went to bed and had one of the most restful nights he had. Of course, he was sent out on a mission the very next day. But this time with a little something extra to join him on his mission.

Suguru glanced down at his lap, smiling at the bag of packed food. He read the note attached to it once more.

“To help with the taste after.” - Reiki

Chapter Text

“Reiki, thank you for joining us.”

“Of course Sensei.”

“We received a request to go help Utahime and Mei Mei. The two were sent on a mission two days ago and have not been spotted since.”

“Maybe they're dead,” Satoru nonchalantly stated.

“Satoru,” Reiki hissed, elbowing the giggling boy.

Unamused, Yaga continued. “You four will be going to aid them and destroy the Curse if necessary. Reiki, with your ability to scent out Curse Energy we thought it'd be appropriate to send you along as well. I also thought it’d be a good teaching moment for you as well.”

“I’ll do my best and learn lots,” Reiki smiled.

“Well,” Shoko stood from her seat. “No time to waste.”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Reiki hopped out of the car, her paw pads landing on cracked pavement. Nose immediately to the ground she took off.

“And there she goes,” Suguru chuckled.

“Go Reiki, go!” Satoru cheered.

“Having Reiki sure makes things a bit easier doesn't it?” Shoko commented.

The trio took after Reiki, letting the doggy girl lead the way. Utahime and Mei Mei had been sent on a mission to inspect a mansion and its surrounding areas. Several people have disappeared within the confines of the large once opulent home. Now it was nothing but a ghost of its former self. Bones left with rotting flesh of wood and wallpaper to erode away with time. There was talk of demolishing the mansion and rebuilding, but with everyone who entered vanishing that wasn't a possibility.

Reiki didn't stray from the pathway that led up to the home. A winding walkway of carefully placed stones, arranged to create a spiral of cobblestone. One of the minor luxuries the mansion held. Reiki was sure that Utahime and Mei Mei had ventured around the mansion at first, doing a sweep of the perimeter, but eventually made their way into the grand home.

Landing on the massive spans of concrete that was the mansion's front porch, Reiki came to a stop. The other three right on her heels. Reiki parked, head angled right at the home's ajar doors.

“Well now we have confirmation that they went in there,” Suguru said.

“Soooo we going in or what?” Satoru asked.

“Don't.” From dog to human Reiki stood before the others, eyes cemented on the mansion. “I’m not sure how this works but it feels like this place is the Curse.”

“Ohoho now that’s interesting,” Satoru said.

“It's not unusual for Curse’s to inhabit inanimate objects,” Shoko commented.

“Yeah, but this feels different. It makes my tail puff,” Reiki said.

“Aww, that’s so cute!” Satoru cooed.

“Not the time.”

“Reiki, can you sense Utahime or Mei Mei?” Shoko asked.

“Yes, they're most definitely in there. The scent of their Curse Energy is intermingled with whatever Curse has taken over this house. But the scents are bold enough to make me certain that they are alive.”

“I could send a Curse in there to get them,” Suguru suggested.

“Nah! I have a better idea!” Satoru said.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Reiki balked at the sight of the mansion being utterly decimated. When Satoru stated he had a plan she had expected some form of property destruction. She just wasn't expecting it to be the entire property.

Unaffected, Shoko stood with a rather bored expression watching the entire thing happen. “You get used to it,” she stated to the gaping Reiki.

Within a matter of seconds Satoru, with backup from Suguru, had basically uprooted the mansion. They tore it from its foundation and ripped it apart in a visceral show of power.

A scream tore through the air as Utahime came barreling out of the crumbling remains.

“Well…” Reiki sweatdropped. “We did it.”

Mei Mei had yet to surface but something in her gut told her that the senior Sorcerer was just fine.

Tremors wrecked the area as the building came down. As the chaos settled nothing but its remains were left. Crumbled concrete, exposed rebar, wood everywhere. It was as if the mansion had exploded.

Cheerful and smug as ever, Satoru stepped forward, his smirk pointed down. There Utahime was struggling to climb out of the rubble her rescuers had buried her under.

“I came to save you, Utahime,” an amused Satoru quipped. He smirked, tilting his head. “Are you crying?”

Just that one comment gave Utahime enough fury to plow through the slab of concrete that had her pinned. With gnashing teeth and a seething glare she shouted up at Satoru.

“I'm not crying! Use honorifics with me!”

“If I cried, would you comfort me?” From out of the shadows Mei Mei appeared. Casually strolling up to Satoru without a care in the world. Unlike Utahime she had no signs of being caught in the explosion. It was unnerving how clean she was, not a speck of dirt on her.

“Miss Mei would never cry, as you're so strong,” Satoru said.

“Is that so?” Mei Mei mused.

“Gojo, listen carefully–” Utahime grunted as she attempted to climb up and confront Satoru. “I don't need you to save—”

It was the large shadow that eclipsed the sky that forced Utahime to swallow her words. A jerky turn had her faced with a large Curse. The one who had been hiding in the mansion and distorting reality within the confined area.

Before the Curse attempted to chase its prey there was a thunderous crack of lightning. Dog Reiki zipped across the sky leaving a trail of light behind her and she collided with the Curse with a rather effective head butt. The Curse was momentarily stunned leaving Suguru enough time to summon his own Curse.

His was nearly double the size engulfing the other Curse within his mouth in one go.

“Don't swallow it!” Suguru commanded. “I'll absorb it later. Satoru, it's not good to pick on the weak.”

“Which idiot would pick on the strong?” Satoru said. 

“It's you who are being provocative, Geto,” Mei Mei said.

“You're both being little terrors.”

Utahime’s jaw dropped as she witnessed Reiki the dog land on the ground and before her back paws could touch she was human once more.

“You're so cruel to us Reiki! It's just some fun,” Satoru said.

“So the reports are true.”

Reiki went a little stiff under the scrutinizing gaze of Mei Mei. The young woman examined her with the same calculating ferocity one would see from a world-renowned art dealer.

“A human that can transform into a dog with formidable Curse Energy and abilities. My, you must be well sought after,” Mei Mei commented.

Reiki in turn could only awkwardly chuckle.

“Utahime Senpai!” Shoko popped up joining the rest. “Are you alright?”

The anger Utahime held for Satoru and by proxy Suguru, vanished the moment she spotted the last second year.

“Shoko!” Utahime happily cried out.

“I was really worried about you,” Shoko stated. It was hard to tell if her level of worry was beyond tepid with her slight smile. “I haven't heard from you for two days.”

“Shoko!” Utahime was practically in tears as she wrapped her arms around Shoko. “Shoko, don't become like them!” She said growling out the word “them” with her glare focused on the snickering Satoru and Suguru.

“I won't. I won't become that lousy,” Shoko said.

Utahime wailed in relief.

"And don't worry, I'm making sure Reiki doesn't spend too much time with them wither," Shoko said.

"Now that's too far. Reiki is one of us," Satoru said.

A body was suddenly glued to Reiki's left then another was glued to her right. The mischievous smirks on both Satoru's and Suguru's faces was enough for Utahime's rage to bubble forth once more. You could practically hear the duo chanting in their heads "One of us, one of us..."

Meanwhile, Reiki just awkwardly chuckles, sandwiched between the two.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“It's nice to formally meet you two. As you know I’m Reiki, the girl who can turn into a dog.” Reiki introduced herself with a bow.

Utahime was utterly elated. Another junior with respect and manners. She’s grateful and ecstatic that Reiki’s close proximity to Satoru and Suguru hadn’t tainted her.

“Now, now Reiki, that’s not how you properly introduce yourself.” Satoru appeared behind Reiki, putting his hands on her shoulders.

“She did perfectly fine! It was a great introduction!” Utahime snapped coming to Reiki’s defense.

“Reiki didn't say her whole name. Come on, come on, do it, do it.” Satoru goaded the girl, poking her cheek.

With a pout and red cheeks, Reiki lowered her head. She knew the only way to get out of this was to bend to Satoru’s request.

“I am Reiki…Gojo, nice to meet you both,” Reiki quietly stated.

“There we go!” Satoru cheered.

Utahime had been stunned into silence, wide eyes settled on an embarrassed Reiki and a Satoru who was so delighted you could see flowers dancing in the background.

“My, my, now that's an interesting development. I had no idea you had taken on a bride Gojo Satoru,” Mei Mei commented with light humor.

“What? Bride! Him!” Utahime stuttered. Her brain couldn't fathom any person who’d be willing to put up with Satoru long enough to join in a union with him–without ulterior motives that is. She approached Reiki, clasping the girl's hands in her own. “If you need help, just blink three times,” She whispered.

That was enough to draw laughter out of Reiki. The girl's shoulders shaking with mirth.

“Now no stealing my Rei-chan, Utahime.” Satoru pulled Reiki away. “I know she’s the best but she’s with the Gojo’s, go pilfer someone else's special girl dog.”

“Shut up!” Utahime snapped.

“We're glad you two are uninjured. Especially after being gone for two days,” Shoko said.

“Wait, two days?” Utahime said.

“So the Cursed Spirit's barrier indeed has time distortion. It is rare, but we can occasionally see it. It just feels strange to me since Miss Mei was also here,” Satoru said.

“Seems like it,” Mei Mei said.

“What?”

“Nothing. In other words, I've actually been working for two days. I think I need to ask for additional compensation.”

“You're gonna extort someone again,” Utahime mumbled.

“Back to the topic, all of you. Where is the curtain?”

The frozen-like deer in headlights look was a group effort. Everyone seized to a standstill as they took in Mei Mei’s words.

“A what now?” Reiki asked with a head tilt.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Sandwiched between Shoko and Satoru, Reiki could only watch as the anger steadily boiled beneath Yaga’s calm facade. In one hand he held a remote, gaze set on the TV. It was tuned into the news, a reporter going over a mansion that had suddenly exploded. The whole incident had been chalked up to an accident involving a faulty gas pipe, but everyone in the room knew the truth.

Getting his point across Yaga shut off the TV turning to his students. “One of you said you'd pull down the curtain, and then you left the assistant supervisor–”

Reiki flinched at that one. She knew she’d been at fault for leaving the man behind. The moment the car came to a stop she had rushed out.

“–and ran away, right?” Yaga finished summarizing yesterday's events. “You forgot to pull down the curtain. Who was it?”

Reiki kept her head down, ashamed that she had been part of the errors. Shoko and Suguru however were more than prepared to throw someone under the bus. Without a second thought, they pointed at Satoru, the boy who had declared he’d be the one to put up the curtain on the car ride over.

Knowing he’d been outed Satoru raised his hand loudly declaring. “Mister, can we not find the culprit?”

“Looks like it's you.” Yaga delivered swift guidance to correct Satoru’s faults, with a fist to the top of the head.

Reiki flinched once more, hands covering the top of her head, fearful that she was next.

“Sir,” Suguru spoke up, now posting at Reiki, “I don't think Reiki knows what a curtain is.”

“Wait…what?” Yaga said.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Reiki had been spared Yaga’s fists of teaching but instead was set up with a lecture on curtains and how to put them up. The man seemed beside himself that such a basic and integral part of operating as a Sorcerer–knowing how to put up a proper curtainȁslipped through the cracks of Reiki’s education. Even Windows knew how to do so.

After dismissing the second years Yaga was quick to fix this, educating Reiki on curtains.

She was amazed that there was a technique that nearly anyone with just a little Curse Energy could perform to conceal themselves and their works from the outside world. When Yaga was done, Reiki was dismissed and ready for lunch.

“Look who’s finally free,” Shoko jokes. She approached Reiki, hooking their arms.

“That was a lot to process in such a short amount of time,” Reiki lamented.

“I’m sure you're fine. You are a quick learner after all. I mean look at how fast you picked up Japanese.”

“Yeah, but my writing and reading are still abysmal.”

“At least your handwriting looks good,” Shoko jokes.

Reiki giggled at the tiny quip.

“Come on, let's go out for lunch today. My treat,” Shoko said.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Less than 24 hours after the whole incident Reiki had been called upon once more by Yaga. She was joined by Satoru and Suguru, but no Shoko this time.

Their new mission, protect and deliver the new Star Plasma Vessel. Apparently, she was needed by a person named Master Tengen. A person Reiki had yet to meet but somehow he had personally requested that Reiki join the boys. He was shrouded in mystery but apparently, it was his abilities that helped keep the school safe. He needed a vessel in order to use his Curse Technique, one that branches into the realm of immortality.

The girl's location and info had been leaked, with two groups vying for her demise.

Reiki along with the other two were tasked with keeping the newest Vessel safe until it was time for the assimilation. Then they would deliver her to Master Tengen. During Yaga’s entire explanation, Satoru kept comparing the Technique to Digimon, equating Master Tengen’s Technique to the evolution of Koromon into Metalgreymon. Yaga was not amused.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“I can't believe a group of adults want to kill a girl who is barely in middle school,” Reiki mumbled.

She stood just a few short feet behind Satoru and Suguru. They were on their way to the Star Plasma Vessel, Riko Amanai. They had taken a momentary pause at a soda machine so Satoru could grab a drink.

He plopped a few coins into the machine receiving the sparkling beverage moments later. “Well. I can understand the intention of Curse User Group Q. But why did the Star Religious Group want to kill that girl?”

Reiki started to follow the boys but paused brows furrowing as she stared at the two. “Why…are they walking like that?”

Satoru’s strides were long and slow with his free arm swinging to execute the lankiness. He walked in this strange tik-tok rhythm with his body swaying side to side in slow steady ticks. If you change the setting his movements would be befitting of a character in a horror film. Suguru was moving just as oddly but hunched over so far that his back curved into a perfect C. He kept his head up and chin jutting out while he kept his hands tucked into his pockets.

Reiki closed her eyes and opened them again. She was confused once more to see the boys walking rather normally. Was she seeing things?

“Because they worship the pure Master Tengen. They don't allow the Star Plasma Vessel, an impurity, to tarnish him.”

They came to a stop before a large apartment building. Riko’s home.

“I guess it's time,” Reiki said.

“Alright I’ll head inside and grab her,” Suguru said.

“I’ve got the south side of the building,” Satoru said.

“That means I’m taking north,” Reiki said.

They all pulled out their phones, Suguru starting a group call for them to stay connected. Reiki kept her phone pressed to her ear as she jogged to the other side of the building. The area was empty with trees sparsely planted in the surrounding courtyard.

“The Star Religious Group is a non-sorcerers group, so we don't need to worry about them,” Suguru said.

“That seems kind of idiotic, to pick a fight with people who possess supernatural powers. Even without powers, you two would flatten the average adult like a pancake,” Reiki commented.

Over the line, she could hear both boys chuckles. Reiki made it to the north side of the building. There was a small playground set up for children. A simple swing set with four seats. A jungle gym that was far more interesting than the ones Reiki had back home. This one was shaped like a dragon with the stairs being its mouth and the slide forming its tail. The ground was that strange rubbery material that meant kids who hit it did not suffer too much beyond a good bruise. Reiki had the drive to climb atop the dragon's head, it would give a great vantage point.

“What we need to be most wary of is "Q",” Suguru said.

“There shouldn't be any problem. We are the strongest after all.  That's why Master Tengen asked for us,” Satoru said.

Reiki couldn't help but smile a bit at Satoru’s words. To be considered among the top according to Gojo Satoru was some big praise. Suguru however had the opposite reaction. He let out a low groan, sighing into the phone.

“Something wrong Suguru?” Reiki asked.

“Yeah, what's the matter?” Satoru asked.

“Nothing. Satoru, I wanted to remind you before. O think you should really stop being so full of yourself.”

“Ehhhh?!” There was a strange crinkling sound like static over the phone.

“Especially when you're addressing your superiors. We might meet Tengen soon. You really should be more polite and humble. It'll make you less threatening to the juniors as well.”

Reiki cocked her head at that one. She could understand why a number of people would be afraid of Satoru, but not his juniors. If you were on the side of good there was no need to fear the wrath of Satoru.

Satoru scoffed with an over-exaggerated sarcastic laugh. “Yeah screw that.”

“I'm telling you, Satoru…” Suguru sighed, giving up on his words. “Never mind. We'll talk about it next time.”

At least he didn't have to worry about Reiki. Satoru could learn a thing or two about humbleness from the girl. Even in the face of utter assholes, Reiki can remain poised and polite.

Inside the building Suguru had reached Riko’s home, ringing the doorbell. A female voice called out from the other side of the door. What followed after was a strange beeping noise.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

An explosion went off. Reiki jumped stumbling forward and she nearly dropped her phone. She searched the building and spotted smoke wafting from around the front. That meant the explosion had come from the front of the building and with the smoke's origin point being so high, the explosion happened on one of the higher floors.

“Are you still alive?” Satoru asked.

“I am still alive,’ Suguru said.

“You're not hurt are you?” Reiki asked.

Suguru smiled. “No, I’m perfectly fine."

“Hey, if that girl died now, would they blame us–Ah.” Satoru made a strange noise denoting confusion. Amazingly Suguru made the same noise.

“Is something going on?” Reiki asked. Could the boys see something that she couldn't? “Guys–”

Reiki yelped and jumped back. This time she did drop her phone but not because it slipped out of her hand, but because it was knocked out. It hit the ground, the screen shattered, and bent far beyond what its limits should be. Hissing Reiki held her hand. The fingertips were burning slightly like she had tapped a hot stove. Before she could ponder as to what was happening she darted to the right. Something zoomed by barreling through the spot that Reiki was just standing in. The thing hit an open awaiting gloved palm. There was a burly man dressed in a white uniform, cape and all. His cap had the letter Q on it, displaying his allegiance to the group he supported. Nothing about it was subtle.

In his hand was a large ball, roughly the size of a bowling ball, and it was made of pure wood.

“Ah, my luck.” His tongue lulled out to run across his teeth. “To run into the female Sorcerer. No need to tremble young dear. I always play nice with the fairer kind.”

Reiki’s legs were trembling but not out of fear, not even out of disgust. “M-My phone?” It was out of despair for her poor phone. Sure by her past self standards, it was a shitty brick of old tech, but in her new life, it was her shitty brick of old tech. She grew attached to the flip phone. Not only that but she’d now have to get everyone's numbers all over again and all her photos on there were gone because the Cloud was yet to be invented.

“Hey!” The man yelled trying to pull Reiki’s attention back. “Pay attention–” He reeled his arm back. “–to your opponent!” He threw the wooden ball. It shot out like a bullet, becoming nothing but a blur of dark brown.

“Heh, let's see if she can dodge that one–”

She was gone.

“Wait–what?” The Q member gaped as within a flash of streaking light Reiki was gone. His weapon was curving around but where was it going? Its target was gone.

Suddenly arms hooked under his own. They moved upwards over the front of his shoulders and behind his head. Fingers intertwined behind his head latching together and keeping his arms locked.

“Yeah, it’s not that hard to figure out your Technique,” Reiki commented.

The man attempted to struggle out of Reiki’s grip but the position had his arm immobilized. The wooden ball flew towards them heading right for its target regardless of what was in its way.

“Grit your teeth,” Reiki said.

Chapter Text

Reiki mourned the loss of her poor phone. She held the remnants of what was left of the mobile device. There was no salvaging this. The cost to pay someone with the skills to repair this mess would definitely be greater than buying a new phone. She just really wished she’d gotten the pictures downloaded somewhere.

“There you are Rei-chan!” Satoru sang the girl's name out as he appeared. “You weren't picking up your phone.”

“Satoru…” With glossy puppy eyes, Reiki faced Satoru showing him her phone. Or rather what was left of it.

“Aww poor Rei-chan.” Satoru cooed, wrapping his arms around the teen and pulling her into a hug. “Did that nasty mean old Q member break your phone?”

“Yeah,” Reiki mumbled sullenly into Satoru’s chest.

“Don't worry I’ll get you a new one.”

“But all my pictures….” She whined.

“We’ll make new memories!” Satoru cheered. “Now where's that Q member?”

Reiki pointed behind her.

Satoru let out a low whistle approaching the crumbled body of the Q member. “Wow, you sure did a number on him,” Satoru chuckled. “Face completely caved in. Gonna need surgery to fix that mug.” He pulled out his phone. “We gotta record this. Come one Reiki stand next to your victory!”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Suguru had no issues immobilizing his opponent. The Q member wrapped up in one of his Curses. He awaited an update from his friends, taking time to even make himself a cup of tea. The Q Member struggled and attempted to bargain his way out of Suguru’s technique. When that didn't work his anger took over.

“How dare a student look down on me? My colleagues have already arrived anyway. They're the strongest combatant of Q. All of you will–”

“Hey.” Suguru cut the man off. “Is this one of the colleagues you are talking about?” He asked, holding up his phone.

On the phone screen was a picture of Satoru. It was a selfie, Satoru smiling and giving the camera a thumbs up. In the background, a Q Member lay beaten up and slumped against a tree.

“How about this one?” Suguru asked, showing a second photo.

This one was of Reiki, someone having taken the picture for her. She was crouched next to a body that was sprawled out on the ground. She was using both of her hands to make a peace sign. An awkward smile was on her face.

“Right, that's… them.”

