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3RD POV
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Startled, Megumi jolted in surprise, his focus broken as he turned his head to face the newcomer. "Wha— Gojo-sensei?! What are you doing here?"

"Yo!" Gojo nonchalantly waved a hand, seemingly unfazed by the situation.

He ignored the two standing there who watched the tall white-haired guy, who appeared out of nowhere, rambling about 'higher-ups and sightseeing' while proudly holding a paper bag. With an air of carefreeness, he began snapping pictures of the injured boy who seemed to be on the verge of committing a crime.

The first thing that came to Colith's mind upon seeing Gojo was, 'Brat' though she did not know where the thought came from.

Not letting her thoughts show on her face, she stared blankly before turning to Yuji to comment, "Damn he's tall." effectively brushing her previous thoughts off while leaning on the teenager's shoulders who nodded in agreement.

"Colith-sensei is also—...!" he flinched suddenly.

"You good fluffy?" the woman asked with a frown, noting how the boy seemed uncomfortable all of a sudden. He rubbed his forehead with a scowl.

"Yeah, it's just that guy, keeps screaming his head off to let him out." he said, quickly shaking his head before sighing in relief. "phew! Good thing I can suppress him enough to think! He's really annoying!"

Colith could only stare at him in bemusement, about to speak until—

"So, where's the finger? D'you find it?" Gojo asked all if a sudden.

At that Yuji perked up, raising a hand while sweat dropping. "Sorry. I ate it."

Gojo paused, then slowly turned to the duo, finally acknowledging them. He was speechless. "For real?"

"For real." both Yuji and Megumi said. Though it looked more like a spat in Megumi's case.

"Did it taste good?" Colith butted in, genuinely curious.

Yuji scrunched up his nose, recalling the taste, "Nah, tastes like soap."

"Oh neat." she glanced at her nails, seemingly satisfied by that response.

"Okay, hold on," Gojo interjected, as he suddenly began to fully acknowledge the woman's presence.

Her eyes immediately captivated his attention.

He was immediately drawn to their brilliance—two mesmerizing golden pupils that seemed almost otherworldly, like rare gems nestled in the depths of her dark-skinned visage. They lazily stared back at him, hinting at a curiosity that piqued his interest. Never before had he encountered such captivating eyes in a gaijin with her complexion, making her presence all the more intriguing. Despite their uniqueness, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were strangely fitting.

"Excuse me, miss, but who are you, and why aren't you alarmed by what's happening?" He arched an eyebrow, though his expression remained hidden behind the blindfold.

Her lack of reaction to the blindfold was surprising. Usually, civilians would react with gaping astonishment or send disturbed glances his way. However, the woman seemed unfazed by his unusual attire and instead chose to comment on his height, appearing rather amused. How odd.

"That's what I'm wondering too. This is weird." Megumi mirrored Gojo's sentiment, his frown deepenin as he eyed the woman suspiciously.

She blinked, "Oh that's 'cause it sounds just like something Yuji would do." she replied while Yuji nodded along to confirm her statement. "See?"

"Hm..." Gojo pondered, placing a hand to his chin in a gesture of wonder, his gaze lingering on her for a moment. He was undeniably curious, but he decided to shift his focus back to Yuji, as the current matter at hand was undoubtedly more important than his mere curiosity. "So, you really ate it?"

"Yeah." Yuji nodded, then backed away with a yelp when Gojo appeared right in front of him.

"Damn, you two did really combine! That's hilarious!" he chirped lightly while leaning back.

"By the way, You look like Togepi now, with the slits." Colith chuckles, patting his back.

"Eh? Really?!"

Gojo chuckled as he nodded, seeing the resemblance. "So? How does your body feel? Does it hurt?"

"Huh? Not really, no. Why?"

"Can you switch with Sukuna?"

Yuji tilted his head in question, "Sukuna? Who's that?"

"Sounds Italian to me," Colith muttered as she glanced to the side, causing Gojo who heard to stifle a laugh. Who the hell's this woman?

"I like your sense of humor miss!" he laughed before turning to Yuji. "But in short, Sukuna's the name of the curse you ate."

Yuji made an 'Oh' with his mouth in realization, though he briefly glanced at Colith with a little frown of worry before redirecting his attention to Gojo, "Yeah, I think I can do that."

"That so? Then give us ten seconds." the man said as he started stretching.

