Chapter 6.
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3RD POV
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The encounter with the Yoshinos had been entirely unplanned. Colith hadn't even been thinking about them at all. It happened roughly a week after her stunt.
Colith had been casually strolling through the city when she accidentally bumped into a woman on the street. Naturally, she helped the woman to her feet and was about to walk away when the woman asked her to wait. In that instant, Colith's first instinct was to flee, thinking she had been discovered by a sorcerer and was ready to make a quick getaway. However, upon sensing the lack of cursed energy from the woman, she realized it was just an innocent civilian and refrained from knocking her out. As their eyes met, something unexpected happened.
"Do I know you...?" the woman inquired while squinting, seemingly trying to recall.
Colith knew it was impossible for the woman to know her, considering she had recently arrived in this world and hadn't met anyone of significance yet. Despite that, the woman persisted, suggesting some familiarity. Colith shook her head in denial, not knowing how to respond to the strange situation.
Feeling thoroughly lost, she decided to ask the woman's name. When she heard it, she was stunned, realizing there might be more to this encounter than she initially thought.
Yoshino Nagi.
The chances of Colith running into an important character while strolling around were certainly low, but never zero. However, what baffled her was the woman's insistence on having met her before, which was utterly impossible, given her recent arrival in this world.
Curiosity got the better of her, and she inquired about where they supposedly 'met.' To her surprise, the woman seemed to struggle to recall the details. It was a perplexing situation, and Colith couldn't quite make sense of it.
As the conversation continued, Colith came to realize that Nagi, the woman she encountered, was quite stubborn and determined to befriend her, even though they had never met before. It was a strange turn of events, one that she hadn't expected at all.
Instead of dismissing the mistaken encounter and going on her way, Colith saw an opportunity in the oddness of the situation. Befriending Nagi early on might prove to be advantageous in altering the course of events. It could potentially change her son's fate and prevent his suffering. While the Yoshinos didn't hold a special place in her heart, their tragic destiny was something she believed could be avoided.
With that motivation in mind, Colith decided to introduce herself, and surprisingly, it was enough for Nagi to practically drag her to her house. Both women quickly became acquaintances, leaving Colith a bit astonished by how quickly Nagi seemed to trust her. And so, on the same evening, she finally met none other than Junpei. The pieces of a new destiny began to fall into place.
And boy, the kid looked miserable.
Befriending the boy proved to be easier said than done, especially since he kept avoiding eye contact with her, likely due to her being an adult. This made starting a conversation with him quite challenging, as he seemed ready to bolt at any moment. However, as Colith continued visiting over the course of a few days, Junpei gradually warmed up to her, thanks to her playful antics and their shared interests in pop culture that Nagi couldn't quite comprehend.
One evening, she noticed Junpei staring intently at something in the distance. Curious, she followed his gaze and spotted a Grade 4 curse lurking nearby, as dangerous as a mere fly.
When Junpei realized that Colith could also see the curse, he was taken aback. He went on a tangent, explaining that he had been able to see these creatures since he was a little kid. However, when he mentioned it to his mom, she brushed it off as imaginary friends, causing him to keep it to himself even though he continued to encounter these peculiar beings from time to time.
Colith calmly clarified that they were curses, revealing to Junpei what he truly was-a curse user, as he could see them. Intrigued by this revelation, she offered to train him. At first, he was unsure about the idea, not knowing where it came from, but after Colith shared more about cursed energy and its capabilities, he agreed. Within a week, he was able to summon [Moon Dregs].
It was astonishing to witness how easily the boy accepted his newfound abilities, but it was likely a result of his constant exposure to random cursed spirits over the years. He took everything in stride, embracing his identity as a curse user with remarkable ease.
Seeing Junpei gradually regain confidence in himself filled Colith with a sense of pride. She found the boy too precious and sweet not to involve herself in his life.
She was glad that he trusted her enough to follow her instructions, especially when it came to dealing with a certain obnoxious sewer rat.
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The bell signaling the end of the day rang, and the students began packing their bags, exchanging farewells with their teachers.
"Goodbye, Tobe-sensei!"
"Take care, sensei!"
"See you around, kiddos." Colith smiled warmly as she watched her students leave the art class one by one. Once they were all gone, she found herself alone, sorting through her belongings.
Afterward, she leaned back in her seat with a sigh, glancing out the window at the rowdy students walking away, chatting animatedly towards the gates. It was a sight she was becoming accustomed to after spending the past two months as a teacher.
Being an educator was undeniably tiring, but Colith found a strange sense of fulfillment and peace in it. Sharing her passion for art with enthusiastic students and engaging with motivated individuals was a new experience for her. Back when she was busy running around, preventing people's inevitable demises, she never had the time to indulge in such interactions. Teaching allowed her to savor these moments, and it was a refreshing change of pace in her life.