Turns out Reiki and Satoru had taken out Q's strongest members when it came to combat. With the pillars of physical power gone the whole organization fell apart. Who knew they were going to end up dismantling an entire organization today?

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“Should we bring her to a doctor?” Satoru asked.

“If only we could use Reverse Cursed Technique like Shoko,” Suguru said.

After disposing of the Q Members, Satoru and Reiki made their way into the building where Suguru had secured Riko. The young middle schooler was accompanied by a caretaker, Misato Kuroi. Both came out unscathed from Q’s attack but only Riko remained unconscious.

They had thought it smart to move her to a different location, moving a few buildings over to ensure the safety of Riko. Satoru carried the girl the entire way, and still Riko remained asleep.

“No, we can't do that. We can't even understand what she says,” Satoru said.

“Maybe smelly salts?” Reiki suggested.

They had passed by a small drugstore on the way to the new location. She could run over there and get something.

As they discussed what to do Riko finally started to stir. A small groan left her as her eyes started to open. As she becomes alert the first face she meets is Satoru’s.

“She woke up.”

Riko responded to this by whipping her hand and slapping Satoru in the face. It had been an action to startle everyone in the room, even catching Satoru by surprise. He dropped Riko, the girl prepared for this, landing on her feet. She got into a practiced martial arts stance ready, but with the flare of a kid who was mimicking someone from their favorite TV show.

“Darn it! You despicable villain! If you try to kill me, you're going to die before me.”

“Well someone's lively,” Reiki jokes.

Satoru’s mood plummeted, he was grimacing in utter contempt rubbing the spot that Riko had slapped.

“Riko, calm down.” Suguru stepped forward putting a placating hand on the fuming Satoru’s shoulder. “We are not with those people who attacked you.” He gave the middle schooler a calm smile attempting to settle her worries.

Not at all trusting them Riko’s voice rose. “Quit it! You clearly look like a liar! Your bangs are weird too.”

Reiki flinched nervously and looked at Suguru. He was still smiling but there was a dark aura wafting about him.

“This isn't good.”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

The elevator to the room dinged and the moment it opened Kuroi’s ears were filled with the cries of Riko. The doors pulled away allowing the woman to see what was happening.

“Satoru! Suguru! Please stop!” Reiki pleaded.

Riko was suspended in the air, her wrists and ankles gripped by Suguru and Satoru. The two boys pulled and twisted, causing Riko to whine and cry out. It was like watching two brothers bully their younger sister.

“Stop! This is disrespectful!” Riko shouted.

“Please… please stop!” Kuroi exclaimed.

“Kuroi,” Riko happily gasped.

Seeing as they had an audience, Suguru and Satoru immediately dropped Riko. She had not been prepared for that one and hit the carpeted floor face-first.

“Miss, those three are on our side,” Kuroi said.

“Kuroi, what is that thing you are riding?”

Kuroi was sitting atop a Curse Suguru had summoned. “This is the Cursed Technique of the gentleman with bangs,” she explained.

“Can you please not call me that?” A despondent Suguru said. 

With the fun over Satoru took a seat on the couch throwing his arms over the back. Reiki remained standing. 

“It's Cursed Spirits Manipulation. Just as the name implies, I can control the cursed spirits I've absorbed,” Suguru explained.

“This kid is more aggressive than I thought. I thought the merging would make you sentimental. I was even wondering how to take care of your feelings,” Satoru said.

“That sounds exactly like how a despicable man would think. Listen carefully.” Riko climbed atop the table. "Master Tengen is me. And I am Master Tengen. Some fools confuse merging with death like you. And it's a huge mistake. Merging will make me Master Tengen, but Master Tengen will also become me. My will, mind, and soul will continue to live on after merging…”

Satoru and Suguru had zoned out of Riko’s speech, Satoru having pulled out his phone.

“A new phone wallpaper?” Suguru asked.

“Yeah, it's a picture of Reiki!” Satoru proudly stated showing off the phone screen.

“Wait what?” Reiki said.

“Isn't that what it was last time?” Suguru asked.

“Yeah, but in this picture she’s eating ice cream! Look she got some on her nose. Isn't it cute!”

“Listen to me!” Riko shouted. Her cheeks were flushed with anger. She seethed grumbling under her breath at the blatant disrespect before her.

“Judging by the way she talks, she probably has no friends,” Satoru said.

“Then we can send her off without any worries,” Suguru said.

“I speak normally at school!” Riko snapped.

“Do you two have to be so antagonizing?” Reiki said, sweat dropping.

“School…” Riko softly gasped as all her anger vanished. “Kuroi, what time is it now?”

“It's not noon yet, but you better not go to–”

Riko put her hand out shaking her head. “No, no, no, shut up, I'm going!”

“I don't think that’s a good idea,” Reiki said.

“I’m going!” Riko shouted. She stomped her foot making her stance clear.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“Pose for me Rei-chan!” Satoru said.

“P-Please stop!” Reiki said.

Turns out they had to let Riko go to school. Per Tengen’s orders, they were to listen to Riko. In the end, they came to an agreement, it was the least they could do considering that after this Riko would be no more. She would no longer be Riko but one with Tengen.

But that meant they needed a way to ensure Riko’s safety as she attended her last day of school. Suguru offered up some Curses to tail the girl but Satoru had another idea to add on. Snagging an extra uniform for Renchoku Girls' Junior High they got Reiki to put it on. She was going to follow Riko under the guise of being a transfer student. Reiki decided to go along with it, but not without Satoru stopping her to take a few pictures in the new uniform.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Jujutsu Sorcers were fast if anything. With just one phone call Reiki was set up as a “transfer student” given free reign to wander the school and keep a close eye on Riko. Not to mention a spare phone to use for the rest of the mission. Satoru promised that he’d take her out to pick a new one she’d like personally.

Surprisingly Riko had no qualms about having Reiki tail her as long as she didn't “make things weird” as stated by Riko. Reiki merely trailed after Riko as she went about her day. When she was in class Reiki would patrol the halls and the outside school grounds. Every so often she’d catch sight of a Curse, one of the handful Suguru had set out to keep an eye on Riko. It was odd having a Curse being her immediate backup.

Reiki poked her head around the corner gazing at Riko who was laughing at something her friend said. She glanced down at her temp phone reading over a text from Suguru. He was asking her about the status of Riko.

“She’s fine. Talking to her friends, about to head to the next class,” Reiki texted back.

The moment she hit send her phone started to ring. Suguru’s name flashed across the screen. Reiki’s finger hovered over the answer key. Just as she was about to press the button her phone was suddenly swiped from her hands.

“Young lady! No phones during school hours!” A stout woman with a stern face held Reiki’s phone. The woman glared through her red cat eyeglasses.

“W-Wait–” Reiki fumbled to pull out her Jujutsu Tech ID card. She dug into her skirt pockets only to have her arm grabbed.

“Is that back talk I hear?”

“W-What–”

“Well, you'll just have to give that to the Principal.”

Utterly confused and slightly panicked, Reiki flailed as the teacher started to drag her off.

“W-Wait, Ma'am, Wait!"

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Reiki was dragged down several halls by the strict teacher. The entire time she kept trying to explain to the woman her situation and pull out her Jujutsu ID but the woman wasn't having it.

“Now I have had enough of your back talk missy!”

They stopped walking and Reiki hoped that she’d finally get a word in to explain things. The woman opened a door to a classroom just as Reiki’s lips parted but instead of words, a yelp came out. Reiki stumbled forward through the open door of the classroom. Immediately Reiki’s brows furrowed in befuddlement.

The teacher huffed, puffing her chest and placing her hands on her hips. “If you can't keep your mouth shut…” A wicked grin appeared. “Then you should just die.”

“...Crap.”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Two girls stepped out of the bathroom, giggling as they continued their conversation.

“He was so cute!”

“Do you think he has a cute friend?”

“Not sure, but he does have a cute brother.”

The two girls squealed, also jumping from excitement. That was cut short by the sound of muffled screams.

“Do you hear that?”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard it.”

“Did that…sound like screaming to you?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Should we…go check it out?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

The girls cautiously made their way down the hall. They came to a stop before a set of doors where they could make out thumping and shouts. The girls glanced at one another then back to the door, fearful of what was on the other side.

Just as one reached for the door handle it opened. Both girls screamed and jumped, holding onto one another.

“Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you,” Reiki said.

“Is…Is everything okay?”

“Hm? Yes, why?” Reiki questioned with a head tilt.

“We thought we heard screaming.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Screaming? Ah, sorry about that, I just got into a bit of a heated conversation over the phone.” Reiki held up her temporary cell phone. “A family thing. I hope you two won't tell a teacher.”

“N-No we won't!”

“Yeah, yeah, I promise!”

“Thank you,” Reiki said.

She slipped past the two girls and immediately started running.

Chapter Text

“Crap! Crap! Crap!” Reiki cursed as she ran. 

After getting her phone back she was met with a barrage of texts and missed calls from Suguru and Satoru. Turns out a few of Suguru’s Curses had been exorcized, meaning someone was after Riko. Lucky for Reiki, Riko had a distinct scent thanks to being the Star Plasma Vessel. The girls' trail led Reiki outside the main school building and across the campus. Running she drew closer to the school's chapel.

Reiki’s ear twitched as she picked up the sound of girls squealing. The kind that was reserved for boy bands and celebrities. Reiki came to a skidding halt right at the open entrance of the school's chapel.

“Rh?”

What an odd sight she stumbled upon. A group of girls from the school were gathered together in pews focused not on their sheet music but the boy posing before them. Satoru, who had removed his glasses, was full-on voguing before the squealing girls.

“Everyone, quiet down.” The teacher stepped forward, clapping her hand to regain control of the girls. “Behave yourself.”

“You are interested in him too, Miss!”

“Yeah, totally!”

The teacher approached Satoru, who had now slipped his glasses back on. “I can't have this. Even if you're a family member, you can't just barge in.”

“I'm sorry. This is an emergency. Sorry about that.”

For a second it looked like the woman was going to scold Satoru for interrupting her lesson, but she suddenly whipped out a notebook and pen. With incredible speed she wrote something on the paper then tore the page out handing it over to Satoru.

“Here's my phone number,” she stage whispered.

This sent the girl into an uproar calling the teacher out for her hypocrisy.

“Be quiet! I don't get many chances to meet people!” The teacher snapped.

“We don't have any chances either!”

“You are a teacher! You can't flirt with a student!”

“What? Are you insulting Hikaru Genji?”

From the back of the room, a flat-faced Riko watched the whole thing, wondering as to why someone like Satoru was drawing in such attention. Riko’s gaze went past Satoru and connected with Reiki. The older girl gave an apologetic smile with a sweat drop going down.

“Uh…Satoru,” Reiki called.

“Ah! Rei-chan!” Satoru skipped over to Reiki, throwing an arm over her shoulders. “There you are. You didn't answer your phone again. Bad girl. Did you break that one too? Don't worry Satoru will buy you as many phones as you want.” He cooed poking Reiki’s cheek.

The students, and their teacher, had paused watching the two. 

“He’s got a girlfriend!”

This sent the room into another spiral.

“This is a lively school,” Satoru chuckled.

🅓🅞🅖 🅓🅐🅨🅢

“You Idiot! How many times have I told you not to show up in front of them?” Riko was seething as she was pulled out of the chapel by Satoru. Despite Reiki being with them all of Riko’s ire was focused solely on Satoru.

They were running attempting to get as far from the school as quickly as possible.

“Curse Users are here. I don't need to tell you the rest,” Satoru said.

“Why am I floating?” Riko questioned as her feet left the ground. Satoru had grabbed the waistband of her skirt and hefted her up like she was nothing but a sack of potatoes.

“Reiki, we're gonna be moving fast,” Satoru said.

“Ah, got it!” Reiki nodded, understanding what he was implying.

There was a poof of smoke, and Riko had to cover her face. She coughed fanning away the smoke.

“What was–oh my gosh! She’s so cute!” Riko squealed the moment she caught sight of doggy Reiki.

“Up you go!” Satoru said, scooping Reiki up into his free arm. With his precious cargo secure, Satoru jumped, light as a feather he soared up and onto the roof of the school, gaining the higher ground as he kept running.

“We'll go to the Jujutsu High School. You don't want to involve your friends, do you?” Satoru said.

Riko’s head dropped. Satoru was quick to get off the school grounds, entering the city. Using his abilities he hoped from roof to roof. Reiki suddenly let out a series of barks. Satoru came to a stop. In his arms, Reiki growled, ears pulled back.

Standing on the roof was a tall muscular man. He wore a paper bag on his head with a crude face drawn on it. A single eye hole had been cut out just for the left eye.

“So that's the bounty of 30 million yen?” The man stood on the opposite end of the roof. But he was also on the roof of the building across, to the right, left, and behind them. They were surrounded by the same man.

Satoru pulled out his phone as he set Reiki down but kept a hold of Riko. Reiki immediately took a defensive stance. “Suguru, did someone offer a bounty of so million yen for killing Amanai?” Satoru asked over the phone.

“Yes, a limited-time bounty. It's on an underground website for Curse Users. The deadline is 11 a.m. the day after tomorrow,” Suguru said.

“I see.”

“Two… three… four people,” Riko counted the men on the roof. “They all look the same. Are they Shikigami?”

“Probably. And to think Jujutsu Sorcerers are always short-handed.” Satoru closed his phone, tucking it away. “You are welcome if you're looking for a new job, old man.”

“No thanks. I guess job hunting isn't that easy. Just hand that kid over to us.” The man raised his hand and another clone popped up.

“There are five of them now!” Riko exclaimed.

“What's so good about this little brat?” Satoru smirked and waved his free arm.

Two of the clones shouted as they were lifted off their feet. They were flung forward and smashed into one another above head.

“What was that?”

“The Shikigami didn't disappear. Which one is the original?” Riko questioned doing her best to glance at the two fallen bodies from her position in Satoru’s grasp.

“That's not a Shikigami, it's a clone. They're all clones. And each one is the real one!” Satoru said. He reeled his arm back, Riko screaming as she was suddenly lifted high into the air. She was perched upon Satoru’s hand like he was holding a serving tray.

The clones attacked, two coming in for a right hook. They were inches away from Satoru, only to come to a sudden halt. They struggled, meeting an invisible force.

“What's going on?”

“Infinity. It's Achilles and the Tortoise,” Satoru said.

“What?”

“You should've studied harder. Your stupid is showing.” Satoru merely raised a finger and both clones were lifted off the ground. “It's a Cursed Technique that can summon up to five clones including the original one. He should be able to choose which one to be the original at any time. Once the original is in danger, he'll switch to a safe clone. Not a bad trick. Why are you still so weak though? I don't get it. Clones can't be summoned temporarily after they are destroyed?”

“Why do you know my Cursed Technique?”

Satoru removed his glasses allowing them to drop. But they didn't hit the ground, rather hovered in front of him. “Unfortunately, I happen to have sharp eyes. My Cursed Technique is the convergence of an infinite series. Things getting closer to me will be slowed down gradually. And they'll never touch me. After being reinforced, it becomes Limitless. You could say it's a negative natural number. It creates a fictional situation like negative one apple. In that way, it can achieve the vacuum reaction I just showed you. Though it's actually inconvenient. I can't make too much of a reaction around myself. And if you start worrying about directionality, controlling Cursed Energy is a pain in the neck. Simply put, it's exhausting.”

The man gasped, finally realizing the difference in power level. He turned tail and started to run off.

“Look at him run. Ah, he forgot that there's another player in this game. You know it's rude to ignore a lady!” Satoru called out to the retreating figure.

“Lady? What is he talking about–”

“He means me.”

The man could only blink. One second his path was clear, then the next, there she was. Reiki hovered inches before him, fist reeled back with a ball of electricity jumping in the palm. Reiki gave a loud “Ha!” thrusting her arm forward and delivering a powerful strike dead center to the man’s solar plexus. The punch sent him flying sky-high.

“Wow.” Satoru appeared next to Reiki, letting out a low whistle. His head was tilted upwards, a hand hovering above his face to block the sun. “You sent him far. 10/10 Rei-chan!”

“She was a girl, then became a dog, then a girl again,” Riko mumbled, trying to process the entity that was Reiki. She couldn't spend much brain power on it when her phone beeped signaling an incoming message. Still dangling from Satoru’s hold, Riko fished out her cell phone.

“Kuroi is calling.” Riko opened the phone immediately, gasping. “Oh my! Kuroi…Kuroi is…”

Unable to get the words out, Riko turned the phone screen to Reiki and Satoru. There was a photo of Kuroi, but the woman was tied up.

Kuroi had been kidnapped.

Chapter Text

Riko sought comfort in the arms of Reiki. Curled into the older girl's hold as she clung closer for comfort. Since the news that Kuroi had been abducted hit, Riko was doing her best to remain strong. But the idea of losing her only family left had Riko in a fragile state.

The trio met up with Suguru. He had left Kuroi after the caretaker begged him to catch up and ensure Riko’s safety. Kuroi knew the danger but still took the chance putting the safety of Riko above all else.

“I'm sorry, it was my negligence,” Suguru apologized as he met the group.

“Really? This isn't really serious negligence, is it?” Satoru said.

Suguru frowned, clenching his fists. “I underestimated Miss Kuroi's value to the enemy.”

“Well if they took her that can only mean they plan on using her for ransom right?” Reiki said.

“Yeah,” Suguru nodded in agreement. “Amanai for Miss Kuroi, or to threaten us that they will kill Miss Kuroi if we don't kill Amanai.”

Riko’s hold on Reiki tightened. Reiki could empathize, her own lips curling in disdain for those who would do this.

“But we have Amanai here, so we have the upper hand in the negotiation. If we could just decide on the place to meet them, we will find a way. Amanai should be taken straight to the high school, and we'll have Shoko or someone to be her double.”

“Wait.” Riko cut in. “I will go to the trading site. I still don't trust you guys.” She paused realizing she was still wrapped in the arms of Reiki as she made that statement. She quickly pulled away from the high schooler dusting off her uniform. “I still don't trust you guys,” she repeated.

“Huh? You brat,” Satoru groaned rubbing the back of his head. “You say that even though you were wrapped in Reiki’s arms. This isn't the time for that.”

“Even if you successfully rescue Kuroi, if she can't come back before I merge with Master Tengen…” Riko smiles slightly. “I…I haven't even said goodbye to her.” Her head dropped as she clutched onto her skirt.

The group remained silent, the Sorcerers glancing at one another in silent conversation. They knew what Riko’s words meant.

“The kidnapper should contact us soon. But if the enemy is smarter than expected, and taking you with us would lower Miss Kuroi's survival rate…then we will go without you,” Satoru said.

Riko gazed at the teen. Her sadness washed away as she put forth a brave face. She wiped away her tears, determined to come to Kuroi’s aid.

“Alright, that's fine.”

“Conversely, even if you want to go back halfway because you're scared, we won't care.” Satoru’s tone was nothing but serious with a dark undertone. He wasn't messing around this time.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ᗪᗝǤ ᗪᗩƳᔕ

“Here we are!”

“Here we are!”

“Okinawa!”

Satoru and Riko cheered, fists thrusting high into the air. Both were dressed in swimsuits, Riko wearing a large sunhat and Satoru with a beachball tucked under his arm. They were racing towards the water, sandal-covered feet sinking into the sand with each step.

Standing on the shore was Suguru, Kuroi, and Reiki, the latter two still confused as to how they ended up here despite having been a part of the entire venture.

How did it get to this? Well…

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ᗪᗝǤ ᗪᗩƳᔕ

“They want to make the exchange where?” Reiki’s brows furrowed as she glanced over Suguru’s shoulder. She read over the paper he held once more. Just as Satoru predicted, those who kidnapped Kuroi had done so with the intention of ransoming her off for Riko.

They'd been sent a detailed list of instructions as to how the exchange would go down. And for some reason that would be happening in Okinawa.

“We’d have to take a plane to get there in time,” Reiki said.

“Geeze, why do they always got to complicate things,” Satoru groaned.

“Guess we're heading to Okinawa,” Suguru said.

“Wait, just like that!” Riko said surprised.

She was even further startled when with one quick phone call the group was picked up and dropped off at the airport. They got tickets and boarded the very next flight.

Reiki decided to turn back into a dog, going up and down the aisles with Satoru as they inspected passengers. With his height, Satoru easily towered over the sitting passengers, a few were quite intimidated by the piercing gaze of the teen as he examined their very being. Reiki bobbed and weaved through the aisles and people's feet, keeping her nose open for any semblance of Curse Energy. Even just a hint and she’d alert Suguru and Satoru.

After giving everyone the third degree, twice, Satoru and Reiki deemed the plane safe for now. They took their seats, Reiki in Satoru’s lap. As the plane took off, Riko could only deadpan as she watched a giant Curse shaped like a dragon, fly next to the plane. At one point there was a small argument between Riko and Satoru, the former wanting to hold dog Reiki and the latter saying "Over my dead body."

With all that they arrived in Okinawa the very next morning just as the sun started to rise.

“Okay, now what do we do next?” Riko asked.

