Something kept poking my face.
At first, I ignored it, sleepy as I was early in the morning, my body too heavy to respond, still buried under layers of exhaustion that hadn't fully faded even after hours of sleep. But when the poking didn't stop and instead grew more insistent, I finally groaned and forced one eye open.
"Wha…"
Before I could even say anything, I was assaulted by morning light, which made me blind on the spot.
'Bloody hell, who left the curtain open?'
"Oi, get up already." I heard someone say, still poking me to my irritation, and the voice was strangely familiar.
The first thing I saw was a stick once my eyes adjusted to the light.
The second was Maki standing over me, completely unbothered as she nudged my cheek again with the same stick like I was some stray she had found lying around.
'Why the hell is Maki freaking Zenin in my room…?'
"Wait, this ain't my room." I startled, seeing I was outside, not to mention I was sleeping on the hard ground.
"No shit, genius… did you fall asleep once I left you yesterday, or were you just too excited to meet me again that you couldn't have it in you to leave?" she asked teasingly with a smirk on her face.
I just blinked, slowly everything coming back to me.
The training, me being completely exhausted after landing that Black Flash on her.
'Did I pass out or something? Man! I was planning to just catch my breath before heading in, don't tell me I ended up sleeping out here the entire night…' I grumbled to myself.
"You still alive?" she asked flatly.
I blinked a few more times until I nodded with a tired yawn.
"Yeah… I just… I fell asleep here," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.
"It shows." Maki snorted, and extended her hand toward me. I blinked, honestly not expecting the gesture from her, but still happily took her hand and got up.
"Thanks."
Maki raised her eyebrow curiously. "Don't thank me just yet, remember what I told you yesterday, it's already seven. Let's start the training."
I stiffened… lips pursing and body going stiff as a board.
More training…
I know I asked her for it, but…
And as if my gut already knew what kind of blasphemous thoughts I was cooking up, it growled to let me know it needed sustenance.
"Ah… hmm… may I get a little break? I might need to wash up and e-eat something." I asked, as she kept glaring at me like she was ready to devour me whole.
I really envy that heavenly restricted body of hers more now. It was just a life cheat. Instantly achieving superhuman rank as long as you have it.
Sigh…
"No kidding," she replied, placing both her hands on her waist while tilting slightly closer toward me as if she was annoyed. "And you were supposed to meet me at seven."
I sighed again and let out a long breath, dragging a hand down my face as I forced myself to now directly look into her eyes. They were a distraction I could do without this early in the morning.
"Fine, let's get the training started first," I said, with a bit of unwilling tone mixed in, trying to shake off the lingering stiffness and hunger. "We can start—"
Maki just deliberately kept looking at me before backing off, hands still on her sides, and huffed.
"Yeah, no," Maki rolled her eyes and snorted, turning away as she tossed the stick aside. "You look like you're about to collapse again."
"I will not collapse," I replied with irritation, that happened only because I was completely out of cursed energy and I was completely spent in Shibuya after non-stop boss fights.
"Doesn't matter, go wash up and eat something," she said without even looking back at me. "Then come find me."
I hesitated, only for a bit though, since my stomach was there once again to remind me that it needed food.
"…Fine," I sighed, before heading inside.
"And sorry for this, it won't happen again, promise." I replied sheepishly.
Maki just shook her head side to side. "Idiot."
The halls of Tokyo Jujutsu High were quieter than I expected, though recalling how few sorcerers actually join each year, it was just about right.
While I was entirely new to the place, it didn't take me long to find something resembling a dining area, and as soon as I stepped in, I noticed two familiar figures already there.
Nobara spotted me first.
"Well, look who's finally awake," she said, leaning back slightly with a smirk. "The pervert."
What!
"Hey, hey… don't call me that, I told you what happened was a mistake. You yourself saw what that curse spirit did." I quickly replied, I really didn't touch her breast intentionally.
"Like I am believing a pervert like you, pervert." She stuck her tongue at me childishly and grinned.
'Wait, she was pulling my leg, wasn't she…'
It got me all worked up for no reason.
Sigh… perhaps that title was not a big deal in an anime world, but that could have ruined a person's entire reputation back on Earth, especially when the subject in question was a high school girl.
I gave her an exasperated look before turning toward the boy who was looking at me like I was some sort of alien.