Yuji's lips pressed in a thin line as he once again looked at Colith who at this point noticed the stare and looked down at him in question.

"What?"

Yuji didn't say anything and went to whisper something into Gojo's ear, causing Gojo to bend down slightly to listen.

"Ah, I see, I see," Gojo acknowledged with a nod, before straightening up. "Excuse me, miss. Could you come here for a moment?" He gestured for her to approach him.

Colith blinked, watching as Yuji quickly jogged to the other side of the roof, putting some distance between them. With a puzzled expression, she turned to Gojo and inquired, "What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing to worry about!" Gojo reassured her with a shake of his head. "Just stay here and don't run. Things might get a bit chaotic from this point, but trust me, I'm the strongest!" he boasted with a grin. "Besides, there's something I want to confirm."

Megumi scowled, "this isn't the place for a civ—"

"Megumi, hold on to this will ya?" he threw the bag to the boy who frowned at the interruption.

"The hell is this?" he asked, looking at the bag.

"Kikufuku Mochi." Gojo responded nonchalantly as he made an OK sign.

"Oh, they're quite good! Bought some last week! I should probably learn how to make them." Colith said, leaning over Megumi's shoulder to look inside the bag.

"Oh~ so you're a cook?" Gojo expressed his interest, turning towards her, seemingly oblivious to the curse that was swiftly approaching, ready to strike. Little did he anticipate that Sukuna would instantly attempt to claw the woman's head off.

"YOU—"

"Ah ah ah~ your fight's with me, Mister," With a playful tone, Gojo sang, landing a punch on Sukuna's jaw, effectively cutting him off mid-sentence. The powerful blow sent Sukuna flying, away from the bewildered duo.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY, SORCERER!" Sukuna barked as soon as he regained his bearings, his rage apparent. "THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND THIS WENCH! SO FUCK OFF!" Despite his aggression, the curse's attempts to close in on her were thwarted once again by Gojo, standing firmly in his path.

The woman swiftly snapped out of her frozen state, blinking slowly as she turned to Megumi, clearly taken aback. " 'Wench'? Is he... referring to me?" she inquired, pointing to herself in bewilderment.

Megumi appeared just as bemused by the situation.

"OH OH? What's this? Know each other?" Gojo suddenly grew intrigued, sending the curse flying once more with a powerful strike to its gut before glancing back at the woman, who shook her head in confusion.

Sukuna clenched his teeth, seething with anger. "I don't have time for this! Out of the way! AND YOU!" He directed a fierce glare at Colith, "ONCE I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, YOU'LL REGRET EVER BEING BORN, BITCH!" His fury was palpable, reaching a boiling point.

"HUH?!" Colith's forehead vein visibly throbbed as her eyes narrowed fiercely. "WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, FUCKFACE?!" She shouted back, rightfully enraged, "WANNA GO?!" Her fiery determination almost led her into certain danger, but Megumi swiftly grabbed her leg, preventing her from walking into the fray.

Enraged by Colith's defiance, Sukuna angrily slashed the air, causing debris to hurtle straight for her. However, Gojo intervened, intercepting the projectiles before they could harm her. The impact created a smoke screen, causing Megumi to cough and flinch, catching Colith's attention and effectively halting her from impulsively jumping into the fight.

"You okay there bud? Here let me help," Colith said, crouching to his level with a frown.

"L-leave it. I think you should be more concerned about the cursed object. He seems hell-bent on killing you," the teen rasped, gesturing towards Sukuna, whose frustration grew with each passing second as Gojo thwarted his attempts to reach his target. Why was Sukuna fixated on her in the first place? "You should get out of here. Gojo-sensei won't let him—" he winced, grasping his head in pain.

Colith shook her head resolutely, "I don't know what the hell this bastard's problem is, but I ain't going anywhere. He's lucky to have Yuji's face; otherwise, I would've messed him up." Her eyes narrowed in distaste, followed by a sigh. "Now, stop talking and let me heal ya, will you?" she said, her gaze unexpectedly softening as she prepared to tend to his injuries.

"Heal?" Megumi stared at her, as if she had grown two heads. Before the teen could react, she gently cupped his face, causing him to flinch and gaze at her with curiosity. Wondering what she was up to, he froze when she planted a gentle kiss on his forehead, leaving him momentarily speechless and perplexed by her unexpected gesture.