“Now we go find them instead,” Satoru declared.

“What! We can't just go and find them like that? Can we?” Riko asked.

“Yeah, normally we wouldn't but we've got a secret weapon,” Satoru smirked. “So Amanai got something of Kuroi’s that can be smelled.”

“. . . .Pervert!” Riko shouted. She scrambled from the teen, hiding behind Reiki for extra measure. “I knew you couldn't be trusted.”

“Hey! Whatever you're thinking, it's not like that!” Satoru snapped.

“Amanai,” Suguru stepped forward. “If you have an item of Kuroi’s, Reiki can use it to find her.”

“Huh? How?” Riko asked.

Reiki glanced back at the girl who was huddled behind her. She winked and with a poof her ears appeared.

It instantly clicked. “I see! But I don't think I have something of Kuroi’s with me–” Riko gasped remembering something. “Wait!” She started searching through her pockets. “I lost my handkerchief this morning so Kuroi let me borrow her’s.”

She slipped out a white cloth with a blue lace border.

“Can you use this?” Riko asked.

Reiki smiled, taking the cloth. “This is perfect.”

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ᗪᗝǤ ᗪᗩƳᔕ

Kuroi struggled against her restraints. Arms bound behind her back and ankles tied together. Even her mouth had been gagged, smothering her frustrated grunts as she sought freedom. How could she have been caught off guard? And by someone who wasn't a Sorcerer. How could she ensure Riko’s safety if she couldn't even keep herself out of danger? The only positive thing that Kuroi could cling to was knowing that Riko was being watched over by three high ranking Sorcerers. But that didn't mean she was going to give up. Even if she had to fight an army worth of men she’d do so to get back to Riko. There were just two other men in the room currently and she knew there was another one guarding the door. Kuroi was sure she could take them. But first, she had to get out these binds.

“Knock knock Kamui Pizza Delivery!”

The men inside the room glanced at one another confused. Even Kuroi had stopped in her struggle to glance at the door. Pizza delivery? One of the men stepped towards the door. His arm outstretched to make a grab for the knob.

“I said–” The door was kicked open slamming face first into the man. “–pizza delivery!” Satoru marched into the room and set his sights on the other man. Without mercy, he kicked the man down and started stomping on his fallen body.

“Kuroi!” Riko ran in, kneeling next to the bound woman.

“Riko!” Kuroi exclaimed as her gag was removed. “But how were you able to find me?”

“Reiki-chan did it!”

There was a bark and Kuroi glanced around Riko.

“A..dog?”

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ᗪᗝǤ ᗪᗩƳᔕ

“I didn't expect that I would be fooled by a non-sorcerer of Star Religious Group…It's so embarrassing,” Kuroi bemoaned as she recalled earlier events. She sat on the sand, next to Suguru dawned in her own swimsuit that mimicked her maid uniform.

“It's understandable since it was an ambush.” Suguru did his best to reassure the woman. He leaned back in the sand, soaking in the sun. “I'm also to blame.”

“Was it… really an ambush? After the Q incident, I have been on high alert…But I still can't remember how I was attacked…” Kuroi lamented.

“No need to feel bad Miss Kuroi.” The sand shifted as Reiki walked over. She had left to go change into her swimsuit. She’d gone with a more sporty style bikini. One with a high neckline and small shorts vs. briefs. Reiki patted Kuroi’s back doing her best to comfort her.

“What I want to know is, why would they specify Okinawa as the location,” Suguru said. 

“Are they trying to buy time? Even if they can't kill Miss Riko, they want to make sure we miss tomorrow's full moon,” Kuroi said.

“If that's the case, they would choose a remote area where transportation is inconvenient,” Suguru said.

“They won't take over the airport, will they?”

“Maybe they're just idiots and flying by the seat of their pants?” Reiki said.

Suguru blinked before snorting with a small laugh. “I think you've been hanging around Satoru a bit too much, Reiki. It doesn't matter. We are not the only ones who came here.”

Reiki awkwardly chuckled remembering that phone call. Satoru had been forced off the phone with Reiki taking over before Nanami had an aneurysm. Yu was excitable as ever, ready and willing to help no matter what it took. He also expressed his jealousy that Reiki got to work with the upperclassmen on the special mission, making her promise to tell her all the details when everything was over.

The raucous laughter of revelry brought Reiki out of her memory. Satoru and Riko were in stitches as they laughed at what Satoru was holding, a sea cucumber.

“Sea cucumber!”

“Gross, it's so gross!”

“Rei-chan come check this out!” Satoru shouted, waving the thing about.

“Is it really okay for us to be sightseeing?” Kuroi questioned.

“This is Satoru's suggestion. He is also caring for Riko in his own way. But we should be going now.”

“Darn, was hoping I could enjoy the sun a little bit more,” Reiki said.

At some point, Satoru had started chasing Riko with the sea cucumber. The merrymaking ended when Satoru launched the creature at Riko beaming her in the head. He found it hilarious.

“Satoru, it's time,” Suguru said.

“Already?” Satoru glanced at Riko. She was frowning with a disheartened expression on her face. “Suguru, let's go back tomorrow morning.”

Riko lit up.

“But…”

“The weather is stable, right? Moreover compared to Tokyo, here in Okinawa… There are fewer curse users. Plus Reiki hasn't even gotten in the water yet. I haven't gotten a picture of her either.”

“Can we talk seriously, Satoru?” Suguru said.

The boys stood off to the side watching as Reiki and Kuroi joined Riko in the water. The trio laughed as the youngest of the group picked up a crab.

“It'd be better if Amanai's bounty ends during our flight,” Satoru said.

“Satoru.” Suguru leaned closer. “You haven't dismantled the Cursed Technique since yesterday. And you haven't slept at all. You don't plan to sleep tonight either. Is it really okay that we don't go back to high school?”

“It's fine. Grinding to end a game on an MMO is far more training. And… you and Reiki are here too.”

Suguru let out a low hump, as he smiled.

Satoru suddenly turned around and held his phone up. “Now time to get that picture of Reiki!”

“Satoru…”

When they told the girls about their plan to stay, Riko cheered while Reiki frowned, sweat dropping. Nanami wasn't going to be happy about that one.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ᗪᗝǤ ᗪᗩƳᔕ

"Kayaking, aquarium, garden..." Satrou was listing off the various activities the group could enjoy while in Okinawa.

If they were going to stay then they were going to make the most of their time. While they were going over what to do Riko and Reiki were getting ice cream. The younger teen had spotted a small cart selling the sweet treat and wanted some. Reiki agreed to grab it with her while the others worked on a schedule.

"Here you go miss." The elderly man running the cart smiled behind his bushy mustache, passing a wafflecone bowl to Riko.

"Thank you!" Riko said.

Stepping aside, Reiki stepped up, card out to pay for the ice cream. But not without ordering a sundae that she knew Satoru would surely ask for. While she was busy Riko had taken a spot nearby under some shade provided by a tree.

Once she had Satoru's sudnae Reiki turned around, ready to grab Riko and rejoin the group. Two steps forward and Reiki came to a stop.

"I said go away," Riko huffed.

The young middle schooler was surrounded, by two older boys. They wore school uniforms but judging by the fact that it was the middle of the school day they weren't the studious type. Not to mention they looked a bit too old to still be in school.

Whatever they had said seemed to rub Riko the wrong way. Her once delighted smile, brought forth by ice cream, was gone. Replaced with a frown and dead-set irritation in her gaze. The two guys seemed to find her "little act" cute, leaning in further to her personal space.

"Now don't be like that."

"Yeah, we're just trying to be nice. We've never seen you around here before, we can show you around."

One attempted to place a hand on Riko's shoulder. It was promptly smacked away.

"Have you no manners! Do not touch a lady without her permission!" Riko said.

Reiki was pulled into a memory. A girl, she was younger than Reiki. Her hair was being pulled by a boy bigger than herself. Reiki can see herself scooping up some mud and dumping it on the boy's head. The other girl pulled away, tear-streaked face morphing into a smile as she laughed at the boy. Reiki could feel a surge of pride, smiling herself as the boy ran off.

"You little–I don't see any ladies just a brat!"

"H-Hey!" Riko exclaimed when one of the guys grabbed her wrist. "My ice cream!" She cried out as the treat fell out of her hand.

"Now how about we–" He was silenced by a double hot fudge sundae with an extra helping of all the fixings was dumped on his head.

"The fuck!? Who did that?!"

"Keep your hands off her."

"What–"

Both boys turend arond and instnly froze. There stood Reiki, in one hand she held the emptied bowl of Satoru's sundae. What the boys couldn't help but stare at was her face, specifically her eyes. The way her bangs framed her face created a slight shadow that perfectly curtained her eyes. The bright orbs peered through the darkness. Watchful, sharp, threatening.

"Keep. Your hands. Off her." Reiki repeated with much more forceful punctuation at the end of her words. The bowl she held was crushed between her fist. Both boys flinched as the wood bowl splintered and broke under Reiki's grip. Without a word, they turned and made a hasty exit.

Reiki kept a sharp eye on the dup until they were fully out of the area. Once they were officially gone she turned to Riko.

"Are you okay?" Reiki asked.

"Yes, those punks were nothing," Riko said.

"That's good. Here." Reiki held out a napkin.

"Huh?" Riko questioned taking the cloth.

"You got some ice cream on your skirt," Reiki pointed out.

"What? Really?" Riko jumped, and frantically searched her skirt. She spotted a small splotch on the right corner. It must've hit the skirt when that caused her to drop the ice cream. Grumbling under her breath Riko started to clean the ice cream.

After a bit of friction, she managed to get the ice cream out. When she looked back up, Riko was surprised to find Reiki back with a new ice cream. Riko's sour mood did another 180, the young girl beaming.

Reiki smiled holding the ice cream out. "Here you go Emi–"

Riko paused, lips slightly pursed with raised brows. She tilted her head. "Emi?" She questioned.

Reiki's head dropped for a moment, Riko unable to see her face. Quickly her head popped back up, her smile still there but something was off about it. It wasn't as bright.

"Here, you go. We better hurry, we don't want to waste any more time," Reiki said. She forced the bowl of ice cream into Riko's arms. Turning on her heels she quickly fled the scene, leaving behind a confused Riko with melting ice cream.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ᗪᗝǤ ᗪᗩƳᔕ

"Hey. Pssst! Hey."

Suguru sighed at Riko's attempt to grab his attention. "Yes Amanai?"

"Who's Emi?" Riko asked.

Suguru paused then slowly turned around. "How do you know that name?"

"Reiki-chan called me that."

"She..called you Emi?"

"Is that someone special to her?"

Surugu nodded. "Yes. Emi is–was Reiki's sister."

"Was?" Riko softly gasped hands over her mouth. "Does that mean...."

"Amanai, just like you Reiki lost her family. She and her sister were best friends. She doesn't talk bout her family much, but I can tell she misses them immeasurably."

"I see...just like me..."

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ᗪᗝǤ ᗪᗩƳᔕ

Reiki double-checked the restraints of her life vest. The first activity of the day would be kayaking. With an odd number of people, they decided to get two tandem kayaks and one single-person kayak.

"I wanna ride with Reiki-chan!"

Satoru froze with his hand in the air. He wanted to ride with Reiki, but it wasn't him who had just spoken.

Riko smiled and skipped her way over to Reiki. "Can you check my vest?"

"Huh? Oh, sure," Reiki said.

"What?" Satoru blinked. "What? What?!"

"Look's like Riko is riding with Reiki," Suguru said.

"I can take the solo one," Kuroi said.

"Looks like we're all set," Suguru said.

". . . .What!" Satoru shouted.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ᗪᗝǤ ᗪᗩƳᔕ

"Come on Reiki-chan! Come on!"

"Hold on Riko!" Reiki giggled as Riko tugged her along.

Their next stop was a large outdoor botanical garden. Riko was particularly drawn to the rows of sunflowers. Reiki had to fight back the involuntary urge to switch into her dog form and roll around the grass.

"What's with her?" Satoru huffed crossing his arms. "She's suddenly obsessed with Reiki."

"Riko has grown quite close to her. It's almost like she's attempting to cheer Reiki up," Kuroi noted.

"I think I might know what's going on. Reiki called Riko, Emi," Suguru said.

"Is that so..." Satoru hummed lowly.

"Emi? Who is that?" Kuroi asked.

"Emi's sister. She's gone now," Satoru said.

"Her younger sister?" Kuroi asked.

"Yup."

"Ah, I understand. Could Riko possibly....?"

The trio went back to watching the duo.

"I wish we could pick some," Riko said.

"That would be nice, wouldn't it? I'd love to make some flower crowns."

"I've never made one before. Maybe you can show me?" Riko said.

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Did you and Emi make flower crowns together?"

Reiki froze, her smile wavering. She bit her bottom lip. "Y-Yeah we did."

Reiki didn't even know she was trembling until a hand fell on her arm.

"You miss her a lot, huh?" Riko said.

Reiki sniffled. "Y-Yes I do."

Riko hummed, before clasping her hands together. "It's settled then. Until I merge with Master Tengen I shall be your little sister!"

"W-What?"

"I've always wanted a big sister." Riko smiled and grabbed Reiki's hands. "I'll call you Reiki-Oneechan. And you will call me Riko."

"But–"

"No buts! You have to do what I say, per Master Tengen's orders, right?"

"I..." Reiki softly smiled. "Yes, that's right."

"Good! Let's have fun today Reiki-Oneechan!"

"Right, let's make it a great day Riko!"

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ᗪᗝǤ ᗪᗩƳᔕ

Satoru was lying on his bed flipping through channels. One bed over Suguru slept silently, curled in his bed. Satoru had reached that late-night hour where the only things playing on TV were infomercials and public access shows.

“Man, where are the reruns of old anime?” Satoru mumbled.

The group enjoyed their impromptu trip to Okinawa. After they visited the beautiful botanical garden, they dined at the best restaurant for lunch, and had even made a stop at the local aquarium.

With the day over the group took up residence in a nearby hotel. After having Satoru and Reiki go up and down each hall on each floor, sizing up all the staff to ensure that the hotel was safe to stay in. They ordered room service fully funded by Tokyo Jujutsu Tech. The girls were set up in the room next door, connected to the room the boys were sleeping in.

Satoru had just gotten through his third cycle of channel surfing when the door to the connecting rooms opened. Reiki’s head poked through the threshold.

“Satoru…”

“Ah, well if it isn't Rei-chan. Come to see me?” Satoru perked up as he sat up.

“Just checking in. So Suguru was right, you do plan on staying up all night.”

“Not you too Reiki, it's fine.” Satoru waved off any worry that might have been behind Reiki’s words.

“You've had your Technique activated the moment we got Riko from her school.”

“Yup.”

Reiki made her way into the room taking a seat on Satoru’s bed. “You can take a break, you know.” She wiggled her nose. “This nose ain't for show.”

“Nah.” Satoru crossed his arm behind his head. “I’m good. You go get some sleep.”

“Okay then…”

Satoru’s lips parted in a silent gasp as a set of hands settled on the side of his head. He put up no resistance as the hands guided him down. Satoru’s head settled in the warm lap of Reiki’s. She started to hum, running her fingers through his hair.

“Hm, this is a dangerous thing you're doing Reiki. A guy could easily fall asleep in this position.”

“And if a certain guy falls asleep in a certain girl's lap then that girl will make sure she keeps an eye out in his stead.”

Satoru settled deeper into Reiki’s lap. His arms wrapped around her waist as he snuggled closer. That’s how they stayed until Reiki fell asleep. In the morning Suguru woke up confused as to why Reiki was sleeping in Satoru’s bed.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ᗪᗝǤ ᗪᗩƳᔕ

The next day and after another plane ride the group had finally arrived at Tokyo Tech. They made it up the exuberant amount of steps passing through the torii gates that guarded the front of the school.

Reiki relaxed once they were on familiar ground. It wasn't just the fact that they were back home and had gotten Riko there safely, but Reiki noticed that Satoru had finally dropped his Technique. He must've been exhausted. She had fully intended on waiting him out and taking over watch last night but she had been the one to fall asleep.

It was 3 pm, so that meant the bounty on Riko was over as well.

“Great job, everyone. This place is inside the school's barrier. Now we can rest assured,” Suguru said.

Riko sighed, hunched over as she caught her breath. It was to be expected after having climbed so many stairs. Reiki was sure if she had been in her old body it would've given out halfway through.

“Boy am I relieved to hear that,” Riko said.

“Satoru, good job,” Suguru said.

“I'll never do babysitting ever again–”

“Satoru!”

Satoru gasped as blood splattered the ground. Slowly he turned around, his stark ocean gaze unwavering as it stared at the long blade. Everyone's shocked gaze stared at the crimson-soaked blade. The blade sticking out of Reiki’s stomach.

“R-Reiki…”

Chapter Text

Reiki coughed, more blood spattering the ground. Her legs trembled–no her whole body was wracked with tremors.

“Wow…” the one holding the sword let out a low impressed whistle. His lips curled with a smirk that showed his genuine fascination. “Now ain’t this something. My intel says you're able to track someone based on the smell of their Curse Energy. So tell me how you were able to sense me coming?”

Reiki’s lips quirked with a slight uptick. A smirk of her own. “W-Word of a-advice.” She shook, blood escaping her lips as she spoke. “Y-You might w-wanna tell yo-your next date t-to not o-over do the p-perfume.”

“Huh? You were able to find me out just by that? And move fast enough to get in the way of my attack? Now that’s some real talent you got there girly.”

“Don't view me as rude if I don’t say thank you for the compliment.”

“I can breathe, it hurts but that might just be because I have a sword through my stomach. I’m no anatomy pro but the only major organ in critical danger is my stomach, but who’s to say what he actually hit or even knicked considering he was aiming for Satoru and not me.”

Reiki shifted her gaze to Satoru and Suguru, they both bore matching expressions. Jaws slightly dropped, eyes wide, utterly rattled. But there was something underneath. A simmering of rage in their stark gazes.

Reiki knew that her next move was critical. “I know they say not to remove a knife from a stab wound…”

“Hey.” Reiki once more glanced at the man behind her. The scar on his lip was further highlighted by the smirk he wore. “I’m taking this as a souvenir.”

Finally, the man's smirk shifted going into a more flat line. His brows pulled inward with confusion. “What?”

The man’s bewildered expression furthered into another impressed smirk as he watched Reiki grip the blade. The unprotected sharpened edge cut into her palms and fingers spilling more blood. Reiki lurched forward taking the blade with her. Perhaps her assailant was surprised or merely didn't care either way what happened to the sword and the girl who was attached to it, because Reiki managed the sword out of its user's hand without much resistance.

As she stumbled forward Suguru and Satoru didn't hesitate to attack. Satoru used his infinity to send the attacker flying high above the torii gates while Suguru quickly summoned a Curse. It flew towards the man swallowing him in one go as it cashed towards the ground.

“Reiki!”

She stumbled a few more steps before catching herself on one knee.

“Reiki!”

Satoru appeared to her left while Suguru appeared to her right.

“I’m fine!” She quickly said.

Clearly she wasn't, there was still a sword in her stomach. But Reiki knew she didn't have time, she couldn't hesitate. She might be the one run through with a blade but she wasn't the intended target. They still had a mission to complete.

“Y-You need to g-get Riko to safety! Now!” Reiki clenched her teeth and brushed off the boys as they attempted to support her. With pure willpower, she forced herself to her feet. “I-I can handle this guy while you two get her to Master Tengen.”

Even she didn't believe her own words. As if she could truly put up a good fight. Maybe she stood a chance if she didn't have a sword literally sticking out of her stomach. Best she could do was stall the man until she passed out from blood loss, and that would be the best-case scenario.

Satoru clicked his tongue. “Yeah like that’s happening. Suguru you take Riko and Reiki–” He started to step forward. “I’ll handle this guy.”

“Satoru–”

“Hey,” Satoru glanced over his shoulder. “I got this. Besides, I’m really pissed right now.”

Suguru glanced at Reiki. The way she swayed, the amount of blood that had already soaked through her uniform–the puddle at her feet, the agonizing pain that she tried to conceal. All of it made him violently ill.

“Right,” Suguru nodded, fully understanding Satoru’s feelings. “Be careful.”

Despite protest, Suguru slung one of Reiki’s arms over his shoulder, being her support. He turned to Kuroi and Riko, signaling to the girls with his head which direction they needed to go.

“Let's go.”

·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩ ᦔꪮᦋ ᦔꪖꪗక ✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ 

“Stop. Stop, please…”

Suguru slowed at Reiki’s pleading. They came to a stop at a tree.

“I can't…I…” Reiki audibly swallowed, it felt like she had a knot in her throat. She coughed a few times and pulled away from Suguru. “I’m j-just slowing you guys down.”

“Reiki–”

“No Suguru, d-don't. Y-You now it’s true. Our top priority i-is to get Riko to Master Tengen. Y-You'll get there much f-faster if you aren't d-dragging me along.”

Reiki leaned against the tree. More like flopped as she collapsed against the large structure of nature. She slid down not caring that the bark scraped her. With the sword still lodged in her stomach she had to rest on her side.