Colith let out a silent yawn as she stretched her limbs and closed her eyes. The quietness of the empty classroom, accompanied by the distant sounds from outside, brought her a sense of tranquility.
Why did she choose Sendai prefecture over Tokyo? Well, for one, she wasn't naïve enough to ignore the fact that the entire jujutsu world was after her for the stunt she pulled six months ago. Avoiding the spotlight in Tokyo seemed like the smart move. Secondly, it served the plot conveniently. Convincing old man Itadori wasn't an easy task, as he was initially reluctant to entrust his grandson to a stranger. However, after several hours of discussion, she managed to assuage his concerns. Colith had grown fond of the elder over time, understanding his protective nature as a guardian. Although she missed the chance to know her own grandparents, she found solace in knowing that Wasuke was a good man, albeit stern at times. The care and love he showed for Yuji were evident, as he almost tried to escape the hospital just to continue looking after him.
Thankfully, she found herself on good terms with the old man. Their first encounter had left her anxious, fearing that he might instantly reject her due to her foreign appearance, especially being a black person in a region where diversity was scarce. The fact that most Japanese elderly tended to react negatively toward foreigners didn't help ease her worries either. However, to her surprise, the old man simply glanced at her for a brief moment, blinked, and then resumed his temper tantrum as if nothing had happened.
Colith was relieved to know that Wasuke Itadori didn't care about appearances and equally despised anyone who tried to boss him around. He was, indeed, a legend.
With a long breath escaping her lips, Colith reflected on the events of the day. Earlier that morning, Yuji had informed her that he might come home later than usual due to club activities, mentioning something about unwrapping an old relic. She had been tempted to tell him not to, but she knew the plot relied on that moment, so she decided to let it slide.
Leaning on the table, eyes closed, she felt her shoulders sagging.
'So it's today, huh?' A small, mirthless laugh shook her shoulders as she folded her arms and placed her head on them, lost in contemplation.
'I guess a little nap won't hurt,' she thought, wiggling her finger, causing all the curtains to slide shut, blocking the sun rays from entering and plunging the room into darkness. Her lips quivered slightly.
"Stupid geezer indeed," she muttered under her breath, trying to push aside the thoughts that weighed on her mind.
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She was rudely awakened the moment she felt a heavy, nasty atmosphere engulf her senses. A groan of displeasure escaped her lips as she slowly straightened up, stretching to relieve the discomfort from her uncomfortable position. Huffing, she rubbed her eyes and halted, coming face to face with a curse the size of her desk. It looked like a bizarre fusion between a child and some strange animal she didn't bother to identify.
"e...xaaaam..s.." it moaned.
They locked eyes for a brief moment until Colith scowled, her eyes glowing with power. She unleashed her aura, effectively destroying the curse before it could leap at her. The curse imploded, vanishing altogether.
She clicked her tongue.
'Assuming this shit was right in front of me, it means that shit already hit the fan, heh.'
With a tired yawn, she stood up, unfazed by the continuous tremors that reverberated in the distance, shaking the entire school. The violent vibrations sent furniture crashing to the ground around her, scattering various items, including several students' paintings.
Colith's shoulders dropped in despair as she surveyed the chaotic scene before her.
"It's okay. I won't be a teacher for long anyway," she rationalized to herself, though she still felt compelled to repair the damaged art pieces out of respect for her students.
Sighing, she exited her soon-to-be former art class, taking in the sight of all the damage caused by Yuji's first fight against the ginormous curse. Fortunately, the art room was located in another building and received minimal damage, with just a few broken windows and some furniture on the ground. All things considered, it could have been much worse.
'Wonder who's gonna pay for all this shit,' she thought, carefully stepping off the broken glass shards.
Outside, she snapped her fingers, causing a poof of smoke to erupt behind her.
"I want you to bring Yuji's friends to the nearest hospital pronto. I'm not taking any chances with this," she commanded.
A long-suffering sigh was heard before a lazy voice replied, "Why did it have to be me?"
"Oh shush, I don't control who I'm summoning, you know that," Colith retorted.
"Uuurgh, should've been Five, that dumbass would've loved it. Because I don't," the replica groaned.
"Alright alright, just go now, I promise I'll go to the nearest Onsen to make up for this. Whaddya say?" Colith side-eyed her clone with a knowing smile.
The clone clicked her tongue. "Whatever."
"Thanks~," Colith replied cheerfully as she swiveled to the clone she had just summoned. The replica simply rolled her eyes, then yawned before vanishing to do her mission, leaving Colith alone in the hallway.