Megumi Fushiguro glanced up, his expression neutral but clearly curious.
I grabbed something simple to eat before walking over. "Mind if I join?" I asked.
"Go ahead," Nobara said, already eyeing me like she had a hundred questions lined up.
I sat down across from them, taking a quick bite before speaking. "Name's Yami," I said. "Yami Akindo."
Megumi nodded slightly. "Megumi Fushiguro."
"Oh… no longer hiding your name, are we?" Nobara raised her brows as if impressed I recalled my own name.
I shot another annoyed look at the girl. "I couldn't recall it back then, I forgot after being hit in the head."
I didn't wish to go into the entire me getting hit with Gojo's domain explanation, so they had to do with just that.
"So, you're the one who showed up in Shibuya and started throwing hands with special grades like it was nothing." Megumi asked.
I nearly choked on my food.
"Pure slander..."
"It was them who came at me. If it was on me, I would have wanted nothing less than to stay away from all that nonsense." I replied with irritation.
Felt like my blood was boiling, recalling the absolute ridiculousness of the situation back in Shibuya as I thumped the table with irritation.
"Oh please," she shot back. "Don't act like a victim when you have a domain, you poser. You don't get to act pitiful. It's disgusting." Nobara snorted, clearly there was a jealous tone mixed in there somewhere.
Megumi's eyes widened slightly as soon as he heard the word "Domain" mentioned.
"I thought you just unlocked your technique back in Shibuya." Megumi asked, clearly interested in how the newcomer was able to establish his domain and use it so easily.
Before I could respond, Nobara added in from the side, "He's like Hakari."
Megumi heard this and nodded with understanding. While neither him nor Nobara had met the man in person, they knew about his technique since it was recorded. A completely domain-based technique, which made it easier for him to use his domain.
"Usually people run away if they are not already dead." Megumi added.
I almost had a vein pop there, does this bum think I didn't try?
I let out a quiet sigh. "I just did what I had to," I said, keeping it simple.
Megumi studied me for a moment longer before speaking again. "You don't seem like a trained sorcerer."
"I'm not," I replied honestly.
Nobara leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her hand. "Which makes it even weirder," she said. "You've got a lot to explain."
"Your principal seems to think the same… too bad I'm not good at explaining stuff." I shrugged.
"You know you're still a curse user, right?" Megumi added.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at this, curse users or jujutsu sorcerers, both were exactly the same, just depends on which side they stand on.
Jujutsu sorcerers were the official magicians of this world, while curse users were treated like terrorists.
Now I wouldn't blame them for this approach when most of the curse users use their powers for their own interest, and seeing the usual crack-headedness of characters in this world who have any shimmer of relation with jujutsu, it certainly made sense why curse users were seen like a plague.
"Even if I don't intend to use my powers for anything bad?" I asked.
"If you intend to keep using cursed energy and your technique and don't join Jujutsu Tech, then yes. You will be classified as a curse user." Megumi responded.
Knew it.
And I call bullshit, if anything I'll say those annoying higher-ups which Gojo in the anime was so opposed to are just trying to screw over any and all who have cursed energy and don't answer to them directly.
"Well… that makes it simple then, isn't it? I just have to join Jujutsu Tech." I shrugged.
"You serious?" Nobara asked, a bit startled at my casual declaration.
"You bet I am." I grinned.
"Already training with Maki to get stronger."
Both winced as soon as they heard Maki's name, clearly thinking the same thing as why train with her of all people.
"By the way, Akindo. I asked everyone who was back in Shibuya that night and none seem to know, so… can you recall and tell me whether you saw a giant monster with a wheel on his head destroying things in there?"
Megumi asked, and my smile went as stiff as a board.
Now he remembers he unleashed that monster on the universe to handle.
"No… not that I recall any with that description, why suddenly ask something like that." I shook my head, definitely not intending to explain what happened back then.
Megumi looked at me for a second, like observing me, until he shook his head. "Nothing, it's nothing. Forget I asked."
As for why he asked, it was because he was confused why the hell he was alive?
'Was that blonde really that strong that he killed Mahoraga?'
xXx
A/N : So, I know it would be fun to basked in the glory of being the first one to kill Mahoraga, but I decided to hide that little fact, let not make more flags for MC than he is capable of dodging in future, shall we.
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