“J-Just get Riko to Master Tengen…then you can come back a-and get me.”

Suguru kneeled next to Reiki, taking one of her hands. He noticed the pale pallor of her skin. Raising her hand he placed a kiss on the back of it. “I’ll be back soon, I promise.”

Taking a knee next to Reiki, Riko grabbed her other free hand. She clasped the clammy hand between her own, bowing her head slightly.

“Thank you,” Riko said after a quick prayer.

Reiki smiled. "What...What are big sisters for."

Riko smiled back, sniffling and wiping away a stray tear.

“Let’s go,” Suguru said.

With one last look Suguru took Kuroi and Riko, leaving Reiki alone at the tree. She could only finally relax once their retreating figures vanished.

“So…tired….”

·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩ ᦔꪮᦋ ᦔꪖꪗక ✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ 

Reiki faded in and out of consciousness. Her body burned with the epicenter of the wound throbbing around the steel blade. She had attempted to get up once more but found the world around her shift and sway. When the edges of her vision darkened, she finally gave up. That meant going to Shoko was out of the question. Reiki just had to pray that either Suguru gotta back to her, or someone found her.

“Well–”

Reiki’s half-lidded eyes snapped open wide as she speedily sat up. It had been by pure instinct because the burning in her stomach and sudden onset of nausea was a reminder of the state she was in.

A figure crouched next to her. Reiki was face to face with the man who had attacked her.

“How…” It dawned on her the moment she spotted that wicked scarred smirk. If he was here…then where was Satoru?

“Surprised you can move so quickly with that thing in your belly.” The man poked a bit of morbid fun hovering his index finger above the blade's handle.

Reiki shifted back, attempting to get some distance between herself and the man.

“You can settle down now. I wasn't paid to kill you.”

Reiki flinched as a hand dropped atop her head.

“Count yourself lucky that I’ve got a much bigger bounty to take care of. But hey at least I’ll earn a literal extra by killing that Gojo brat.”

Words came out but it was all muffled. Reiki felt as if she had dunked her head underwater. Sound became nothing but white noise that faded into unintelligible garble. Her sight blurred. Was it from the blood loss…no, she was crying.

“What…did you just say?”

“Hm? Now that's a look. What? I kill your boyfriend or something?” The man chuckled, slinging a new and much larger blade over his shoulder. “Should've said your goodbyes when you had the chance. Oh, well, judging by how much blood you lost you’ll see each other pretty soon.”

He turned on his heels throwing a lofty hand over his shoulder. “See ya…”

Reiki’s head dropped, hanging low. “S-Satoru…” Her voice was weak, nothing but a whimper on her blood-stained lips.

“S-Satoru…” Tears pooled and slipped over the edge, mixing with red. “Satoru…”

Overhead clouds started to drift in. White fluffy cotton balls that shifted and twisted. They grew darker, changing in color til they were pitch black. Thunder rolled as the clouds continued to glide in. They eclipsed the sky over taking the sun and blocking out all light.

“Satoru…Satoru…Satoru!”

It developed deep in the depths. From a dark hollowness that settled in the pit of Reiki’s very soul. It ripped Reiki’s throat raw and booming, echoing til it reached the sky. A forceful guttural cry that was inhuman.

Several streaks of light descending from the heavens were the last thing Reiki saw before the world below was torn asunder.

·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩ ᦔꪮᦋ ᦔꪖꪗక ✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ 

Perhaps it had been the anger. The unrelenting pure rage that burned the deepest pits of h*ll that had blinded Suguru. Or perhaps his opponent had truly been that skilled.

Suguru could admit he was blinded by his own fury; it had sent hime into a frenzied rage to kill his opponent. First Reiki. Then Satoru. The man before him had to die. That was all Suguru could think of. Even as he lay crumbled in the remnants of their fight.

“Jujutsu sorcerers can't die from these few cuts. If you were a Shikigami user, I would kill you, but you use Cursed Spirits Manipulation. I don't know what will happen to the cursed spirits you absorbed after you die. I want to avoid trouble here. You should thank your parents. But the blessed like you still lost to me a monkey that can't even use Jujutsu. If you want to live longer, remember this.”

The man paused as a memory flashed.

“Oh, Megumi is…I almost forgot. I named him–” Nostigla of a forgotten memory quickly transitioned to surprise. All he had time to do was throw up his arms to block.

Suguru heard the body crash across the room. Judging by the sound the man broke through several walls with his body. 

Something had entered the chamber. Something large.

With a bit of struggle, Suguru managed to sit up, getting his arms under so he could rest on his elbows. He could sense it. The chaotic blood lust. The raw power.

Its steps were steady, even. Thud Thud Thud

A molten gaze pierced through the darkness. Sunset hues.

“R-Reiki…” Suguru gasped.

Thud Thud Thud

From out of the shadows it came.

A giant wolf.

·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩ ᦔꪮᦋ ᦔꪖꪗక ✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ 

“Reiki…”

Suguru knew it, he just knew that this had to be Reiki. But…How?

Her current form dwarfed both her human and dog form. A wolf that would very easily tower over cars. To put her at the size of your average family home would be accurate.

The markings that lined the fur were an exact copy of Reiki when she was using Cursed Energy as a dog. From cute to menacing. Her features were sharpened, her face more angular with a narrowed piercing gaze.

Visible streaks of lighting licked and jumped across her fur. Low growls rumbled from her chest, akin to the sound of thunder in the distance.

“Damn…” Rubble shifted as the fallen body managed to dig out. Toji clicked his tongue as he rubbed the back of his neck, stretching it to the left as if he was working out a kink.

“Gotta admit that one caught me by surprise. Man, you sure have a lot of tricks up your sleeves, girly. That is you right?”

The taunting voice echoed through the cavernous area. Reiki’s lips curled as she growled louder. It shook the area and Suguru could feel the rumble deep in his own chest.

“Well this has been fun but I really do need to be going now, see ya.” With a two-finger salute, the man vanished. The only trace of his presence was the carnage he’d left behind.

“He's…gone,” Suguru mumbled.

The air grew still and suddenly Suguru felt as if he was far more dangerous. His spine grew stiff as an icy thorn pricked the back of his neck.

“Rei–”

Suguru ducked down covering his head. Just in time to absorb the impact as the part of the ceiling caved in.

A thunderous howl rocked the area as a light so bright that it burned just to be near illuminated the entire cavern. Suguru felt heat lick his skin and an uncomfortable jolt like pins pricking his skin. He had to cover his ears as an anguished howl reached new levels that rattled Suguru’s brain.

“Reiki!” Suguru shouted, sitting up, hands still over his ears. “Reiki! Stop!”

His words fell on deaf ears. Reiki’s head was thrown back, head pointed to the sky as she continued to howl. Lightning shot out from every angle, clouds summoned in the enclosed space. Suguru did his best to dodge, wary of getting struck. He wondered how long this would go on. Would he have to knock Reiki out? At that size, he’d need the help of a Curse. Did he even have any Curses left that could combat Reiki in this state?

As he pondered the many scenarios to which this episode could shift to, the howling trailed off. It grew thinner, less power radiating forth. Finally, Suguru was able to lower his hands. The tense stress of his body, ready to bolt, left as he deemed it safe.

“Reiki–”

She growled head whipping around. Reiki fully turned and took off.

“Reiki!”

·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩ ᦔꪮᦋ ᦔꪖꪗక ✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ 

“Crap!”

Suguru cursed, running. An arm was firmly pressed to his chest, staunching the blood from the man’s attack. Reiki had breached the inner workings of Master Tengen’s area, now out in the open of Jujutsu Tokyo Tech. And she was on a rampage.

Within the few seconds she was on campus she’d taken out half a building along with a good expanse of some nearby woodland area. More destruction would be left in her wake if Suguru didn’t stop her.

“Reiki! Stop! Reiki!” Suguru shouted.

He had hoped his words would reach her but she continued her rampage. Perhaps she couldn't hear him? Maybe she was just too blinded by her rage, focused solely on finding that man. Or maybe…she didn't even recognize him? Maybe she didn't even know who she was.

Reiki's head craned upwards as she released a howl. Her mouth was filled with light as electricity built up. With a deafening roar, she discharged her attack. The ball of lighting tore the area with little effort. It left a deep scar that marred the ground.

“This isn't good,” Suguru said.

He summoned two Curses. He was going to have to stop Reiki himself.

Round and bulbous a Curse hovered before Reiki. Immediately she attacked. Mouth open and an attack already charging. She lunged, snapping jaws going for the target. Suddenly dozens of arms shot out of the Curse's round body. They gripped Reiki, hands burying and digging into her fur. She howled and struggled. Thrashing her body about Reiki managed to break several of the arms, getting free. The Curse let out a garbled cry of shrieks as Reiki’s jaws snapped around what could be assumed to be its head. With a sharp yank, Reiki tore it two.

As if to assert her dominance and soak in her victory, Reiki started to howl to the sky. Suguru ducked, taking cover as more lightning struck the ground.

“Reiki! Stop!”

“Every time she howls, more lighting comes.”

Suguru summoned another Curse, long and worm-like. “Sorry, Reiki, but this is for your own good!”

The Curse wrapped around Reiki’s head. It curled up and around her mouth. With a tug, it had sealed Reiki’s mouth close. The wolf of a beast flailed, her howls and growls gagged. Her movements became more erratic and panicked. In a frenzied stomp of feet, she took out another wall.

Four Curses shot out of the ground, each one wrapping around Reiki’s ankles. Now her movements had been restricted as well. Muffled howls rumbled as Reiki was pulled down and forced on her side.

“Reiki! Can you hear me? Reiki!” Suguru ran towards Reiki’s head. 

She continued to struggle, flailing and fighting against the Curses that kept her bound.

“Please, Reiki…Please…” Suguru reached a hand out for Reiki, stopping short as she snorted and attempted to snap at his arm, only stopped by his Curse muzzle. 

“Reiki…Please…” Suguru stepped closer hands atop her head. She stilled. Her body stiff, frozen. Suguru pressed his forehead to Reiki’s.

And there they remained.

Fur soon became flesh.

Suguru gathered the girl in his arms, ignoring his wounds to press Reiki close. One arm around her waist the other cradling the back of her head.

“Suguru…” Reiki sniffled. It was all she could get out before unleashing a heartbreaking cry. Sobs of grief shook her body.

Reiki buried her face into Suguru’s chest. She gripped his uniform, fingers digging deep. It was a torrential cascade of never-ending tears, trailing down her face and soaking Suguru.

“Suguru!” Reiki wailed. “S-Suguru, Satoru-Satoru, h-he–”

“I know Reiki…I know…Reiki–”

She suddenly went limp, Suguru’s arms the only thing stopping her from falling.

“Reiki? Reiki!”

Chapter Text

*＊✿❀　❀✿＊*

“How is she?”

“Stable.” Shoko adjusted her chair, sitting forward. “I had enough Cursed Energy left to heal all of her major damage. The sword got her clean through her stomach but luckily didn't hit anything else.”

“I see…that's good at least,” Suguru said.

“I’ll finish up the rest of her wounds once I’ve regained more energy. For the time being she should be fine.”

Suguru's shoulders slumped but he was anything but relaxed. To watch Reiki in such a state and having no power to help her…

Reiki’s chest moved up and down in steady rhythms in time with the soft beep of the heart monitor next to her.

“Do you know when she’ll wake up?” Suguru asked.

Shoko shook her head. “Perhaps she’s exhausted but there is no reason why she shouldn't be up now. Hopefully, once she’s fully healed and gotten some rest she’ll wake up. I'd say maybe a day or two.”

Shoko stood up. “I’m going to go get something to eat. I’ll monitor her through the night.”

“Thank you, Shoko.”

She left and Suguru took the seat next to Reiki’s bed. Her hands were folded over her stomach, resting gently on the bandaged area. He reached across the bed, gently cupping her smaller hand in his own.

“Wake up soon, Reiki.”

𓆩⟡𓆪 ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ 𓆩⟡𓆪

The moon clung to the night sky, bathing the world below in an ethereal soft glow.

Reiki remained still on her bed. In the corner Shoko was curled up on a couch, a blanket draped over her. There was a single window in the room, located on the wall across from Reiki’s bed. Silently it opened, a cool summer breeze drifting in.

Suguru grumbled as the cool air gently brushed against his cheek. He snuggled in closer to the empty space next to Reiki’s body. His grip on Reiki’s hand tightened even as he slept.

A figure appeared next to the bed, soundless steps having carried him across the room. Pale fingers gently brushed against Reiki’s forehead, drifting down to her cheek. A forefinger curled, light touches caressing her skin. A gentle warmth was pressed against her forehead, lingering as it took in Reiki’s scent.

“Reiki…”

Reiki grumbled a bit in her sleep, shifting ever so slightly. “Satoru…”

𓆩⟡𓆪 ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ 𓆩⟡𓆪

Suguru had been fully prepared for the world of Jujutsu. His duty as a Sorcerer is what he lived for and yet…he had never thought his life would take such a turn. Satoru was okay, but he had changed. The very air around him was just different. And there was the case of Reiki.

“She’s still asleep?” Nanami questioned as he stepped into Reiki’s room. In his arms was a bundle of flowers. A bouquet to help brighten the room.

“Yes,” Suguru said.

“I'm sure she’ll wake up soon!” Came the cheerful voice of Yu.

Reiki, although fully healed, was still unconscious. Something dark shadowed over Suguru’s heart. It festered and boiled every second he set his sights on Reiki.

Why? Just…Why? Why was Reiki left in such a state? Reiki, who did nothing but care for those around her. Who would risk her life for others? Who was ripped away from her own world and instead of being bitter and angry dedicated her life to saving others.

“Why….” Suguru mumbled with clenched fists.

𓆩⟡𓆪 ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ 𓆩⟡𓆪

The day it happened it was raining. Shoko couldn't watch Reiki 24/7 so the care of the young Sorcerer was left up to qualified Windows. It was in the midst of having her IV fluids replenished when the heart monitor spiked.

The nurse was startled, dropping the IV bag.

Reiki’s eyes snapped open and she was still for only a moment before a fierce scream ripped out of her throat. Fangs glinted in the fluorescent light as clawed hands swiped at the air. Her eyes were glazed over the pupils just gone. The heart monitor beeped in wild waves as Reiki thrashed in the bed. Her legs kicked violently, the blanket flying off her body.

“Miss Reiki stop! Miss Reiki!”

Outside lighting suddenly descended the sky. They flew from the heavens striking the ground, trees, and even a nearby statue. The more violently Reiki thrashed the stronger the lighting strikes outside grew.

“Miss Reiki–”

“That's enough Rei-chan.” Hands grabbed her wrists and Reiki froze. She trembled.

“S-Satoru…”

“Yeah, I’m right here Reiki. Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere.”

𓆩⟡𓆪 ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ 𓆩⟡𓆪

“Easy now, one step at a time.”

For apathetic she could appear Shoko had excellent bedside manners. She was attentive and gentle with a keen eye. The perfect combo in her field of work. It might've been the fact that she was caring for a close friend that she was acting in such a manner but Reiki appreciated it nonetheless.

“You don't have to treat me like glass, Shoko,” Reiki softly chuckled trying to add humor to the situation.

“I’m treating you like a person who’s been in a coma for over three weeks,” Shoko said.

All Reiki could only respond back with was an awkward chuckle with beads of sweat dripping down the back of her head. Shoko’s dry comeback was the opposite of what Reiki hoped for in her quest to break the tension.

Even after being awake for three days, Reiki was still on bed rest. Her Cursed Energy reserves had been depleted to nearly zero and considering the endless amounts that dwelled within her that meant her latest transformation took far more out of her than she realized. Not that she couldn't fully grasp the entirety of the situation at hand but most of her memory is nothing but a chasm of darkness. She remembered getting stabbed, leaving Satoru to fight the one who had stabbed her, being left by Suguru at the tree…then after that, it's all blank. Her next memory was waking up in the hospital bed with Satoru hovering over her.

Sure Suguru had explained everything that had happened, but hearing it secondhand and only witnessing the aftermath of your own destruction was a lot to process. On top of all that, she discovered that Riko had passed as well. She didn't even merge with Master Tengen but was instead snuffed out by that man. Reiki’s heart clenched just thinking about it. The ache in her chest shifted and settled like a rock in her stomach as Suguru recounted the people who applauded Riko’s death. Like the passing of a young girl was something to be celebrated. Shoko had advised putting an end to that talk as Reiki’s heart monitor spiked. When she pulled her clenched fists away the sheets were torn.

“So what's the prognosis?” Reiki asked as she completed the tasks asked by Shoko.

“Well I'm no doctor–”

“Yet," Reiki giggled.

Shoko softly smiled. “–But I’d say after a few days more bed rest you should be good to go. We’ll send you to a clinic to get the official all-clear but until then take it easy okay.”

“Can do.” At least now Reiki could finally go back to the comfort of her own room.

“I’ll help you to your room,” Shoko said.

Reiki didn't really need the help in the way a fish with an unobstructed path could eventually flop its way back to the water. The question is, will it make it back to water before it suffocates? Could Reiki make it on her own two feet? Yes. Could she walk forward? Also Yes. Did she wobble and waver like a famous egg-shaped kids' toy? Definitely.

For the most part, Reiki was fine, but her body–specifically her arms and legs–felt heavy. As if her limbs were attempting to wake up after going numb. Each movement was sluggish and far slower than what Reiki was used to. It felt like she was wading through a pit of syrup. Her throat was also still sore. The first day she woke up anything longer than a sentence would burn and send her into a coughing fit. Luckily a regiment of tea and honey spoonfuls helped take the pain away. Something Reiki would continue to do until the tickle in the back of her throat was gone. Shoko suspected the sore throat came from all the lighting howls.

“Hey Shoko, Satoru…recovered Riko’s body right?”

“Yeah, that's right,” Shoko said.

“Then, I’d like to hold a service for her. If that's possible. She didn't have any family left but Kuroi, so I’d like to honor her memory.”

“Yeah, I think that sounds nice. I'll make sure to bring flowers. Also, I heard she had some family left."

Reiki perked up. "Really?"

"Yeah, heard she had a pretty cool older sister."

Reiki's excitement dimmed just a bit but settled into a gentle smile. One of longing but joy. "Yeah...she did."

𓆩⟡𓆪 ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ 𓆩⟡𓆪

“I miss my Switch.”

Reiki lay awake in bed, bored. She knew bed rest was what she needed but after being asleep for over three weeks she’s had enough rest. Her body may need the recovery time but her mind was alert and buzzing. It was startling how lucid she was in the middle of the night. She had reached the point in the night where one pondered had they stayed up too late or were they up too early. Reiki had been an owner of a Switch in her last life, having logged days' worth of hours in just Animal Crossing alone. At the very least if she had her Switch she’d be able to stem her boredom.

“Maybe I should ask Suguru or Nanami for a book?”

Rolling over Reiki gleaned at her alarm clock. The neon yellow numbers illuminated in the darkness. The numbers 5:23 were set on the small screen. Shoko had helped her to her room at noon. She had attempted to watch TV to quell the boredom but found nothing of real value to keep her entertained. Although there was a sense of nostalgia watching the old “As Seen on TV” ads for products that had now become memes.

Rolling onto her other side, Reiki was now facing her back porch.

“Maybe some fresh air could help?”

Shoko said she needed rest, she could rest outside. Maybe she’d be able to watch the sunrise as well?

Shuffling her way out of bed, giving a slight grunt as she nearly landed on one knee instead of both of her feet. Pausing for a moment she decided to grab a pillow and blanket. Using the wall as support, Reiki made her way towards the sliding back door. She got the door open then used the doorframe to lower herself to the ground with a less graceful plop. Reiki put the pillow down and let out a satisfied sigh as she tilted over allowing herself to collapse onto the porch with her head hitting the pillow.

With her eyes closed she took a deep breath in, taking in the cool summer air. The cicadas in the trees buzzing loudly become white noise to lull her senses. It was calming, her body relaxing, but it still did nothing to help soothe her overactive mind. Opening her eyes, Reiki nearly jumped as she caught sight of someone also sitting on their back porch.

“Suguru?” She questioned.

Perhaps he hadn't heard her? There was no way he was ignoring her. Right?

“Suguru?” Reiki called out again. This time a little louder. Still, no answer. She sat up.

Suguru was slightly hunched over, his loose hair framing his face preventing Reiki from seeing it. Was he asleep? Abandoning her soft pillow–but still keeping the blanket wrapped around herself–Reiki made her way over to Suguru.

“Suguru?” She called for a third time but with the added bonus of reaching out for him.

Her fingers were inches away from brushing his shoulder when Suguru suddenly reacted. Reiki yelped as her world shifted and she suddenly found herself on her back. The blanket lay fallen beneath her. Her arms were pinned to the porch with her wrist being held down. A large set of legs had her own pinned as well.

“S-Suguru…” Reiki breathed.

The expression on his face was…terrifying. It was unlike anything Reiki had ever seen on him before. She had borne witness to Suguru being mad before, but this was something different. Something dark.