"Guess that was Wooro," she noted idly. Her eyes then returned to the glass shards and broken windows.
Feeling a bit benevolent, she repaired some of the damages while heading off toward the rooftop, dispatching any stray curses attempting to jump or corner her. She remained unconcerned that something might go wrong with her boy. After all, she had trained him, and she knew he would manage just fine, even gaining his own Kurama along the way. She just had to make sure that nobody died, as Yuji was far stronger than his canon counterpart this time, making Sukuna a bit more dangerous. That was courtesy of herself.
Her thoughts on the curse? Yeah, sure, he was fine and all, but constantly rubbing elbows with that goofball that was Yuji and clearly considering him like a son at this point had significantly put her off. So, nay.
She swiftly arrived at the staircase and paused to stare at it blankly.
'Welp, time to go.'
Climbing the stairs with ease, she reached the rooftop and cautiously peeked through the window. Just in time, she ducked to avoid random debris that threatened to create a hole in her skull. Even though that was very unlikely due to her sturdy body, her reflexes still kicked in.
Her eyebrows rose for a second, bemused, as she glanced back outside through the now broken window. Yuji was jumping around like a grasshopper on acid. Ironic, considering the fact that the curse he was battling vaguely resembled one, but it was having trouble following Yuji's zippy movements and seemed on the verge of breaking down.
She patted herself on the shoulder for that one before focusing back on the fight with folded arms.
'Should I intervene?'
Yuji punched the shit out of the curse who made an unholy sound.
'Naaaah. He'll manage.'
As the battle continued, the curse grew desperate to catch Yuji, who didn't seem tired at all, though some frustration was evident on his face.
'Oh yeah, to kill curses ya need cursed energy.' Colith recalled, observing as the boy executed an axe kick on the creature, causing it to screech. She sighed, then noticed something lying on the ground next to the ongoing fight.
'Oh. Oh shit.'
Right, Megumi.
A sense of urgency and an unexplainable feeling compelled Colith to approach the sea urchin-haired boy, despite the commotion occurring just in front of them. Deep down, something was telling her that this encounter was important.
She frowned a little, feeling perplexed. 'What the fuck...' she thought, but she shook her head, determined to focus on the situation at hand as she approached the boy.
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As Megumi heard footsteps, he glanced behind with a hiss of pain. The unbearable discomfort, however, gave way to surprise as he noticed someone approaching.
Blinking in confusion and feeling a bit dizzy from his earlier fight, Megumi wondered, 'A woman? What the hell is she doing here?!' His disorientation made it difficult to see her face clearly, but he instantly noticed her darker skin tone and couldn't help but wonder, 'A Gaijin?'
"Shit..." He cursed himself for forgetting to cast a veil beforehand but the situation had caught him so off guard that he forgot! Whose stupid idea was it to send a single sorcerer to retrieve an extremely dangerous special grade cursed object that certainly would attract every goddamn cursed spirit in the vicinity?! Gojo of course! That lofty bastard! If only he could-
Megumi flinched suddenly when he felt warm hands cupping his face.
"What the...?" As soon as the puzzled words escaped his lips, he felt something wet drop on his face, causing him to blink in surprise.
The woman's frowning face appeared before him, asking, "You okay, kid? Do you need help?"
His surprise quickly turned to utter bewilderment as he took in her appearance, taken aback by what he was seeing. Despite the commotion around them, they stood in silence, locked in a moment of mutual curiosity.
"OH sh- sorry kid, I didn't mean to-"
Baffled, Megumi managed to utter, "Who...why are you crying...?" His words were enough to make the woman pause in her ramblings.
"Crying?" she said softly, blinking as tears flowed down her cheeks and landed on Megumi's dumbfounded face. She frowned, rubbing her face with the back of her hand. Before either of them could address this peculiar situation, an overwhelming and malevolent aura filled the entire school. The pure unadulterated animosity was so intense that Megumi involuntarily recoiled in shock from the sudden onslaught of pure unadulterated animosity.
His eyes widened in horror as he heard a wild laugh emanating from the direction where he assumed Yuji was. The grade 2 cursed spirit, whom the pink-haired teen had been fighting, lay dead, torn to shreds, dissipating into nothingness, a clear sign of exorcism. Realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
'Don't tell me...!' he gasped.
'Sukuna's finger, he-'
Before he could finish his thought, Yuji, or rather Sukuna, hollered in a sinister tone, "AH! I KNEW IT! LIGHT IS BEST APPRECIATED IN FLESH!" With that, Sukuna violently tore apart his hoodie, revealing his chest adorned with ominous tattoos. The situation had taken a terrifying turn.
