On the brightly lit streets of Tokyo, Geto Suguru walked alone through the restless evening crowd.
Satoru's voice echoed in his mind.
"You have seemed off lately. Do not push yourself too hard. Take a break once in a while."
Suguru exhaled and ran a hand through his hair.
Then he stopped.
A faint stench lingered in the air.
A cursed spirit.
He turned toward a narrow alley, shadows swallowing his figure as he stepped inside.
As he moved deeper, crude shouting and desperate sobbing drifted from the far end.
"You filthy woman, when are you paying back the money you owe?"
"I am sorry. Give me one more month. I will return everything with interest."
"Boss, she is lying. But she is pretty. Why not sell her and recover the loss?"
The metallic hiss of an aluminum can opening cut through the tension.
Suguru emerged from the darkness, gaze indifferent.
Three men and one woman. A scarred man gripping a knife, two dyed hair thugs at his side, and a trembling woman cornered against the wall.
Suguru's eyes briefly swept over the needle marks on her arm. The faint sniffle she could not suppress.
"Hey, kid. Who are you?" Scarface pointed the knife at him.
One of the thugs flicked open a butterfly knife and grinned. "Hand over your money."
Suguru spoke calmly. "You should leave. It is dangerous here."
The men burst into laughter.
"Dangerous? What are you on?"
"Maybe he is an undercover cop."
They had not noticed the shadows on the wall behind them twisting unnaturally.
Suguru murmured under his breath, voice hollow. "We risk our lives to protect people like this?"
Before anyone could respond, something dropped from above.
It had no skin, no hair. Its body was pallid white, limbs elongated and thin. Its face was nothing but a grotesque mouth blooming open, packed with jagged teeth.
The cursed spirit swallowed the scarred man whole.
Even ordinary humans can perceive curses in the moment before death.
The remaining two thugs and the woman screamed, scrambling backward.
"Monster!"
They did not get far.
Thin claws pierced through them and pinned them to the ground.
Suguru watched without moving.
A sorcerer's creed was to protect non sorcerers.
Yet he felt no urge to intervene.
When their screams finally ceased, the curse raised its eyeless face toward him.
It roared.
"So loud."
Suguru flicked his hand.
Blue flames engulfed the Grade One curse. In seconds, its body crumbled into ash.
Cursed energy condensed in his palm, forming a small, swirling orb.
A crack opened in the air behind him. A cursed spirit's hand extended outward, holding a jar of honey.
Suguru reached for it, paused, then waved the hand away.
He stared at the orb in his palm.
After a brief hesitation, he swallowed it.
His body stiffened.
The taste was familiar and revolting, like a rag used to wipe up vomit.
He suppressed the urge to retch.
---
Sunlight filtered through the windows of Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Suguru sat on a bench, eyes half closed, letting the warmth settle over him.
"Geto senpai!"
He opened his eyes.
"Haibara."
Haibara Yu approached with his usual radiant grin.
Suguru returned a faint smile. Haibara's optimism was almost excessive, yet strangely comforting. That unfiltered sincerity reminded him why sorcerers fought in the first place.
"Want something to drink?" Suguru asked.
"If senpai is treating, then cola!"
Suguru scratched his head. "Do not talk like that. I am only a year ahead of you."
Haibara straightened. "That is not true. You are one of the strongest sorcerers of our generation. The so called strongest trio is our standard."
Suguru shifted slightly, uncomfortable with the praise. He was not from a sorcerer family, unlike Shion and Satoru. Perhaps that was why Haibara admired him most.
"I am not that impressive," Suguru replied quietly.
"By the way, I am heading far away for a mission tomorrow."
"Then bring back local specialties."
Haibara laughed. "Salty or sweet?"
Suguru considered. "Shion and Satoru will want some too. I prefer salty, so bring both."
"Yes, senpai!"
Suguru hesitated before asking, "How are you finding sorcerer work? Is it exhausting?"
Haibara tapped his chin. "I am not very good at thinking deeply. But if I can give my best to whatever I do, that feels good enough."
He flashed a bright thumbs up.
Before Suguru could reply, a tall blonde woman approached casually.
"Long time no see. What kind of woman do you like?"
Suguru covered his face. "Please do not ask that here."
Haibara raised his hand earnestly. "I like girls who can eat a lot."
Suguru stared at him.
"Haibara."
"Yes, senpai?"
"Nothing."
Haibara checked the time and hurried off. "I have something to handle. See you later!"
Yuki Tsukumo watched him leave, nodding slightly. "He is refreshingly honest."
"I think sorcerers should learn to question things more," Suguru replied.
Yuki Tsukumo crossed her legs casually. "That is exactly why I am here."
Suguru glanced at her. "What brings you back this time?"
"I need to see Gojo Shion."
"Serious business?" Suguru asked dryly. "A special grade sorcerer who avoids missions and travels overseas does not inspire confidence."
Yuki shot him an annoyed look. "You really do not hold back."
She slouched dramatically in her chair. "I hate this place."
Then her tone shifted.
"I simply disagree with the higher ups. You exorcise curses as they appear. I want to eliminate the source."
Suguru's expression sharpened. "The source?"
Yuki leaned forward slightly.
"Instead of fighting cursed spirits endlessly, why not create a world where cursed spirits do not exist at all?"
---