“Reiki…” The animosity and rage faded as Suguru came back to reality. Gone was the look that unsettled Reiki, replaced with one of weary regret.

“I'm sorry…” Suguru let go sitting back. “I…don't know what happened. I apologize I blanked.”

Reiki sat up. “It's…It's okay Suguru. I startled you.”

“That's not an excuse. I should…” For a moment Suguru paused, fist clenched in his lap. “I should have better awareness of my surroundings.”

There was something else behind his words. Something deeper. Reiki gathered her blanket back up, wrapping it around her shoulders. She settled in a sitting position taking in Suguru. He looked so…defeated. He and Satoru had the highest success rates when it came to missions. Even when one has not gone well, he had never appeared so drained and despondent. The bags under his eyes were heavy and dark, swallowing the underside of his eyes. It was amazing that he was able to keep his eyes open with how tired they looked.

“Suguru, have you not been sleeping well?” Reiki asked.

“Sleep has been a bit difficult these past few days.”

“I see….”

Suguru’s head dropped. He turned around, putting her legs over the edge of the porch. That's when something warm was draped over his shoulders and something even warmer rested against him.

Reiki softly smiled as she snuggled closer into Suguru’s side. “Then let's be awake together.”

𓆩⟡𓆪 ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ 𓆩⟡𓆪

“Naughty, naughty, Rei-chan what are you doing?”

Reiki nearly jumped at the sudden appearance of Satoru. He was a silent stepper, especially considering he can basically teleport. The spatula slipped from Reiki’s hand. Luckily it was caught by Satoru before it could hit the ground.

“I-I’m just making some food,” Reiki said.

“You're supposed to be resting,” Satoru said.

“But–”

“Nope.”

“Whoa!” Reiki yelped as her feet were swept up from under her. “Satoru! The pan! The pan!” She cried fearful of the fire hazard or worse, her food burned.

“I got it,” Satoru casually said. He kicked a chair out from the table using his foot then gently put Reiki in it. He made his way back over to the stove and turned it off.

“What are you doing?”

Satoru let out a thoughtful hum grabbing the panhandle and carrying the pan away. Reiki let out a shriek as she watched Satoru dump the contents of the pan into the trash.

“Ahhh! My food! Why!” Reiki sobbed.

“Now, now Reiki,” Satoru chuckled, shaking his head. “Calm down. What was with that subpar meal you were making? You're a better cook than that. Besides you're in recovery, you need more food than that.”

Reiki turned away pouting. She hadn't even realized her dog ears had poofed atop her head, laying flat. “I wanted something quick.”

“And lacking in nutrition. Welp, leave it to the great Satoru Gojo! He’ll take care of Reiki!” Satoru proudly declared.

He started to dart about the kitchen grabbing ingredients and cookware, giggling like a mad scientist preparing for his next experiment. As he worked, Reiki laid her head on the table. With a cheek squished against the wooden surface, Reiki watched Satoru.

Satoru was..different. That was clear to everyone on campus. Those on the outside, who were not used to Satoru on a daily basis saw no shift in his personality, well some said he was far more arrogant and boastful than normal. That was true, Satoru instead of going around calling himself the strongest he has now started stating “Throughout Heaven and Earth. I alone am the honored one.” It got old pretty quickly. Honestly, his friends were less annoyed with him saying it and more so with how long it takes to actually say it. At least “I'm the strongest” was simple, quick and to the point.

There was a change of confidence he now executed. To say Gojo Satoru was anything less than confident would be wrong but this new confidence was different. It was less playful yet somehow not more serious. He had matured but at the same time hadn't. It was a weird transition that no one could put exact words to but could easily sense it.

Suguru was different too. More reserved. His mischievous nature that paired perfectly with Satoru’s had quieted. He spoke his mind less and drifted off into his own thoughts.

As for Reiki…

“And done!”

Several plates and bowls were set before Reiki. How much food had Satoru made and how long had Reiki been zoned out? Picking her head up she was welcomed with a plethora of delicious dishes. Steamed rice with an egg, Miso soup, grilled fish–salmon by the smell of it, a bowl of steamed vegetables and a stack of tamagoyaki.

“Eat up,” Satoru said as he took a seat across from Reiki.

Reiki looked at the food then to Satoru, then back to the food, back to Satoru. All of the food looks delicious.

“Did you run to a restaurant while I wasn't looking?” Reiki questioned.

“That stings Rei-chan! Did you think I was a bad cook or something?” Satoru pouted.

“No, it's just the food looks so good it's hard to believe a professional didn't make it. I kinda have the urge to take a picture of it.”

As the words left her lips there was the distinct click of a camera shutter. Quickly looking up she found Satoru holding his phone, camera pointed towards her. He had one arm propped up on the table, his cheek resting against his fist. The smile on his face was rather self-satisfying.

“There, did it for you and with the added bonus of your cute face too,” Satoru charmingly stated with a wink.

Reiki’s nose wrinkled slightly as a smile tugged at her lips.

“Now eat up, we don't want your food getting cold now.”

“Are you eating too?” Reiki asked as she started to grab some rice.

“Nope, this is all for you.”

“But it's so much.”

“Leftovers!” Satoru cheered.

That one earned him a snorted laugh. Reiki picked up her chopsticks and started to partake in the delicious meal given to her. With each new dish she sampled her face perked up, eyes shining. They practically sparkled with the words “This is great!” Meanwhile, Satoru merely watched, a gentle smile on his face the entire time.

𓆩⟡𓆪 ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ 𓆩⟡𓆪

Reiki was hunched over, hands on her knees drenched in sweat. Her tank top clung to her flushed skin.

“Here you go Reiki!” Yu said. A water bottle was presented to her.

“T-Thank you Y-Yu,” Reiki huffed out. Without moving from her hunched position she grabbed the bottle. She took several more deep breaths in then stood up. She took off the plastic cap and chugged the entire bottle in one go.

“I really needed that,” Reiki said.

“No kidding,” Yu chuckled.

“I feel terrible. Why is running so hard for me?” Reiki grumbled with a melancholy hint to her words.

“You act as if you went out for a light jog,” Nanami commented. He had a towel draped over his shoulders. “You just went full out for two miles.”

“Y-Yeah but not even a month ago I felt like I could run forever!” Reiki exclaimed. “I mean in a few weeks we're going to be second years! I should be moving forward not backward!”

“Feeling like you can do something and actually being able to do something are two different things. You should also take into account you were on bed rest for nearly two months, almost half of that time spent in a coma,” Nanami said.

“Nanami’s right! You're still in recovery mode Reiki. You're doing great for all that's happened!” Yu said.

Reiki smiled, thankful for Yu’s cheerful attitude and Nanami’s logic.

“Let me know when you've had adequate rest time. We're doing weapon sparring next,” Nanami said.

“Right,” Reiki nodded. “I think I’m gonna need to sit for ten, maybe twenty minutes.”

“That's fine.”

“By the way, Reiki, where's your big Kunai?” Yu asked.

“Oh, it's–” Reiki suddenly went stiff. The color drained from her skin as she went paper white. “Ah…I dropped it when I turned into that giant wolf.”

“. . .So no clue?” Nanami said.

“Not one.”

𓆩⟡𓆪 ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴ 𓆩⟡𓆪

“Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, Yaga-sensei,” Reiki said.

“I’ll always make time for my students,” Yaga said.

“Yeah but we won't be students for much longer,” Reiki chuckled lightly.

Yaga hummed. “Whether I’m a Principal or just a mere Sorcerer completing missions, you all shall still be my students.”

Reiki smiled, heartwarming at the sentiment. The school had done the right thing by making this man the next principal.

“What would you like to discuss?” Yaga said getting down to business.

“Right, Yaga-sensei…can you find me someone to teach me swordsmanship?”

“Huh?” Yaga sat up straighter. Brows raised with slight surprise. “You want to learn swordsmanship?”

Reiki nodded. “Yes, proper blade work.” She awkwardly chuckled, scratching her chin. “You see I lost my Kunai after…everything. As I thought about what to do I realized, I’ve barely used it. And I think it's because it's not a weapon that fully pairs well with my Technique.”

Yaga subtly nodded along showing he was listening.

“Most of my attacks work best from mid to long range. So a weapon that has the same capabilities isn't really necessary. When it comes to strengths and weaknesses, one of my weaknesses is close-range combat. I've been lucky thus far to be able to keep up, but I fear that if I don't keep pushing forward I might not return from a mission.”

Yaga’s shoulders slumped just a bit. The thought of losing one of his students, losing anyone to this volatile world of Curses was always a bitter pill to swallow.

“After giving it some thought, I think a sword would work better with my Technique but it would also close that gap between my close to long-range combat skills.”

“I see.” Yaga hummed, closing his eyes as he thought about the matter. Reiki’s reasoning was well-thought-out and logical. He had even noted during training Reiki was reluctant to use her weapon, only pulling the Kunai out when she had no other choice. Plus any skill he can help his students develop to further ensure their survival is always worth it to Yaga.

“If you'd like to learn the way of the sword, I have someone I’d like you to meet. His name is Naruhito Taichi.”

Chapter Text

Reiki closed her eyes as she rested her head against the window. The past few days playing in her head. From the in-class party to celebrate everyone moving up to the next year, to Satoru acting like a kindergartner who didn't want to go to school when it was time for Reiki to leave for her training.

Yes, she’d be starting her school year as an official second-year, training away from the school. Naruhito lived near clear across the country, in Hokkaido. Even after the plane landed it was still a three-hour drive, followed by an hour trek up a mountain. The home of her future Sensei in the Art of the Sword was in an isolated location, far from the local small town at the base of the mountain and even further from any major city.

Reiki huffed as she set down her suitcase finally reaching her destination. The home was traditional and modestly sized, with a front porch and a zen garden on the right side.

“Finally,” Reiki wiped the sweat off her brow. “Made it.” She took the few steps left up the porch and to the door, knocking. There was silence for a good minute. Reiki knocked once more. Could he be out? When she received no answer she knocked for a third time, yelping as the door flew open mid-knock.

“What?!”

Yaga had informed Reiki that Naruhito was a former Sorcerer in his early fifties. For his age, he had a rather youthful face with minimal wrinkles. They were however exasperated by the disgruntled expression on his face. Something Reiki noticed was a traditional trend in the Jujutsu society, from their homes to their clothing. Naruhito seemed to be no exception for that wearing a dark gray jinbei.

“Um, I’m Reiki. A pleasure to meet you.”

The man didn't recuperate, eyes narrowing as he examined her. A moment passed and Reiki had the door slammed in her face.

“. . . W-What?” With furrowed brows Reiki knocked on the door, this time a bit more forceful. Unlike before she got an immediate reaction.

“Go away! I don't want you Sorcerers buzzing around me! How many times do I have to repeat myself!” Naruhito attempted to close the door on Reiki once more, but was stopped by the girl grabbing the edge.

“Sir, please! I was sent by Yaga Masamichi of Jujutsu Tokyo Tech. I’m a student there.”

Naruhito grunted as he pushed harder attempting to get the door closed. “I’m well aware of who you are! That uniform says enough! Go away!”

“Please! Yaga-Sesnei said that if I wanted to learn swordsmanship then I should come to you!”

The tug of war for the door came to a pause, Naruhito stopping his attempts to slam the door. “You want to learn swordsmanship?”

“Yes, sir!” Reiki lit up, hopeful that her words had reached the older man.

“I’m not taking any students! Leave! Now!”

The door was slammed in Reiki’s face. “What…just happened?”

≪ °❈° ≫ᗪᗝǤ ᗪᗩƳᔕ≪ °❈° ≫

A sigh came from the other end of the phone. “I feared something like this would happen.”

“Then why did you let me come out here?” Reiki thought with a hint of bitterness.

After the second time Naruhito slammed the door, he refused to open it once more. No matter how much Reiki knocked. So she turned to the person who had suggested she travel this far. Yaga.

The most annoying part was that she was quick to discover that there was no signal near Naruhito’s home, so Reiki had to make the hike back down the mountain trail to finally find enough bars to call her former teacher–now Principal. At least she didn't have to do it again carrying several items, having left her backpack and suitcase outside Naruhito’s home.

“You see Reiki, Naruhito was a rather well-renowned Sorcerer known for his sword skills. He retired rather early due to the passing of his family.”

“His..whole family?” Reiki softly gasped.

“Yes, they were killed by a Curse.”

“That…” Reiki couldn't find the words. Truly what did one say when it came to such news?

“His wife had also been a Sorcerer, and their son had shown great promise with his Curse Technique as well. She was sent out on a mission and brought their son along for training. They tragically did not return home. Naruhito was distraught and gave up being a Sorcerer.”

Reiki felt her heartache. It was so much to process. But also… “Yaga-Sensei, not to be rude or disrespectful…but why in the world would you send me to him knowing that!”

From Yaga’s end on the phone, he inhaled deeply before exhaling. “To be honest Reiki, I thought that you would help him more than he could help you.”

“Huh? Me help him? How?”

“I fear what may become of Naruhito if he were to stay in isolation for much longer.” Reiki picked up a waver in his voice. “I see…”

Naruhito was more than a Sorcerer. He was Yaga’s friend.

All doubts washed away from Reiki, she stood straighter, her frown settling for pursed lips of determination. “I understand Yaga-Senesi! I’ll do my best!”

≪ °❈° ≫ᗪᗝǤ ᗪᗩƳᔕ≪ °❈° ≫

“You're still here?”

Reiki turned from her book and stood up. Naruhito, with his pointed glare, gazed down at Reiki who was sitting on his front porch.

“Naruhito-san!” Reiki bowed. “Please, sir, teach me swordsmanship!”

“I said no.” He grumbled exiting the home and stepping past the girl.

“Sir, I understand that I might not be your ideal student but I promise–”

Naruhito scoffed with a roll of his eyes. “Let me give you a word of advice, girl. If you value your life at all then quit now. Teaching you to wield a sword? As if that would keep you alive.”

Reiki’s eyes widened at his words.

“So turn back now. Besides you don't want to damage those delicate hands–”

Naruhito paused, catching sight of the girl's hands. Those weren't the dainty well-manicured fingers of a traditional lady. Those weren't the hands of someone who led a lofty life with even loftier ambitions. Most notable were the scars–almost identical–on each palm.

Instead of finishing his words, Naruhito huffed, turning up his nose and walking back into the home. The door rattling as it was slammed shut.

≪ °❈° ≫ᗪᗝǤ ᗪᗩƳᔕ≪ °❈° ≫

It hadn't been the first time someone had sought Naruhito out. Even outside the world of Jujutsu, he was famous for his sword skill. He was often coined as the modern samurai.

As he had done before with any person who darkened his doorsteps, he turned the girl away. Being a Sorcerer was a waste of one's life. Naruhito knew that well. He may still be alive but his life was very much gone. Now he was just wasting away in soultide bitterness until his day finally came.

Naruhito opened his door only to pause. He had to blink twice to ensure his vision was accurate. “She's still here?” He mumbled.

There Reiki lay on his porch. Head propped against her backpack and curled up next to her suitcase. She’d taken off her uniform jacket and dropped it over her body as a makeshift blanket. Her lips were parted, silent snores escaping with a sliver of drool dripping down her chin.

Naruhito clicked his tongue at the sight of the girl. “Foolish girl…” He went back inside. Coming back out a second later with a blanket in hand.

≪ °❈° ≫ᗪᗝǤ ᗪᗩƳᔕ≪ °❈° ≫

Naruhito raised the hoe high above his head, prepared to swing it down.

“Do you need help?”

“Ah!” Naruhito flinched, startled, the farming tool falling from his hands. He whipped around facing an apologetic Reiki.

“Sorry,” she said.

“What are you doing here? How did you even find this place?” Naruhito was referring to his patch of little farmland he had cultivated.

The mountainside had acres of land that were all owned by Naruhito. No one ventured onto the private property–unless they were there to bother Naruhito personally. That meant he was the only one who could navigate the dense woodland that surrounded the area. There was no way Reiki could've found his farm without having previously been there.

“Oh, I just followed your scent,” Reiki said proudly.

“Followed my scent?” Naruhito frowned. “What are you? Some kind of dog?”

The question had been a sarcastic jab but Reiki’s smile only brightened. “Yes, I am!”

The older man paused before groaning, running a hand down his face.

“Do you take care of all of this by yourself?” Reiki asked.

Her gaze swept across the area. About a mile's worth of fertile land, tenderly cared for to create a rather eye-pleasing field of crops. There was a small patch dedicated to rice. There was a row each of tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplants. And the distinct plump roundness of a few pumpkins peeking from under a bushel of vines and leaves. Towards the back of the home farm was a plum tree.

“It must take you a significant amount of your time,” Reiki said.

Naruhito huffed, crossing his arms. “I have the time.”

“If you'd like some help, I’d be happy to lend a hand,” Reiki offered.

“If you think helping me will soften me up to the idea of me being your mentor you're sadly mistaken.”

“Never said I did. Although…” Reiki’s smile shifted with a hint of mischief reflecting in her sunset gaze. “I’ve never heard of anyone turning down free labor.”

Naruhito’s gaze narrowed. He grumbled, turning away. “Fine. If you want to be useful, grab those buckets and fetch some water. There's a river nearby.”

“Can do!” Grabbing two wooden buckets, Reiki rushed off.

“Finally some peace,” Naruhito said. He got back to work, using his tool to dig into the earth. It was time to prepare for the next season of crops. Rotating the land that he used for farming was tough work but worth it. And now he could do it without that girl buzzing around.

“I’m back!”

Once more Naruhito shouted, surprised by Reiki. He dropped his tool again too. “What the–” Naruhito stuttered before the smiling Reiki. Buckets hooked on her arms, water inside still sloshing from movement.

“How did you get back here so fast?!” Naruhito exclaimed.

He had only completely dug out three rows for crops. There was no way she had gotten to the river and back so fast, it was a mile trek and that's if you knew where you were going. Naruhito didn't really need the water and had sent her on a meaningless task just to get out of his hair.

“I can be pretty fast, it's part of my Curse Technique,” Reiki said as she set the buckets down.

There was a shift in the air the moment she mentioned her technique. Naruhito’s face settled in a glower. A frown pulled at the edges of his lips. His nostrils flaring.

“Just dump the water and be gone!”

When Reiki didn't move he grabbed a tomato and chucked it at the girl. Reiki yelped, dropping the buckets and bringing her arms up to block. It hadn't done much but prevent the tomato from smashing against her face. It exploded against her forearms with juice and tomato goo splattering every which way. Most of it got on the front of her shirt, a few globs flew into her hair, and a large chunk ended up on her cheek.

It took the silent threat of Naruhito raising a second tomato to shake Reiki out of her shock and move. Leaves and fallen twigs crunched under her feet as she rushed away. Naruhito didn’t lower his arm until the girl disappeared into the tees.

“Foolish girl....”

Chapter Text

Reiki’s nose wrinkled as she got the last remnants of tomato out of her hair. She’d forget how strong the scent could be, the acrid fragrance still lingering in her hair. She was definitely going to have to wash it. Her shirt hadn’t fared much better, the splatter having breached the barrier of her uniform jacket and getting down to the white button-up.

“This is gonna stain,” Reiki sighed. She used the river to do her best to clean up but it was most likely her shirt wasn’t going to make it.

Dihearented Reiki slowly made her way back to Naruhito’s home, where all her stuff was. There was a sense of relief to see Naruhito wasn’t present. The image of him chucking a tomato at her still playing in her mind.

Grabbing her phone from her backpack Reiki made the trip back down the mountain to call Yaga. “Yaga-Sensei, I am doing my best to maintain my composure but I'm extremely close to losing the last bit of patience I have.”

“Is it going that bad?” Yaga asked.

“The man threw a tomato at me,” Reiki said with a tense tone. Even she could feel the exasperated frustration of Yaga over the phone. Why were so many people in his life so difficult to deal with? The world was hard enough with Curses.

“I–”

“Is that Reiki I hear?”

“Satoru?” Reiki questions. His voice sounded a bit distant.

“It is Reiki!”

“Satoru don't you dare!”

There was a bit of muffled static over the phone like the phone was being tossed around. “Hello Rei-chan!” Satoru greeted, his voice loud and clear over the phone. “Do you miss me?”

“Satoru..give Yaga-Sensei his phone back.”

“But I don't wanna.” She might not be there, but Reiki could definitely tell Satoru was pouting. “I wanna talk to Reiki too. It's not fair that all she calls is Yaga.”

“I’ll…” Normally Satoru’s antics were a bright spot in Reiki’s life, but at the moment she was feeling a bit drained. “Please give the phone back and I’ll call your phone.”

“But–”

“Hanging up now.” She ended the call. Waiting for a minute to go by, Reiki dialed Satoru’s number.

“Good evening this is the one and only, greatest Satoru Gojo! Why if it isn't Reiki! Calling me so soon after you've arrived? You must miss me the most!”

Reiki couldn't help but chuckle at that.

“So tell me how’s it going? Are you a master sword woman yet?” Satoru asked.

Reiki chuckled. “Satoru, it's only been a day.”