His eyes widened, "Wha—"

A surge of warmth and comfort suddenly engulfed him, evoking an involuntary sigh of relief as his tense shoulders relaxed. In the blink of an eye, all the pain and wounds that once marred his body began to fade away, leaving only traces of blood as a reminder of his previous injuries. The healing touch had worked wonders, bringing a sense of calm and renewal to the young teen.

"Here, all done," she said, standing up and confidently placing her hands on her hips. "You should feel better now." A warm and almost motherly smile graced her face as she observed the boy.

Megumi snapped out of his astonishment, lifting his head to meet her gaze, and asked, "What did you—"

Before he could finish, she simply winked at him, leaving an air of mystery surrounding her healing abilities.

"Eight~" Gojo's sing-song voice startled them both as he appeared right beside them. It seemed he had finished tormenting the curse. He stood there nonchalantly with his hands in his pockets, counting down the remaining seconds. Meanwhile, Sukuna was gradually emerging from the wall where he had been previously thrown into, courtesy of Gojo.

As Sukuna's presence began to fade away, his withering glare locked onto the woman's confused expression. "You..." He lifted a hand in a last-ditch effort to reach her, but the cursed markings vanished just as Gojo announced the ten-second mark. The eerie encounter gave way to a slightly woozy Yuji, who blinked in an attempt to reorient himself after the ordeal.

"Whoa! Was everything okay?" Yuji immediately noticed the extensive damage done to the roof. "DAMN!" he exclaimed, realizing that all of this chaos occurred within just 10 seconds. This guy is seriously dangerous!

"How surprising! You can really control it!" Gojo cheerfully remarked, beckoning Yuji to approach with a wide grin, an invitation the teen hastened to accept.

"Sure, but he's hella annoying!" Yuji complained, but his protest was cut short as he yelped, grabbing his throbbing forehead. "Colith-sensei?!"

"Shush! That's for eating a nasty finger without any prior research! What if it had killed you? That was reckless!" Colith scolded, causing Yuji to lower his head in shame.

"...Sorry"

Meanwhile, Gojo stood there, thoroughly amused as he observed Colith berating Yuji like a mother hen. He was just about to make a playful remark when he noticed Megumi's gaze, causing him to pause.

"Hm? What's with that stare, Megumi-chan?" Gojo inquired, curious about the puzzled expression on the boy's face.

Megumi blinked and hesitated, "This woman, she..." he trailed off, still dumbstruck by the inexplicable and unusual situation he had just experienced. It all felt so...strange.

Gojo raised an intrigued eyebrow at his usually brooding student, but soon refocused on his observations. Despite the fact that the woman had seemingly just undergone a life-or-death situation, coupled with vivid death threats from an ancient evil that appeared hell-bent on unleashing havoc upon her, she remained remarkably composed and unfazed. It struck him that there was more to this woman than met the eye.

Suddenly, something clicked in Gojo's mind, and he promptly rummaged through his pockets, searching for a specific item, which he quickly found—a paper. As he brought it into view, he blinked, glancing back and forth between the woman and the paper not just once, but twice and thrice. Finally, he let out an "Oh" that caught Megumi's attention, leaving the young sorcerer curious about the discovery Gojo had made.

"What?" the teen finally exclaimed in exasperation upon noticing his teacher's dumbfounded expression. "What is it?"

Colith sighed and shook her head, "Never mind that. Just come here. You look like you've been through hell and back. That Gojo guy sure didn't hold back," she remarked with a smirk. "So where're you hurt?"

Yuji blinked nonchalantly, "I think I might have a few broken ribs, but I'm not entirely sure," he said as if discussing what food to eat, earning a deadpan look from the woman. "Oh yeah," he added, casually lifting his wrist, which was clearly bent in an unnatural way. "This kinda hurts."

Colith burst into a bark of laughter, shaking her head in disbelief. "Crazy kid!" she exclaimed, giving him a rough peck on the forehead and proceeding to give him a noogie, magically healing his injuries in the process. He released a squawk of protest from being playfully manhandled.

"Sorry to interrupt, but..." Gojo interjected, suddenly appearing in front of the puzzled teenager, who looked at him with a questioning gaze. However, before he could respond, he collapsed as Gojo lightly tapped his forehead. "Here we go!"

Unfazed, Colith caught the boy in her arms. "What's that for?" she turned to the grinning man, seeking an explanation.