'This is the worst! A one-in-million-chance, worst-case outcome! The special-grade cursed object has reincarnated!' Megumi couldn't believe it!
In bewilderment, he heard the gaijin woman mutter, "Why did he rip my gift?" Glancing at her, Megumi was puzzled by her statement.
"Gift?"
She pointed to the tattered fabric, leaving Megumi even more baffled. It dawned on him that she was just a civilian and couldn't grasp the true gravity of the situation, unlike him.
Gritting his teeth, he straightened up despite his injuries, determined to handle the dire circumstances at hand.
"A cursed spirit's flesh is no fun! Where are the people!? The women?!"
As soon as women were mentioned, Megumi acted swiftly, shielding the sole female in the vicinity from the curse's line of sight. There was no way he would allow any harm to come her way. Fully aware of the extreme danger posed by this special grade curse, he remained on high alert. Fortunately, Sukuna's jubilant mood caused him to overlook the presence of the two humans, as he leaped to stand on the fence.
"What a wonderful era to be in! Women and children are crawling everywhere like maggots. MARVELOUS! THIS IS GONNA BE A MASSACRE HAHAHAHA-huh?!"
As Sukuna's hand abruptly clasped his face, an immediate silence fell over the scene, leaving him perplexed and causing him to step back.
"Whaddya think you're doing with my body? Give it back." Yuji's voice rang.
"...How are you able to move?"
"Well, I mean, it's my body."
A burst of laughter erupted and the woman turned away, trying to stifle her amusement with a hand on her mouth. Her struggle to breathe only added to the hilarity. Waving her hand apologetically, she managed to say, "My bad, y'all. But the way he said it just so casually...!" Her shoulders trembled with mirth.
Yuji's eyes lit up as he recognized her. "Colith-sensei!" he exclaimed.
'Colith-sensei?' Megumi thought. So it was her that Yuji kept babbling about on their way here. His eyes briefly shifted to her before settling on the tattooed boy.
"Hey, Yuji!" She grinned, reverting to her laid-back self. "That's some nice tattoos you've got there! Delinquent much?"
Relieved tears blurred the teenager's eyes as he tried to approach her. "You're safe! Thank God!!" he cried out, unaware of the second pair of red eyes momentarily widening before narrowing into slits as the boy regained full control of his body. "You weren't answering your phone, and I thought something bad happened to you and my senpais. I didn't see you when we rescued the others, so I thought those wacky monsters got you, and-"
As soon as Yuji attempted to take a step toward her, Megumi stepped in his way, creating a barrier between him and the woman.
"Don't come any closer! He's no longer human!" Megumi warned.
"Heh?" Both Yuji and Colith said simultaneously, sharing a look of confusion as they stared at the boy in bewilderment.
Panting heavily, Megumi took a stance, prepared to summon anything that could harm the monstrous foe. Despite knowing that he stood little chance against a special grade, he was resolute in not letting the creature wreak havoc in the city.
"Under Jujutsu regulations, Itadori Yuji, I will exorcise you as a curse!" he declared, his eyes narrowing as his shadow intensified, swirling to life around him.
"Hold on, Sea-urchin-kun," the woman, Colith grabbed his shoulder, causing him to halt and side-eye her. "he ain't no damn curse? Sure he got some sick tattoos now but look! He seems pretty normal to me."
"Sea-urchin- this isn't the time to fool around, ma'am!" he snapped. "He's a freaking bloodthirsty curse! This is dangerous! You wouldn't know since you're just a civilian, but don't be fooled!" he scowled, keeping a vigilant eye on Yuji, who appeared confused. "I'll stall him as long as I can while you get out of here!"
Ignoring his warning, the woman shook her head and calmly walked past Megumi to stand next to the pink-haired teen. Before he could protest, she casually placed a hand on Yuji's fluffy scalp, seemingly unfazed by the situation. "Nah man, that's definitely Yuji. See, no more tattoos," she said, and true to her words, the markings quickly faded from Yuji's skin. In confirmation, Yuji nodded rapidly and raised his arms in defense.
"Yep yep yep! I'm me! I'm totally human, no cap!"
"See? Would a thousand years old entity use Gen z terms? I don't think so." she made a peace sigh, "Yay."
Flabbergasted, Megumi just stared at them in silence. 'is it the cursed object or itadori Yuji talking now? Is this some kind of trick? And what's with that woman? Why isn't she freaking out...? Could she be an accomplice? But she doesn't possess cursed energy. Wait hold on- tattoos?' his eyes widened. "You can see the-"
"What's the situation?"
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(EDITED)
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