“Yeah but Reiki’s pretty much a genius. You can learn anything fast.”

“You know that’s not true. My reading and comprehension of Japanese is still bad and I’ve been here for close to two years now.”

“But your handwriting is the best! It's like artwork. Why do you think I asked you to fill out all my mission reports for me?”

“Because you don't want to do them,” Reiki said.

“That too! By the way, Suguru is with me! Say hello Suguru!”

At Jujutsu Tokyo Tech, Satoru shoved the phone in Suguru’s face. “Hello, Reiki, I hope you're faring well,” Suguru said.

“Things..could be going better.”

“What’s wrong?” Suguru asked.

“Naruhito refuses to take me in as a student. He’s so against the idea that he threw a tomato at me,” Reiki said.

“What?”

“How dare he!” Satoru shouted.

“I don't want to give up, but I’m having doubts that this is worth it,” Reiki sighed.

Satoru snapped his fingers. “Oh, I know! I'll just come down and make him teach you!”

“Satoru, no!” It had not only been Reiki to say that, but from the other end of the line Suguru said the exact same thing.

“Reiki, I may have an idea,” Suguru said.

•┈••✦ ❤🄳🄾🄶 🄳🄰🅈🅂❤ ✦••┈•

Even after he had completed his work, Naruhito was still in a sour mood. Grumbling the entire time as he made his way back home. Any attempts to wipe away the guilt were for naught, the crushed and shocked expression on Reiki’s face never leaving his mind. 

“Ha! Ha! Ha!”

“You have got to be kidding me!” Naruhito seethed. “And people call me stubborn.”

He could hear the shouts of Reiki through the trees. Her voice came from the direction of his home. Naruhito sped up his steps, hoping to catch the girl before he came home to a disaster. He wouldn't be above messing up someone's rock garden if they had thrown a tomato at him.

Naruhito exited the treeline stepping into the clearing where his home sat. His jaw dropped and a scream of utter horror escaped. He resembled the famous painting The Scream a great deal with the look of twisted terror.

“What are you doing?!!” He shrieked.

“Huh?” Reiki paused mid-swing. “Practicing my swordsmanship?” She had found a decent-sized stick and was using it to run drills.

“Like h*ll you are! Who taught you how to wield a sword a blind tanuki?! You're not even in a basic stance, the wind could knock you over with such a weak stance! Why are you standing as if you're about to walk on a tightrope? That stance needs to be wider! Shoulder width! What is with that atrocious grip? You are trying to choke the hilt, it's way to close. And look at the bottom hand, it's too far down! You're just begging to have your opponent knock it out of your hands, or even worse have it fly out! You'd think it would be fun to have your own sword stab you! And why are you bringing it so far back behind your head? You're wielding a sword not preparing to chop wood!”

Reiki gave the man her full attention as he continued with his rant. Despite his raised voice and many insults, a smile was growing.

“Suguru was right! No matter how hard he tries to deny it, deep down his pride as a swordsman is at the forefront of his very being. At this point, it etched into his DNA. No way a man who dedicated his entire life to the blade could stand to watch me act like that.”

Naruhito continued his tanginet. Nitpicking every fault in Reiki’s drills.

“So…” Reiki applied Naruhito’s advice. “Like this!”

“And–!” Naruhito was silenced as Reiki raised her makeshift sword and brought it back down. For a moment the sky grew brighter. The leaves shifted with hues of gold, brown, and reds. He saw not Reiki but a young boy. The same determined look.

“How was that? Better?” Reiki asked.

She turned to the man. His expression is unreadable. A blank canvas as if he had been lost.

“Naruhito–”

“Get out,” he whispered.

“What?”

“I said get out!” Naruhito roared, face red with rage. He lunged forward, grabbing the front of Reiki’s uniform. “Get out of my home! Go! Leave! You–You–” His fists started to shake, tremors spreading throughout his entire body. His voice wavered and tears gathered. He let out a frustrated cry pushing Reiki away and towards the mountain path down.

“You are nothing but a child! A small weak child, no matter what power you may think you have! You know nothing of the world or the true terrors that lie within it! You want to go around playing hero but that's all it is! Pretend! All you're doing is throwing away your life! I dedicated everything to being a Sorcerer and the Jujutsu world and what did get me? Huh?! Nothing but pain! I lost my wife! I lost my son! You have no idea what real pain is! The pain of losing a loved one! The pain of having your entire world ripped away and for what? Nothing–!”

“That's enough!” Reiki snapped. Her fingers had long since curled into tight fists that shook at her side. Her chest rose in long staggered movements, the embers of her anger starting to ignite. There was a distinct wrinkle in her brow as it pulled inward with frustration. Her eyes were glossed over with unshed tears.

“You yell at me like I don't know anything! Like I don't understand what I’m doing! Like I don't understand pain! You talk like I’m blind to the world around me, living some kind of fantasy of heroism! But you're wrong! I very much understand what I’m doing. I don't value my life?” Reiki gave a bitter chuckle. “It's because I value my life that I do this!” She took one step forward, a hand coming to her chest. “These powers may be called cursed but I take them as a gift. Because I can use my life to make sure that someone else gets to live there!”

Naruhito’s lips parted but nothing came.

“And you don't think I know pain?” Reiki’s head dropped. “I know what it's like to lose the ones you love. To have the very world around you not only uprooted but completely torn from your hands. You lay awake at night, wondering, crying, angry as to why? Why did this happen? Why did this happen to you? What did you do to deserve this? I didn't get to say goodbye to my mom, or my dad, or even my sister. She was right there and I didn't even get to say goodbye. So I know exactly how it feels to be without your loved ones.”

Reiki sniffled and tears started to fall. She used the sleeve of her uniform to wipe her face.

“But despite all that, I won't let it consume me. I'll keep living and using my gifts to make sure that others get to go home to their loved ones as well. Because I know that despite all the pain and heartache that I experience will be nothing compared to joy, happiness, and love that will follow.”

•┈••✦ ❤🄳🄾🄶 🄳🄰🅈🅂❤ ✦••┈•

“Guess I better get settled for another night outside,” Reiki softly said.

The sun was starting to set and a few stars had gotten an early start sprinkling the sky.

“I don't know how much longer I can stay here. I don't want to give up, but I can't stay here forever. I was lucky to have a good stash of snacks to hold me over, but I’ll only last another day before I need to get more food. I could forage. Oh, who am I kidding? I don't know anything about food in nature, I could very easily eat something poisonous. Plus not to mention all the bugs out there.” Reiki’s nose wrinkles in distaste.

She set her backpack up once more using it as a substitute for a pillow. She draped her uniform jacket over herself and instantly her nose wrinkled. She'd almost forgotten about the tomato. She really needed a shower. Was she going to have to bathe in the river? Not ideal but if she was going to show her resolve this was it.

Reiki sighed leaning against her backpack and just gazing up at the sky. Suddenly the door opened. Reiki sat up facing the man. The light of his home cast a shadow across the side of his face. They stared at one another saying not a word.

Finally, Naruhito spoke up. “Starting today you shall be my student–”

Reiki was frozen for a second before she scrambled to her feet with her face lit up with a bright smile. “T-Thank you–”

Naruhito put a finger. “One one condition.”

“What’s the condition?” Reiki asked.

“Do not die before me.”

Reiki's smile settled into a stern line, her gaze burning. “Yes sir!”

Chapter Text

Reiki was awoken by being pushed off her tatami mat.

“Huh? What?” She snorted sitting up. Her eyes barely open and her hair was a mess. “What time is this?” she groggily asked.

“It's a time called early. Now get up.”

Reiki’s vision had just finished adjusting when it was obstructed once more by something being thrown over her head.

“And wear that. You have ten minutes to meet me outside. Don't be late!”

With that, the front door was slammed shut and Reiki was left alone. Her mind was still idling from its trip to the dreamland. Once she registered what was going on Reiki quickly scrambled to her feet and got ready. She booked it to the bathroom and started to change into the clothes given to her.

The top was light green with shorter sleeves that stopped short of her elbows. Reiki knew it was similar to a kimono top but couldn't recall the proper term. However, she was 99% sure that her pants were called hakama. The flowy pleated black fabric swished with each step Reiki took.

“Huh?” Reiki paused as she was adjusting her pants. Something had fallen on the floor. Picking it up she found that it was a yellow ribbon. Reiki stared at the length of fabric unsure of what it was for.

“Hmmm? Oh!” Smiling Reiki gathers up her hair and pulls it up, using the ribbon to tie her hair. She looks in the mirror examining herself left and right. It's been a while since she wore a high ponytail.

“Okay! I’m ready!”

Reiki ran out of the house. She didn't want to be late considering all the trouble she had to go through to get this far. Stepping out of the home, Reiki discovered that it was early. So early that the sun had yet to rise. Naruhito stood there waiting, head bowed and arms crossed.

“His clothes are different.”

Swapping his jinbei out for a forest green haori. Strapped to his side was a sword, the blade sheathed.

“Follow me,” Naruhito said. He started to walk around the house with Reiki following just a few steps behind. The man paused then whipped around, pointing at something.

“And grab that too!”

Reiki noticed a large bag along with a basket. The basket was empty but the bag was full and rather heavy. She hefted the thing onto her back and started to follow after Naruhito. They left the homes clearing, traveling through the dense forest. It was a short walk–which Reiki was grateful for–before they arrived at another clearing. It was clear that the area hadn’t been touched in a while.

“A training field?” Reiki mumbled.

Mother Nature had started to reclaim the area. Overgrown weeds littered the area along with dozens of rocks. Tall grass that blended in with the surrounding area. What remained of a training dummy lay half-buried in the ground.

“Your first task will be to clear the field and get it ready.”

Reiki gulped. “All…by myself.” Her answer came not with words but a smirk. Naruhito somehow produced a fold-out chair, popping the thing open and plopping it down on the overgrown grass. With his smile still strong he took a seat and pulled out a paper fan.

“You have three days. If not then you can forget about being my student.”

Reiki’s head dropped forward with a rather despondent frown on her face. She shook it off, standing taller and clenching her fists together.

“Okay!” She hiked her sleeves up as best as she could. “I got this!”

︶⊹︶︶୨୧ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴୨୧︶︶⊹︶

The closest Reiki had ever gotten to yard work was watering a few plants and flowers. Her family home only had a small patch of grass that could barely be considered a lawn. It had been so small that the next-door neighbor mowed it for them. So while Reiki wasn't new to hard work she was new to these tasks.

“Okay first thing first, take out the weeds!”

Reiki grabbed the basket and slipped it on. She started on the edge of the clearing planning on working her way in a grid-style pattern till she was done. She knelt on the ground wrapping her hand around her first weed. Instantly she went still, her skin bristling. With a hiss, she yanked her hand back. Grabbing her wrist she looked at her palm. A few small needles were sticking out of her skin.

“Girl!”

Reiki turned around just in time to be smacked in the face by a pair of gloves.

“The weeds have thorns! Wear those!”

“T-Thank you!”

Reiki removed the thorns. Her palm was bleeding just a bit but nothing major. She slipped the gloves on and really got to work, tearing weeds out of the ground and tossing them into the basket strapped to her back. It wasn't too bad until the sun finally rose. The moment the sun's harsh rays broke past the treeline and touched down on the clearing, Reiki sweated through her clothes in mere minutes. Her progress was slowed solely by the fact that she had to keep stopping to wipe the sweat from getting in her eyes. But she pushed through.

By midafternoon Reiki had finally finished her first task. “That…was so tiring….” she groaned, setting her basket down. Another groan escaped her as she stretched out her back and shoulders. Who knew a basket full of weeds could be so heavy?

“We’ll burn the weeds later,” Naruhito said.

“Burn them? Can’t we use them for something like composting?” Reiki asked.

“No. If any of the roots take hold in any way they'll just grow back, you also gotta worry about weed seeds. I don't have the time or patience to sort through proper weeds,” Naruhito said.

“Ah, I see.”

“You learn something new every day,” Reiki thought.

“Here.”

Reiki nearly dropped the small parcel tossed her way. It was a bundle of green fabric tied into a knot at the top. Peeking through the small hole at the top, Reiki found the bundle was food. Naruhito was already back in his seat, his own lunch sack undone.

“Thank you, Sensei!” Reiki took a seat on the ground, folding her legs as she set the food parcel in her lap. Undoing the bundle knot revealed the meal. It was four rice balls. She raised the rice balls taking a few sniffs.

“Oooh, two salmon and two pickled plums,” Reiki said.

Naruhito paused, teeth hovering over his own rice ball. “How…”

How in the world did she know that without tasting?

︶⊹︶︶୨୧ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴୨୧︶︶⊹︶

Naruhito put a stop to the work when the sun started to set. With just her two hands alone Reiki had accomplished a good deal. She had not only pulled out every single weed but also managed to remove all the boulders as well. She was exhausted and it was amazing her legs did not collapse in protest on her way back to Naruhito’s home.

The moment she passed through the threshold of the home Naruhito told her to clean up and prepare for dinner. She washed away the dirt on her hands and face before taking a seat at the table. Or rather she dropped down with the grace of a newborn giraffe. She let out another groan, head rolling back with her face to the ceiling.

“Eat.” It was a simple command from Naruhito, the man placing a tray of food on the table before Reiki.

Her arms ached with each spoonful but the drive from her stomach demanded that she eat despite the soreness. Reiki did her best to savor the meal and not worry about the work to come tomorrow, all that was going to have to be completed while she was sore from today's work.

“Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it.” Reiki chanted over and over again.

“After you're done eating, take a bath then go to bed. I expect you to wake up on your own tomorrow and on time. You've got two days left.”

“Yes, Sensei.”

︶⊹︶︶୨୧ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴୨୧︶︶⊹︶

Reiki awoke in the state that she had thought she would. Her arms protested anytime they were raised above parallel. Any bend of her back felt like she was doing so against the restraints of the strongest rubber band. She was surprised that her knees were not bruised from how tender they were. If she flexed her hands in any way they burned, the tiny scratches irritated by any kind of movement.

Weary eyes glanced out the window. The sun hadn’t risen yet, so that meant she had awoken at the right time. Regardless of any ache or pain, Reiki rolled out of her mat mentally prepared to put in another day's work. As she was folding up her bedding something fell out from between the comforter.

“Huh? What’s this?” Reiki questioned as she picked it up.

The object was a small brown jar. It had a little heft to it. Reiki unscrewed the lid and was instantly hit with the overwhelming scent of mint. The inside contained some kind of balm with a greenish tint to it.

“Smells…like medicine,” Reiki mumbled.

She glanced at the balm then at her open palm. Connecting the dots she dipped a finger in and dabbed a small amount on her palm to test out. The balm had a slight tingle but an instant cooling effect, soothing the stinging cuts. Reiki immediately splattered her palms, sighing in relief at the numbness of it all. She finished folding up her bedding, stashing away the jar with her other things.

Reiki got dressed and made her way out of the house to the training field. She hadn't spotted Naruhito in the house nor was he at the field. There was a push mower waiting for her when she arrived at the field. Reiki pondered on Naruhito’s whereabouts but started her work nonetheless.

She cleared away the rest of the debris, things such as large pieces of twigs that had fallen from the trees. She also dug out the equipment that had been left behind. Three training dummies, one had unfortunately lost its head. A few round boards used for target practice, among a few other things.

When everything was cleared Reiki could now finally cut the grass. She’d seen videos of people using push mowers and knew it was not going to be by any stretch of imagination easy but she wasn't expecting this much resistance. The mower fought against her the entire time, with Reiki having to use her entire body just to get the thing to move a few inches.

“T-This is gonna take a while…” Reiki huffed.

︶⊹︶︶୨୧ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴୨୧︶︶⊹︶

Naruhito paused just beyond the borders of the clearing. “How in the…”

An exhausted Reiki lay on her back in the middle of the now pristine clearing. The years of overgrowth were nowhere in sight. A refreshed area ready and awaiting its new purpose.

“I-I'm done, S-Sensei!” Reiki groaned out.

“I can see…”

“I didn't even think she could do it in three days but she did it in less than two,” Naruhito thought.

“Here.”

Reiki lifted her head to the bundle Naruhito was holding. She knew for sure it was food but prayed that there was water in there.

“Thank you,” Reiki said.

Instead of sitting up she rolled on her stomach and proceeded to eat like that. Naruhito took a seat on the grass but paused just as he was about to unwrap his meal. He cast his gaze once more across the field. A sense of nostalgia set in. A rush of emotions overflooded him. He was taken back to the day just like this one.

“There!” Naruhito, several years younger, proudly wiped away the sweat on his brow. “Finally done.”

It had taken him a week but finally, he had finished.

“Papa!” A high-pitched cry called for the man.

“Ichiro?”

“. . . .Sen….Sens…Sensei? Sensei?”

Naruhito softly gasped the vision of his past drifting away. “What?”

“Sensei?” Reiki called for the man. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Naruhito curtly stated. “Be prepared. For your true training starts tomorrow.”

︶⊹︶︶୨୧ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴୨୧︶︶⊹︶

Later that night Reiki had far more energy, so she decided to help with dinner. Naruhito seemed reluctant to hand her a knife, Reiki having to remind him that the whole point of her being her was learning to wield a sword. How could he trust her with such a deadly weapon if he wouldn't even let her handle a kitchen knife? After a sound argument, he put her on vegetable duty. She had just finished cutting a thing of green onions when a rustling from outside caught her attention.

“What?” Naruhito questioned once he took note of Reiki’s sudden stillness.

“There's something outside.”

Reiki’s words were followed up by a crash from outside. Naruhito clicked his tongue grabbing a wooden spoon and a pan. He ran out of the home before Reiki could question what was going on. She heard the older man shouting and cursing followed by a few more loud crashes and chittering sounds.

Reiki rushed out of the home, jumping back as something furry darted past her feet. Four more ran past. One stopped at the edge of the treeline looking back. Glowing eyes gazed at Reiki through the darkness before darting back into the foliage.

“Damn tanuki’s!” Naruhito cursed. He was gritting his teeth as his heated gaze stared down at the small storage space under the house. It was too small to be considered a basement, and Naruhito used it to store food.

“Damn pests got into all the meat!” Naruhito shouted. He groaned, pinching his brows. He turned to Reiki, frown pointed her way. “Change of plans.”

︶⊹︶︶୨୧ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴୨୧︶︶⊹︶

The next morning Reiki should've been starting her journey as a swordswoman, but instead, she was following behind Naruhito through the forest. The man had a quiver strapped to his back full of arrows. In his hands was a bow. There was a sack tied to his side. Reiki was carrying a basket full of materials. She wasn't sure what they were for.

Turns out Naruhito hunted for most of his meat. He truly was a self-sustaining man. Reiki chose to take this impromptu hunting trip as a learning moment. Copying Naruhito’s steps as he moved through the forest. Each step was silent despite the many fallen leaves and twigs that littered the ground. Naruhito moved with confident elegance.

“Stop,” Naruhito whispered as he put a hand up.

Reiki immediately halted. Naruhito gestures for her to take the basket off. She set it down and Naruhito started going through it. He pulled out a rope, a wooden stake, and a hammer.

“We're going to set up a few traps. We’ll check them on our way back. Any empty ones we will periodically check throughout the week.”

Reiki watched intensely as Naruhito set the trap up, from the specific way he tied the knot to the angle he put the stake in the ground to ensure it wouldn't come out. He inspected his work, checking that the rope was taught enough to complete its job. When he was satisfied he reached into the basket and pulled out a small bag. He placed a handful of berries in the center of the trap.

“Okay, let's move on.”

They walked deeper into the forest finding another small clearing to set up a second trap.

“Okay, here.” Naruhito threw some rope at Reiki. “You do it now.”

“M-Me?” Reiki stuttered, surprised.

“Yes. You were watching me were you not?”

“Yes, Sensei.”

Naruhito hovered a few feet away, his scrutinizing gaze following each movement. “Let’s see how well she paid attention. I need to know what kind of student I’m dealing with. From her performance on the field, I can tell she’s determined and hardworking, but her progress will depend on the level of her observation skills and ability to retain information.”

Reiki yelped as the branch she was attempting to pull down slipped from her hand and smacked her in the face. A red mark instantly bloomed on her cheek. She hissed rubbing the spot, luckily the bark didn’t break the skin. It'd be rather embarrassing as a Sorcerer to have a scar from a tree.

Stumbling her way through, Reiki managed to get the trap set up. She finishes it off by placing the berries in the center just as Naruhito had.

“Done, Sensei,” Reiki said.

Naruhito stepped over to examine Reiki’s work. He ran his fingers over a section of rope. “Too loose. If something were to get caught in your trap there will not be enough momentum to get it off the ground.”

Reiki nodded, fixing her mistake. Naruhito took note of her lack of complaints. Taking instructions, criticisms, and correcting mistakes was an important skill she’d need.

︶⊹︶︶୨୧ĐØ₲ Đ₳Ɏ₴୨୧︶︶⊹︶

With the rest of the traps set up, the hunting trip continued. Naruhito was adamant that Reiki stay as quiet as possible.

“During this time pheasants are in season, so that is what we’ll be hunting. They startle easily.”