"Well, Colith-chan is it?" Gojo addressed the woman, receiving a nod in response. "As you've seen, we cannot let him roam around with a thousand-year-old curse in his guts, Sooo..." he attempted to take the kid away, but the woman held up her hand, staring at him with a blank expression.

"And what exactly will happen to my boy?" Her eyes narrowed as she asked, "Nothing execution related, I hope?"

There was a tense silence, and Gojo let out a sigh.

"You're not really a civilian, are you? The one who killed all those curses at Shinjuku that night was you. Right?" he said casually. Megumi's head quickly snapped to the woman in shock, utterly baffled by what he had just heard.

Colith blinked. "Huh, so you finally figured it out!" she chuckled, not bothering to deny the claims. "By the way, I never said I was a civilian. Y'all always seem to assume that," she shrugged nonchalantly. "How's Atsuya?"

"Heh, he's doing well, if not a bit cranky."

"Unbelievable... You mean that she's the cause of the Christmas miracle?"

"The what now?"

"HAHAHA! YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE AN OTAKU! Though you still got that scar! Had me fooled for a second!" He shoved a drawing in her face, causing her to lean back and squint to get a better look.

" 'Lame', 'loser'," she deadpanned, "that's not nice."

"What are you? You don't have cursed energy, but you can see curses. That's impossible! And what did you do to me?" Megumi inquired, his guard up. Gojo glanced at him questioningly, which caused the teen to huff. "She healed me."

"Healed?" The man repeated, glancing at Colith with wonder. He had heard about sorcerers who had suddenly awakened right after the massive ball of light enveloped Shinjuku, their life-threatening injuries miraculously gone. So it wasn't entirely surprising to him that she possessed some kind of healing ability. However, he couldn't help but wonder about her true nature, as she didn't have any cursed energy and couldn't have used a reverse curse technique, at least not in the way he had seen it used on such a grand scale.

"Whatever, that's not important! I'll let you guys go with Yuji, but on one condition!" she held up a finger, interrupting the male's train of thought. "I want him back alive, and that's non-negotiable." She then proceeded to hand the sleeping boy to Gojo and turned around to leave. "I got a class to prepare, so see ya."

"I'm afraid I cannot let you go, miss," Gojo said, placing a hand on her shoulder, which stopped her in her tracks. She glanced at him with a raised brow, awaiting his explanation.

"And why is that?"

"Oh, I dunno. There's no guarantee that you might not turn out to be some kind of existential threat to the world, considering the ease with which you got rid of all those cursed spirits. Who knows? You could be here to kill everyone, except for me, of course, because I'm the strongest. But hey, just sayin'." Gojo continued in a playful manner, but the woman simply eyed him as though he was a moron, ready to speak. However, he carried on, "Also, the fact that you seem well acquainted with Sukuna, who was dead set on having your head for whatever reason. Don't you think that's enough reason to bring you with us?" he ended in an innocent tone, tilting his head to the side as he observed the woman's eyes gradually widening, a clear indication that he was right.

Despite his apparent casualness, Gojo was prepared for a potential confrontation. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but her lack of cursed energy strangely reminded him of someone he had fought in the past. He had emerged victorious from that encounter, gaining a new technique and incorporating Shoko's [Reverse cursed technique] into his arsenal. However, it came at the cost of experiencing a near-death state for the first time in his existence, which had been preposterous at the time. Additionally, he had failed an important mission that jeopardized the jujutsu world, leaving a massive stain on his once-perfect record.

Yep, he still harbored some dislike for the guy, but it had been what? 12 years since that man's demise by Gojo's hands, so there was no point in dwelling on the past.

...

Alright, he'll admit that he still loathes that chucklefuck. A bit. But that's not important right now. What matters is that he might as well be facing an unknown threat, given her peculiar lack of cursed energy. In other words, underestimating someone like her wasn't on the schedule. Nope! Whatever this woman was, he wasn't planning on repeating his past mistake. Gojo had learned from his previous experiences, and he knew better than to underestimate anyone, especially with such an enigmatic aura surrounding her.

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As for Colith, she was... puzzled, to say the least. No, scratch that,

'What the fuck?' she thought, her eyes filled with confusion as she observed the two sorcerers before her, her gaze eventually falling on Yuji's snoozing form. Sure, she knew who Sukuna was—duh, Manga reader. Having that bloodthirsty bastard attempt to kill her wasn't unexpected. Heck, she knew the first thing he'd do was either try to kill everything around him or, well, kill everything around him. Same thing.