Naruhito knelt to the ground and picked up a feather. Glancing over his shoulder he made a few hand signs to Reiki, gesturing to a bush a few feet away. It took her a moment but Reiki understood. She shook her head. Naruhito’s brows furrowed at the girl's gesture, before going through his hand signs once more this time with a bit of force behind them. Reiki shook her head and then pointed to the bush Naruhito had pointed out. She put her arms up in an X as she kept shaking her head.

A low grumble echoed from deep in Naruhito’s chest. “Teenagers,” he thought.

Naruhito set the feather down, reaching for a rock. He reeled his arm back and launched the rock. The moment it was gone from his hands he pulled out his bow, notching an arrow and taking aim at the bush. The rock entered the bush shaking the leaves but nothing came out, but a flock of pheasants did dart out of the bush next to it.

“Are you kidding me!” Naruhito snapped as the birds made a quick escape.

“That’s what I'm trying to tell you, Sesnei,” Reiki sighed out as she dropped her head.

It took a bit of time but they managed to locate another flock hidden in some bushes. Naruhito’s narrowed gaze darted behind him toward Reiki. She nodded, confirming that the bush this time was the correct one. He didn't dwell on how she could possibly have known this information. She clearly wasn't used to the outdoor lifestyle, if she didn't know how to build a trap it was likely she didn't know how to track game either. He might not be dwelling on the info but he was certainly going to get the answer to his ponderings. Well, at least now he had someone to throw rocks for him. There was always precious time used up between throwing the rock and taking aim. Still, he’d be able to catch twice as much and save time if the girl knew how to use a bow as well, but then he’d be back to square one getting the birds out of their hiding spots.

“This would be much easier if I had a…” Naruhito’s thoughts trailed off as he watched a Shiba Inu burst forth. “Dog?” He mumbled confused.

The fluffy little thing darted towards the shrubbery Naruhito had been eyeing. There were barks, rustling, and squawks. Naruhito barely got his bow up and aimed in time. He managed to catch three pheasants before the rest flew away. The dog snatched up his catch and ran back to him. The birds were dropped at his feet, the dog giving a bark, her elation highlighted by the wagging of her tail.

Suspiciously Naruhito narrowed his gaze, slowly reaching down to grab the birds. When he noticed the dog wasn't moving, he quickly grabbed them and stuffed them into his bag. He kept staring at the dog, with nothing but caution and befuddlement. Sure it may seem a little over the top to be weary of a dog with such a sweet face and friendly disposition, but years as a Sorcerer–and from just pure experience over his lifetime–Naruhito learned to not let appearances fool you. Besides adorable or not, a dog was still a predator in its own right. Anything with fangs should not be taken too lightly.

The dog just remained sitting there as if awaiting commands. Naruhito wondered if this was someone's hunting dog that got lost. People knew to not venture onto his property but every once in a while, he’d get that solemn idiot who wandered too far and ended up getting lost on his land.

“Good…” Naruhito paused. “Girl?”

The dog suddenly poofing into a cloud of smoke was enough to activate Naruhito’s fight-or-flight instincts. He stepped back, bow discarded as his hand flew for his sword hilt.

When the smoke cleared the man's jaw dropped at the sight of a smiling Reiki.

“Thank you Sensei,” Reiki said.

Nosies left Naruhito’s mouth but none of them were actual words. A stuttering jumbled mess of noises. The shock was enough to give his heart a good restart.

“Are you okay, Sensei?” Reiki asked.

“What was that?!” He shouted.

“I did say I was a dog.”

“I didn’t think you were being literal!”

Chapter Text

“Finally…the time has come!” Reiki sent her own determined reflection a smile. She was prepared for the day to come. It was finally time to start learning the art of the sword.

The moment she stepped outside she was nearly smacked in the face by a bokken thrown her way. She caught the wooden sword.

“Lesson 1: Always be prepared. You never know when an attack may come,” Naruhito stated with sage wisdom.

“Y-Yes Sensei!” Reiki said.

“Follow me.”

“Yes, Sensei!”

Reiki took a moment to appreciate her hard work as they entered the training field. She was so exhausted and elated to be done she hadn’t actually taken the time to take in all her work. But things were a bit different.

The training dummies she had fished out were back in pristine condition. All of them had heads!

Naruhito stepped into the field, turning around to face Reiki. “Pay attention! Lessons start now!”

Reiki nodded with an excited smile. “Yes, Sensei!”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

If Reiki thought that clearing the field was tiring that was but a fever dream compared to her first official day of sword drills. Naruhito wasn't a perfectionist but he made sure to drill those drills deep into your head so that even if you messed up you could keep going until you got it right. With how many times Naruhito had her run the same stances over and over Reiki would be surprised if after she’d gone to bed her body would keep sleeping walking to run drills.

Reiki was dead on her feet having flopped to the floor the moment she stepped into Naruhito’s home. As to avoid the man stepping on her when he entered, Reiki dragged herself to the table. Using the wood edges to pull herself up. Turns out that even holding up her own body was going to be a difficult task, so she flopped forward, the side of her face smacking against the table. Her body was one big ache so she barely felt anything when she so graciously flopped face-first into the table.

“Head off the table,” Naruhito scolded, shooing the girl's head to get her to move.

“I…don't think I can move,” Reiki groaned.

“Stop exaggerating.” Naruhito grabbed the back of Reiki’s uwagi and tugged her til she was sitting back up. He was thanked by a low grumble of irritation. “Eat.” He put a bowl of rice where her head was. “And don't sleep in your rice.”

Yeah, Reiki wasn't sure if she could keep that promise. She flopped back onto the table, dodging the bowl of rice. Her stomach gurgled loudly, demanding that its owner feed it. Not even the audible protests of her stomach could get her to move.

“Eat.” Naruhito set more food on the table. “I can hear your stomach clear across the room.” He took a seat across from Reiki, starting his own meal. Reiki just stared at her meal from her awkward angle on the table.

“It hurts to blink. There’s no way I can raise my arms, even if it is to eat,” Reiki said.

“Well, I’m not going to feed you. If you can't handle this then I’d suggest giving up now. If you don't eat you won't have the energy to survive tomorrow's training.”

Groaning Reiki forced her arm to move and pick up her chopsticks. She started eating, keeping her head on the table and bringing the chopsticks down to her mouth. Naruhito shook his head but said nothing.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

When Reiki awoke the next morning things were much worse.

“I…can't move,” she mumbled. Reiki lay in bed, face up, merely staring at the ceiling. Every fiber ached. Her hands stung and blisters were already forming.

“Why didn't I pack some sort of painkillers?” Reiki groaned.

With slow movements and an endless string of groans, Reiki attempted to turn her body so she could look at the small clock Naruhito had set up on the wall. Her body relaxed just a bit when she realized she had at least 20 minutes before she actually needed to get up.

For the next ten minutes, she lay there mentally hyping herself up to prepare for the upcoming pain. When fifteen minutes went by Reiki finally tried to move.

“Gahhhhh!” Reiki pulled herself up with one long guttural howl leaving her. Instead of sitting up straight, she flopped, hunching over with her head drooping.

Reiki took a deep breath in and out. “Okay Reiki, you got this girl.” With gritted teeth she forced herself out of her bed. It was less of her standing up and more so a flopping of limbs as she managed her way up. She started her morning routine despite the endless protests from her body to stop moving.

With her feet dragging, Reiki stumbled her way out of the home.

“You look terrible.” Was the first thing Naruhito said once he spotted the girl.

Reiki kept her mouth shut. With the mood she was in she wasn't liable for the level of animosity any sort of words that left her would be. Last thing she needed was Naruhito being even more of a hardass towards her.

“Let's go, we have much to cover,” Naruhito said.

Reiki followed after the man.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Reiki wasn't sure how much longer she could put up with this. Naruhito was relentless in his training. Every day Reiki worked from sun up to sun down. She was covered in bruises. Every muscle burned and ached. Her fingers were so strained from holding her bokken that it was painful to straighten them out and they barely had the strength to grip anything, not that she wanted to. Thanks to her never stop training the blisters on her palms had reached a point that they burned when anything touched them, even water burned.

And things were not getting much better. Naruhito kept ramping up the training. There was no mercy. Every day the older swordsman grew more brutal and volatile. Any corrections were met with harsh vociferous words. It had even reached the point that he started tossing insults when Reiki made an error. Hits became harder and more brutal. Any sympathy that the man held was long gone.

Despite all that Reiki put up with it all. She focused on her goal of being stronger. So strong that she’d never lose a loved one nor allow anyone else to lose a loved one.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

“Ah!” Reiki yelped, then hissed. Her bokken fell from her hands. She held her wrist with clenched teeth.

“Wrong!” Naruhito shouted. “If that had been a real sword you would have lost all your fingers!”

Reiki glanced at her hand. The knuckles had been taking a fierce beating over the past four hours. Bruises had already settled in, or they may have already been there. She had so many it was hard for Reiki to distinguish between old and new ones. To make matters worse, the last hit broke skin. Her knuckles were bleeding. Blood dripped down her fingers and onto the grass.

“Pick up your sword! We're not done!” Naruhito said.

Reiki reached for bokken. Thanks to the last hit, her fingers wouldn’t stop trembling. She attempted to pick up the wood sword but she lacked the grip strength and with the added slickness of blood on her hand the bokken slipped right out.

Frustrated, she made a second attempt only to have a second wooden bokken come down hard on her forearm. Reiki screamed, pulling her arm back and cradling it to her body. There was no doubt that it would bruise. It would be deep and painful.

“Pathetic,” Naruhito scoffed. “A shameless display, dropping your sword in such a manner. Pick it up!”

Reiki did not go for a third attempt. Her head hung, shadowing her face.

When she merely stood there, holding her injured arm, Naruhito growled. “I said pick it up!”

She still made no move for the fallen bokken. Reiki’s shoulders started to shake, her entire body trembling.

A second scoff left Naruhito. “Are you crying? Truly pathetic, do you think Curses are going to stop because you shed some tears? Pick up your–”

Reiki scooped up the sword and launched it. It flew past Naruhito’s head, mere inches away. He could feel the slight breeze as the bokken passed by. It collided with the tree behind him, the tip snapping off at impact.

Tears spilled down Reiki’s cheeks but there was no sadness on her face. No, an expression of furious rage painted her face. Her lips curled back revealing her fangs. Dog ears out, standing erect. Tail out, stiff with the fur bristling.

“You–”

“I’m done!” Reiki snapped. “I thought that if I kept working hard, put up with the pain, the yelling, the lack of sleep, I’d be able to become stronger! I thought that you wanted to make me stronger. But all you've been doing is abusing me! You don't care about training me at all!”

Naruhito’s nose wrinkled as he narrowed his eyes. “This is what it takes to be a great swordswoman. If you can't handle this then how will you be able to survive a Curse? Forget Special Grade, a mere Grade Two–”

“Stop talking down at me!” Reiki snapped ever louder, a growl rumbling forth. Her words were followed by a large crack of thunder overhead. “You think beating me every day, making me bleed and bruise will help? You think I’ll just walk away from being a Sorcerer because you decide it! Do you really think my resolve is that weak? This is my choice! I choose to be a Sorcerer, and I choose to put my life on the line! This is the world that I live in now and I’m going to keep doing my duty!”

“Stop being such a brat!”

For some reason, his words caused Reiki’s nose to scrunch in further rager, red now starting to spread across her face. “How about you stop being such a…a pathetic old man!”

“What.. Did you just say?”

“Wallowing alone and wasting away! It's pathetic! You cut yourself off from the world and choose to be miserable! You–” Reiki’s head snapped to the left. She slowly turned it back, a hand cradling the stinging cheek. Naruhito glared down at the glare, hand still raised.

Reiki’s lips parted but nothing came out. She merely stared with wide eyes. A beat goes by, then she turns and runs off.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Naruhito returned to an empty home. Reiki’s things were packed up and gone before he arrived. No trace of the young girl had ever been there.

“Good riddance…” Naruhito softly grumbled.

He made his way to the kitchen and started to prepare dinner. As he set the table he paused. He shook his head pulling back the second bowl of rice. His stern gaze was set on the bowl with furikake sprinkled atop the grains. He dumped the contents of the bowl. He hated furikake.

Naruhito ate his dinner in silence. Has it always been this quiet? After the passing of his family, he had grown used to the stillness of the home. So why was it bothering him again? He didn't finish his meal, all of it tasted bitter on his tongue.

Aimlessly Naruhito wandered about his home. Thoughts swirling endlessly. He paced around with no objective in mind. His feet had carried him towards the back of his home, stopping just before a shoji door. He merely stood before the door, starring.

“Papa!”

Naruhito jumped as the door slammed open and a bright smile greeted him. Quickly the memory vanished. The door remained closed. As it had been for the past several years.

“Pathiec…” Naruhito scoffed, turning from the door. He stomped into his room only to come out a few seconds later something clutched in his hand. He made his way outside towards the back of the home. Grumbling, he took a seat on the back porch. In his hand was a small black box. Opening the top he pulled out a cigarette. A lighter was slipped out of his pocket and he lit the tip of the stick. He pulled the end to his lips and took a deep inhale.

If his wife saw him now he was sure she’d slam her bokken atop his head. “You know each cigarette cuts out one day in your life!” She used to yell at him. He had kicked the horrible habit at the behest of his wife. It was a struggle but the announcement of a child on the way was the final push he needed to quit.

Naruhito took another drag. “Who cares about the years I have left? They're useless.”

The sound of shrubbery rustling to his right caught his attention but he didn't look. He scoffed, taking another drag, savoring the harsh pungent taste. “I don't take back quitters girl. You best get out of here,” Naruhito said.

He inhaled again. The cigarette was already halfway burned through. He'd need a second one. As he exhaled, releasing a gray puff of smoke, twigs snapped and leaves crunched.

Annoyed, Naruhito clenched his cigarette, finally turning. “I said–”

Naruhito froze. His eyes meeting three red ones.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・𝔻𝕠𝕘 𝔻𝕒𝕪𝕤・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

The saying goes, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” The same could be asked of, “If a man is thrown through the back door of his own home will anyone hear him cry?”

The door gave way under Naruhito’s weight as he flew through it. He soared across the room crashing into his dining table. The food he hadn't been bothered to clean up flew about, soup splattering the wall and rice scattered on the floor. Naruhito clenched his teeth, groaning as he sat up. Low guttural grunts came from the hole he had created with his own body.

A Curse.

A Curse was in his home. The thing had an odd shape similar to a tadpole. Large muscular back legs support the back of its bulbous body. A large mouth with wide flat teeth–perfect for grinding–were on full display. Three red eyes settled atop its head. The Curse’s mouth opened with a strange undulating sound echoing out. It attempted to make its way further into Naruhito’s home, but the hole was too small. It gurgled and grunted, edging itself into the hole and wiggling about to get in. To get Naruhito.

Naruhito pushed himself up further, his back flaring with pain. “My sword, I need my sword–” He paused.

Why? Why did he need his sword? Why did he need to fight at all? Why did he need to live this pathetic miserable life? The Curse started to thrash as it tried to break free and enter the home. The edges of the broken doorway started to crack, giving way to the Curse’s forceful movements. It would only be a matter of seconds before it finally broke free and reached its target.

Naruhito glanced down the hall towards the door he hadn't dared touch in so many years. He looked back towards the Curse, just in time to watch it break free. It lunged forward with its jaw unhinged. Naruhito lowered his head.

“Kouta…Hikari…I’ll be with you soon…”

The Curse was mere inches from his head. He could feel its breath, smell its putrid odor. Yes, this was how it was supposed to be.

Then…came a crack of thunder. Naruhito’s head shot up just in time to see a flash of white dart by. As if the world had slowed he caught sight of Reiki. Her face settled in a neutral expression. Lighting jumped across her skin. In her hand…the broken bokken.

Reiki lunged forward, thrusting the broken end of the bokken towards the Curse. It pierced the Curse’s head and the thing reeled back with a howl. 

“Haaa!” With a loud cry, Reiki pushed forward, releasing a powerful wave of Cursed Energy. Lighting jumped across the wooden planes of the bokken. The wood splintered and cracked as the lighting traveled down and into the Curse. The creature shrieked, convulsing and writhing. The bokken exploded and the force sent Reiki flying back. She was sent into the arms of Naruhito, the man cushioning her impact. The Curse was gone, wiped away with nothing but a scorch on the ground where it once stood.

Reiki’s shoulders and chest heaved up and down with hefty breaths. As she steadied her breathing she pulled from Naruhito and got to her feet, facing the man. “Naruhito, are you okay?”

“You…You came back.” Naruhito’s words were just above a whisper.

“I sensed a Curse near your home so I came back.”

“Why…Why would you…You stupid girl–”

A slap echoed in the damaged home. This time it was Naruhito’s head that had snapped to the left.

“You're the stupid one here. Were you really going to just give up like that? Do you think your family would approve? Did you think about your son? Or your wife? Do you truly believe that is what they wanted for you? Do you think they’d be happy to see you give up? No! They’d want you to live!”

Naruhito held his red cheek, lips slightly parted.

“If you think I’m just gonna let you tarnish their love then you're wrong! We owe it to those who left us, who we lost, to live our lives to the fullest. So when the day comes that we meet them again we can greet them with a smile.”

“What would you do if I didn't return home from a mission?”

Naruhito frowned at the question. “Don’t ask such morbid questions Hikari.”

The woman giggled, shaking her head. “No skipping out. You gotta answer me.”

“I don't want to think of something like that.”

“Naruhito. We live a dangerous life, there is no guarantee of tomorrow. Why do you think I accepted your marriage proposal?”

Red-faced and a tad panicked, Naruhito looked at the woman. “W-What is that supposed to mean?”

Hikari laughed louder covering her giggles with her hand. “It means that we got married pretty fast. But I did so because I love you. And I knew that I wanted to spend every precious moment with you. Whether it be 100 years or even just a day, I want it to be spent with the man I love. Life should be treated like a rare treasure and should be spent with those you love. But it should also be lived for those you love. So…when the day comes that one of us leaves I pray that we will live with love and for love.”

Naruhito’s gaze never left the woman. The way the sun bathed her perfectly truly took his breath away. “Such an odd woman you are Hikari.”

Naruhito blinked, the memory although fleeting was somehow still as fresh as the day it happened.

“So…”

Naruhito finally snapped back to reality as a hand was thrust in his face.

Reiki, with a stern expression, kept her hand out. “Are you going to get off the floor or will I have to make you?”

Naruhito blinked before scoffing. He grabbed Reiki’s hand and the girl helped him up. “Such an odd girl you are Reiki.”

The girl returned his comment with a wide smile.

Chapter Text

“One!”

“Ha!”

“Two!”

“Ha!”

“Three!”

“Ha!”

“Good, again!”

Reiki nodded with a determined glint in her eyes. She adjusted the grip on her bokken and ran through the drills once more. She was precise in her strikes, aiming each slash toward the vital points set on the pad wrapped around the tree.

Over the past several weeks, things between both she and Naruhito had grown a great deal. Her sword skills had taken a great leap and so had the relationship between Reiki and her swordmaster. She had even felt safe enough to inform him of her past life and transmigration to this new world. He had taken it surprisingly well, but he did disappear for about an hour after her story.

Reiki stepped back as she finished the stances once more. Each of her breaths came out in cloudy puffs. The season was steadily changing with the temperatures dropping. Leaves had started to shift colors and fall upon the ground. Soon the dense foliage would grow sparse. Naruhito and Reiki had already harvested the vegetable garden before the frost of the morning dew officially set in.

“Good.” Naruhito nodded as Reiki finished. “We are done for today.”

“Really? It's a bit early,” Reiki said.

“The air is growing colder.” Was his simple statement. He turned on his heels and started making his way towards his home.

Reiki jumped and ran after the man, leaves crunching under each step. While their training sessions have calmed in terms of intensity the length of the days lasted roughly the same. Finishing just in time for the duo to walk back to Naruhito’s home and cook dinner. Today they ended just shy of what would be considered their lunch break. Going through the stances had kept Reiki warm and she now realized how cold it truly was. Her teeth chattered just a bit as she fell in step with Naruhito. She was tempted to change into her dog form to escape into the warmth of her fur. Naruhito remained stoic with each step, but his slight shivers couldn't be hidden.

They reached the house, Naruhito making an immediate beeline towards the back of the house. There was some shuffling and moments later the man came back dressed much warmer. Reiki snickered which earned her a serious side eye.

“If you have time to giggle then set up the kotatsu,” Naruhito said.

“Yes Sensei,” Reiki giggled.

She prepared the table, turning it on its side and draping it with a large blue blanket decorated with koi fish. Once she was done she made her way to the kitchen and started to help Naruhito prep the food.

“We're having a hotpot,” Naruhito stated.

“Really?” Reiki asked with a hint of excitement. She had never had a hotpot before and had always wanted to try it.

With the duo working in tandem they prepared all the ingredients. Reiki did her best to plate each item so it had an aesthetic appeal. Naruhito dug out a large pot with a split center, the perfect pot for the hotpot. As he set up the pot Reiki took to placing the food on the table. With everything set the duo took a seat on opposite sides of the table, snuggling up under the heat of the warmed kotatsu.

Reiki sank lower in her seat as she sighed, enjoying the heat.

“Start eating, Reiki,” Naruhito said.

The man remained still, not making a move for the food until Reiki had started to grab the ingredients she wanted. A warm moment spent with warm food, in good company.

꧁༺ 𝓓𝓸𝓰 𝓓𝓪𝔂𝓼 ༻꧂

The next morning Reiki awoke earlier than usual with the intention of fetching water from the nearby stream. She yawned as she took a peek outside. Water involuntarily beaded at the edges of her eyes as she stretched her arms over her head. The moment her eyes reopened she froze, arms still over her head stopping mid-stretch.

“Whoa…” Her lips parted with a light gasp. A rich cloud of condensation exited her.

For just a second she remained still then rushed out the front door not even worrying to close the door behind her. She relished the crunch crunch beneath her feet. It was freezing but she didn’t care.

“Snow.” A smile spread across Reiki’s lips. “It's snowing!” She excitedly exclaimed, throwing up her arms.

The entire forest was blanketed in a fresh dusting of snow. The snow had piled high over the night, reaching the height of Reiki’s ankles.

Without hesitation she flopped forward, going face-first into the snow. The frosty powder stung her exposed skin but she didn't care. There was snow. She rolled around kicking up her feet and waving her arms in a chaotic flurry of utter delight. Peals of giggles left her as she soaked it all in. When she was satisfied she sat up and got to her feet. Her clothes were a bit wet and snow clung to her hair.

“What are you doing?!”

Reiki nearly choked as a scarf was forcefully wrapped around her neck.

“You idiot girl! Are you trying to get sick? What are you doing walking outside dressed like that, let alone rolling around! You don't even have shoes on!” Naruhito snapped.

“Sensei! It snowed!” Reiki said. She was still giggling, even bouncing on the balls of her uncovered feet. Despite having only been outside for a few short minutes, her nose was already red.

“Yes, I can see that. You act as if you've never seen snow before,” Naruhito said.

“I haven't.”

Naruhito stilled taking in her words. 

“It's hard to believe so much time has already passed. Before we know it it'll be the new year.”

“I would think that a young one like you would be far more interested in Christmas.” His words elicited a small chuckle from Reiki. Not really warm but not cold either. A wistful gesture in passing. 

“My family wasn't really all that into Christmas. It was mainly my parents, they thought it was too commercial and just a way to spoil children. The magic of Santa was never an option for us. They didn’t really decorate or put much effort into it. We got presents and we got to choose a special place to dine out at, but that was about it. However, my sister and I love Christmas.”

Reiki’s smile grew, more cheerful, with a nostalgic glaze. 

“We’d take walks around local neighborhoods to look at lights. Make popcorn and stay up late watching Christmas films. If we could afford it we’d go to the local Christmas festival in town. We always dreamed that when we grew up and had our own homes and families we’d go all out. Big trees with our houses decked out. A table full of food surrounded by all our loved ones. We’d put our kids to bed and when they woke up they would be greeted with presents left by Santa ....I guess we won't get to do that together now.”

Naruhito closed his eyes and crossed his arms. He was silent for a moment before speaking up. “Get inside and change your clothes before you get sick.”

Reiki nodded, “Yes Sensei.”

“And dress warm!” He called out to her retreating back.

꧁༺ 𝓓𝓸𝓰 𝓓𝓪𝔂𝓼 ༻꧂

When she came back out of the house Reiki was now properly dressed for the current weather. The scarf Naruhito had nearly smothered her with was now properly wrapped around her neck. Atop her head was a white beanie, ironically enough with little dog ears knit on the top.

“Here.”

Something was thrust in Reiki’s face. She took the item and examined it. A pair of boots woven from straw. Naruhito was already wearing a pair on his feet.

“What are these?” Reiki asked. Despite not knowing what they were she started to slip them on.

“They're kanjiki. They'll keep you from sinking in the snow when you walk,” Naruhito explained.

“Cool,” Reiki said. She tested the snowshoes out and walked on the snow. There was little give as she remained on the top layer of the snow.

“This will make training much easier. I was worried I was going to keep sinking in the snow.”

Naruhito hummed. “Indeed…But you will have to wait to experience that. Training is canceled for today.”

“H-Huh? What?” Reiki stuttered in confusion. “Why?”

“We're going into town.”

꧁༺ 𝓓𝓸𝓰 𝓓𝓪𝔂𝓼 ༻꧂

Reiki huffed as she trudged after Naruhito. The kanjiki might have kept her from sinking into the snow but the march down the mountain still had a higher difficulty level thanks to the forest's winter overlay. It took an extra half an hour to make it all the way down.

Reiki knew of the town, located towards the base of the mountain where Naruhito’s home was located. She had briefly passed through in the car that had driven her from the airport. Her focus had been set on getting to Naruhito and starting her training so she hadn't taken the time to explore nor take in the town.

Unlike Naruhito’s home, the town had more of a modern touch to it. Buildings having a more Western style architecture. If you looked closely you could point out the structures that had been originally built with their traditional style architecture being blended in. Most of the stores appeared to be locally owned businesses. She did spot a small chain drugstore that she was familiar with in most major cities. A few side streets were unpaved. People who passed by wore simple styles with a select few donning more traditional wear such as kimonos.

It was easy to tell that the town was prepping for the upcoming holiday. Lights were strung up on roofs. A small walkway between two buildings having built an overhanging bridge of lights to walk under. 

Reiki caught sight of two girls her own age giggling and posing for a photo as they each held cups of cocoa. They had to have been fresh with steam still rising from their paper containers. A child was tugged along by his mother, his attention more focused on the taiyaki in his hand. A middle-aged couple strolled by, holding hands with a few shopping bags hooked to their free arms. A vendor was out and about, selling fresh holiday treats. There was a second vendor selling charms and masks. Reiki had to do a double take when she spotted a KFC. Advertisements already slapped on the fast food restaurants' windows promoting the holiday family meal for all to enjoy.

“If you get lost I will leave you,” Naruhito commented when he noticed Reiki had stopped walking.

Reiki skipped a step to catch up with the man. She knew he would leave her, but it's not like she didn't know how to find her way back to his home. They arrived at a small store located at the corner of an intersection. As they entered, Naruhito stepping in first, a bell rang overhead. Reiki went suddenly stiff midway in the doorway, head whipping up towards the source of the tinkling. Catching sight of her odd misstep Naruhito sighed and shook his head tugging the girl along.

The store was much warmer, with the low hum of the space heater coming from the far back corner. Once she was fully inside Reiki finally took in the store. The place was covered wall to wall with Christmas goods. It was the perfect place to get everything you need to decorate your home for the upcoming holiday.

A maneki-neko sat on the counter. Its curved raised paw moving back and forth in a tik-tok motion that hypnotized Reiki. The hand she attempted to bat it with was quickly pushed down by Naruhito.

“Sensei, what are we here for?” Reiki asked eyes still following the inmate cat's paw.

“Christmas is coming up, is it not? We need to pick up the necessary supplies,” Naruhito said. “Here.” He handed Reiki a basket. “Follow me.”

He and Reiki weaved around the store, depositing things in the basket. From paper lanterns to garland and bulbs, Naruhito filled the basket with Christmas goods. The basket steadily got heavier and heavier, Reiki having to heft the thing up to keep it up. Once he was done Naruhito made his way to the front towards the checkout counter, Reiki right behind him.

An older woman now sat behind the counter. Slightly hunched over as she flipped through a book. Sensing someone approaching she looked up.

“Ah! Naruhito-san! Is that you?”

The man remained stoic, nodding his head. “Yes, it is, Junkko-san.”

“My, my, it's been years since I’ve seen you in my store this time of year.”

Naruhito said nothing. Reiki scooted around the man, setting the basket on the counter.

Junkko lit up when she saw the younger girl. “Naruhito, I didn't know you had a granddaughter.”

Naruhito’s head snapped towards Reiki so fast it was surprising his vertebrae remained intact. “What?! She’s not–”

“Oh my, and she’s so beautiful.” Junkko's aged hand reached out and pinched Reiki’s cheek. She did her best to maintain a polite smile, as the older woman cooed and complimented while keeping a rather firm hold on Reiki’s cheek meat.

“Can you just ring up my items,” Naruhito sternly stated. His red ears didn't go unnoticed.

꧁༺ 𝓓𝓸𝓰 𝓓𝓪𝔂𝓼 ༻꧂

Reiki nearly bumped into Naruhito’s back as the man came to an abrupt stop a few feet from the door.

“Sensei?” Reiki questions to the man's back.

“Give me those.” Naruhito whipped around and snatched the bags from Reiki so fast she barely had time to blink before she found her hands empty. “I’m heading back.”

“Okay, let’s go–”

“I said, I’m heading back. You stay here.”

“H-Huh?” Reiki shifted back, confused by her teacher's words.

“Do you not want to get presents for all your friends? I have no need to do so, so I will go back. You can stay and shop to your heart's content.”

“Huh?” Reiki repeated, still a tad bewildered.

“Youre a Jujutsu Sorcerer. I may have been out of the business but even I know they pay you a great deal. More money than any child of your age should possibly possess. If you want to make this holiday special then use your resources wisely.”

Reiki blinked then smiled, fists excitedly curling in front of her as she nodded her head. “Right, Sensei!”

Chapter Text

Reiki sank a bit in the snow with each step she took, weighed down by the amount of gifts she had. She had gone on a super splurge within the small town, buying gifts for not only her close friends but for anyone who had left a significant imprint on her life. Yaga, all of the Tokyo Tech Windows, Utahime, Mei Mei, she had even gotten something for Yu’s sister. Even with all the gifts and money she had spent, the amount still in her bank account was baffling. She hadn’t paid much mind to the salary of being a Sorcerer, as a teen she had no bills to pay and only really spent money on snacks or fun outings with friends. The pot of money she had accumulated was a lovely nest egg that she was more than happy to dip into for gifts.

Although the added weight made her trek up the mountain all the much harder. She finally arrived back at Naruhito’s home just as the sun started to crest the horizon. With hefty breaths, she marched her way up to the front door. Pausing on the front porch she stomps her feet and shakes a bit to rid herself of the excess snow. Naruhito’s snow shoes were sitting just to the left of the door, so Reiki slipped hers off as well and set them next to Naruhito’s.

“Sensei, I’m back–” Reiki stopped short in the doorway. Her jaw dropped with a small gasp.

“It's about time,” Naruhito huffed as he stood up.

Reiki did not respond far too mesmerized by the sight before her. The home had been given a holiday overhaul. It was decked out from the floor to the ceiling in Christmas decorations. Paper lanterns hung from the ceiling, intertwined with garland. There was a wreath on the doors that led to the backyard. A holiday-themed blanket had been draped over the kotatsu. Christmas lights were hung up draping across the ceiling that led down the hall.

“Put down your things and let’s go. And grab those ropes.”

Reiki looked at Naruhito and did a double take when she saw the man had an ax slung over his shoulder. The man was already heading out the door, brushing past Reiki. She quickly set her things down in the corner, grabbed the bundle of rope coiled next to the wall, and rushed out of the home after her teacher. Jogging across the snow, she caught up to Naruhito. They walked deeper into the forest, Reiki wondering what the man’s goal was. She had a theory, glancing at the ax he held, but she didn't want to get her hopes up.

After about twenty minutes of walking Naruhito finally came to a stop. The crunching of the snow slowed as the man stopped before a tree. He gave a low hum and circled around it. He stepped closer, further eyeing the tree. He even grabbed one of the branches taking a closer look.

Seeming satisfied he stepped back. “This will do,” Naruhito said.

“Sensei are we…” Reiki was almost bouncing on the balls of her feet. Was he really going to do it?

“Step back,” Naruhito instructed as he lifted the ax. He held the tool at waist level, lining up the sharp edge of the blade till it was at the level of the tree's trunk.

Reiki smiled as she shifted back, getting at a safe distance. Naruhito took a deep breath in and as he exhaled his feet moved. There was a loud thud as the ax met the tree trunk, Naruhito appearing on the other side of the tree, the ax poised out at his side. The tree trunk had a large gash in the side that had gone through nearly 80% of the trunk.

Naruhito turned back towards the tree, clicking his tongue. “In my younger years, I could have taken that out in one go.” Although he was annoyed about not taking the tree out in one clean blow, his hit had been enough. There was the distinct splintering cracking of wood as the tree started to tilt. It fell to its side, hitting the snow with a muffled thud.

“Rope,” Naruhito said.

Reiki was smiling the entire way back not caring about the heavy tree she had to drag back. She was going to have a real Christmas tree this year!

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

Christmas couldn't have come sooner. Reiki was beyond excited to celebrate the holiday in a way she had imagined in her previous life. A fully decked-out Christmas tree, decorations as far as the eye could see, and presents for all. 

As best she did to keep her excitement under wraps it was clear that she was about as elated as a kid who had just been told who Santa was. Naruhito was blatantly ignoring the girl only giving her a few firm whaps to the thigh with his sheathed sword when she got too distracted during training.

On Christmas Eve Naruhito sent her to bed with a belly full of turkey and his special tea blend that he often used to help him sleep, in hopes of getting the girl to sleep within a reasonable amount of time. Despite her excitement, Reiki did manage to get a sensible seven hours of sleep but awoke at first dawn's light.

Naruhito exited his room with a yawn. He smacked his lips as he shuffled his way down the hall.

“Merry Christmas Sensei!”

The man jumped a foot back, startled. That doesn't stop Reiki from hopping up and plopping a Santa hat on the man's head. She had already dawned a festive hat of her own. Reiki practically danced her way over to the kotatsu.

“I made breakfast!” With a flashy flourish of her hands she presented the spread on the table.

“If you had this much energy for training you’d be a master swordswoman in no time,” Naruhito mumbled. He examined the table. There was no space, the entire top of the table full of food. Reiki had gone overboard with the Christmas morning meal. Mixing both traditional food with western dishes, from tamagoyaki to pancakes.

“This is far too much food,” Naruhito complained as he was already filling up his plate.

Reiki giggled at the man as she took a seat across from him. “We can save the leftovers for later.”

Naruhito just grumbled as he indulged in the meal. When their bellies were full and they were satisfied Reiki hopped to her feet, her bright smile still as luminous as the sun.

“Time for presents!” She cheered.

Not waiting for Naruhito she scrambled her way over to the Christmas tree. The tree they had spent hours putting up and decorating. It was during their decorating time that Reiki had discovered that Naruhito was not only a skilled swordsman but a master origamist. The tree had a splattering of intricately folded animals from elephants to dragons.

Naruhito had assumed that Reiki would make a beeline for the first gift labeled with her name, but she instead grabbed a box wrapped in blue paper, tied off with a golden bow. With a beaming smile, she made her way back over to Naruhito, presenting the gift to the man. With a scrutiny gaze, he merely stared at the box, eyes drifting back up to Reiki who was patiently waiting. Her excitement to hand the gift over was palpable. She was practically vibrating with joyous furor. Naruhito had never seen someone so excited to give a gift. Finally, he took the gift and Reiki immediately plopped down in front of him, crossing her legs and leaning in closer as she waited. Naruhito scooted back just a bit as he set the present in his lap. He undid the bow and took the top off the box. He peered inside the box and immediately froze. His head whipped up, a stark gaze with wide eyes that merely stared back at the still-smiling Reiki.

“How…How….” Naruhito swallowed, attempting to regain his bearings. “How did you…”

“I had to call in a couple of favors. Most of the credit goes to Yaga-sensei,” Reiki explained.

Naruhito reached into the box pulling out a framed photo. Standing to the left of the photo was Naruhito himself. He was much younger, dressed in the standard male uniform of Jujutsu Tokyo Tech. A sword was strapped to his side. The man's face was not pointed at the camera but rather cast down looking off to the side. An uncharacteristic flustered expression on his face, while his ears were tinted bright red. Also in the photo was a girl. She stood a tad more poised, feet close together with a gentle smile. One of her arms was hooked around Naruhito’s as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Hikari….” Naruhito mumbled. He’d almost forgotten what she looked like. How beautiful she’d been, and that beauty only grew as they got older. He remembered how flustered he was when they first met. To the point that he couldn't even look her in the eyes. She was gentle and kind but had a rather bold and mischievous side. Something she showed off only to those closest to her.

Naruhito did his best to maintain his composure as he reached for the second item in the box. His hand trembled just a bit as he pulled out a ring. Hikari’s wedding ring. He’d been told that it was lost the day he had lost his world.

“Yaga-sensei said it was found and placed in a Cursed Item Armoury. He stumbled upon it when he was a third year,” Reiki said.

Naruhito’s head hung as he clenched his fists, pulling it close and holding the ring close to his heart. Reiki’s smile started to falter as she noticed the man’s shoulders start to shake.

“Sensei–”

Reiki was cut off when the man abruptly stood up. He turned away from Reiki and the tremors of his shoulders shook even harder.

“Sensei–”

“T-Thank you.” Naruhito’s fast steps carried him out of the room and towards the back of the home. He skirted down the hall, his fast footfalls echoing on the hardwood flooring. He came to a stop before a door. He hesitated, hand hovering over the handle, as he had done for years. But this time he opened it. Naruhito slipped into the room.

Dust had collected from years of vacancy. But a familiar scent still lingered in the air. His son's room. He had moved all remnants of his family in here. Unable to bear the pain of anything that reminded him of his loved ones. He made his way towards a dresser, full of all the pictures that once decorated the home. He dusted off a spot, making some room. He was about to set the new photo down but paused. It hovered inches above its new spot. Naruhito’s gaze raked over the many photos, memories of his family. Naruhito and Hikari on their wedding day. Days of marital bliss. Hikari beaming with pride as she had her hand resting on her round stomach. Hikari laying in a bed looking utterly exhausted, face slick with sweat as wet strands of hair clung to her face, a newborn baby swaddled in her arms. Naruhito, nervously attempting to hold the newborn as if he were afraid that any sort of movement would bring harm to the baby. Kouta attempting his first steps. Kouta excited as he held a bokken over his head. Kouta standing proudly between his parents, wearing a Jujutsu Tech Uniform.

Naruhito pulled the photo away, then quickly gathered all of the pictures in his arms and exited the room. Reiki was still sitting on the ground, head turning as the man entered the room.

“Help me find a place for these,” Naruhito stated.

Reiki blinked then her smile was back. “Yes, Sensei!”

┗━°⌜ ᗪㄖᎶ ᗪ卂ㄚ丂 ⌟°━┛

*.·:·.✧✦JɄJɄ ₴₮ⱤØⱠⱠ✦✧.·:·.*

“The hell?” Naruhito mumbled.

Naruhito stepped out onto the porch when a knock came to the door. Christmas morning had rolled by with Reiki and Naruhito spending their time setting up photos, opening presents, and watching classic Christmas movies. Reiki giggled while having more fun watching Naruhito watch the show, the man commenting and questioning everything. “What a horrid pink bunny outfit, he looks like a bootleg shikigami.” That one made Reiki almost fall over laughing.

When the sound of knocking came from the front door interrupted their viewing of a stop-motion Christmas movie, Naruhito and Reiki glanced at one another confused. Grumbling and cursing, also hoping some poor fool hadn't gotten lost on Christmas day, Naruhito made his way to the door. What greeted him was a young man hunched over, barely breathing. Despite the cold weather sweat had soaked through his uniform.

“S-Special De-Delivery…” He gasped out.

Naruhito quirked a brow and looked around the man to discover two more delivery workers who were as equally exhausted. One person had taken to laying face first in the snow enjoying the icy coldness on their warm skin. Next to them were dozens of boxes piled high, taller than Naruhito himself.

Reiki’s head popped out of the doorway taking in the situation. She quickly went back inside. There was a bit of shuffling and the sounds of cabinets being opened. Reiki came back out with three water bottles in hand, passing them off to each of the delivery people.

When the man on the porch finally got his bearings he stood up straighter.  “Special Delivery for a Gojo Reiki.”

“Oh, that's me!” Reiki smiled.

“Gojo?” Naruhito mumbled confused.

The man passed over a clipboard. “Please sign here.”

Reiki took the board singing her name at the bottom.

“Thank you.” The man tipped his hat and gathered his fellow delivery drivers. There was a collective groan as they started back down the mountain, at least they didn’t have to carry those boxes.

Reiki walked over to the boxes, finding an envelope taped to the front of one of them. Grabbing it she opened the letter. “Merry Christmas to the best from the best - Satoru.” Reiki read.

Reiki’s brows furrowed, glancing from the card to the boxes. They surely couldn't all be gifts? Taking a peek into a box it was full of smaller boxes wrapped in a variety of colorful papers. She opened another box and found the same thing. She shuffled through all the boxes finding that they were all packed to the brim with presents.

“All of these are gifts? What an egregious show of wealth. Is he attempting to buy your hand?” Naruhito questioned.

“W-What?” A red-faced Reiki squeaked out.