However, something felt off. Why did he look... so enraged?

Maybe she was overthinking it. That brief look of desperation must have been a figment of her imagination. Colith tried to shake off the strange feeling, but it lingered in the back of her mind.

'Is this his first time seeing a black person?' she pondered momentarily before shaking her head. 'Whatever, that's not my problem.'

Her attention shifted back to Gojo. The guy appeared as if he was ready for another scuffle, despite holding himself nonchalantly. Huh. Too bad she wasn't in the mood; otherwise, she wouldn't have hesitated to measure herself against him.

The woman huffed, brushing his hand off her shoulder before casually placing her hands in her pockets. She jerked her head forward. "Let's go."

This statement was met with a confused "Eh?" from the two.

Colith frowned. "What do you mean 'Eh?' You said you were after me too? Well, come on, chop chop, lead the way. Don't have all night."

Megumi blinked, astonished. "Are you serious?"

The woman's eyes shifted to the teen, her gaze softening. "Uh-huh. The sooner I prove to you guys that I ain't no threat, the better. And to answer your previous questions," she said, giving the gaping Gojo a blank look, fully aware of his exaggerated reactions. "No, I ain't here to kill people. I've got better things to do. Yes, I can see curses, and yes, I know who and what Sukuna is. Although, this is my first time meeting the guy," she shook her head, "And before you ask, I read about him somewhere, and that's that. Never thought my Yuji would one day end up being his vessel, but hey, that's how life goes, it seems."

"And where did you read about him, if I may ask?" Gojo was genuinely intrigued. Information about Ryomen Sukuna's existence was scarce and mostly confined to long-forgotten legends that people no longer believed in. For a gaijin, someone with no ties to the jujutsu world, to know about him was extremely alarming, especially considering that even some sorcerers weren't aware of the king of curses' existence.

She shrugged, choosing to remain silent.

The male hummed but decided not to press further. He was certain that she would eventually provide him with answers. "Hm, so you're willing to come with us?"

"As long as Yuji's safe," she curtly replied, making her condition clear.

"Hm, that's going to be complicated. If he wakes up and isn't possessed, then there's a 50 percent chance that he'll be spared from a quick execution. Hm, what to do, what to do?" Gojo pondered, holding his chin in thought.

"I will personally break your jaw if something happens to the kid,"

"Oooh! Scary!" Gojo exclaimed, faking shivers with a playful grin. "So, what should I do, Megumi-chan?" he turned to the teen, and Colith followed his gaze, causing Megumi to reel back a bit from the sudden attention.

"Huh..." Megumi's eyes shifted between Colith and his teacher, unsure of what to do. He didn't know who or what the hell she was, and as far as he was concerned, she could potentially be a threat if he wasn't careful with his answer. Though he knew Gojo-sensei could easily handle any confrontation, he'd rather avoid it altogether. For one, the woman had healed him, and he wasn't ungrateful enough to disregard her benevolence, no matter how strange it seemed. Secondly, he had no idea what she was truly capable of, and he knew better than to ignore his instincts.

Deep down, Megumi recognized a predator when he saw one. Something inside him was telling him that she wasn't to be taken lightly, even though she appeared harmless at the moment.

With that in mind, the boy gulped, mustering his courage. "Even if he might become a potential vessel, under jujutsu regulations, he's doomed to be executed," he explained, holding the woman's expectant gaze. It seemed like she was waiting for more. "But... I don't want him to die!" he continued, nodding at her, which caused her lips to curl up in a smile, seemingly satisfied with his answer.

"I see. Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go! If I'm correct, you guys are either from Kyoto or Tokyo. So where to?" Colith said with enthusiasm.

"...you know about the schools?" Megumi asked, bewildered. "Just, who are you?"

She simply grinned while giving them a peace sign. "Just your average art teacher. Anyway, y'all look like you're from Tokyo. Also, keep your nasty hand to yourself, brat! I won't run away, so there's no need for this!" she playfully slapped Gojo's hand away from her forehead.

The male whined, flapping his hand to rid it of the stingy feeling. "Ow! That's mean!"

Colith just rolled her eyes, dismissing Gojo's antics. "Yeah, sure, ain't falling for your tricks, stickman." Ignoring the offended noise he made, she walked over to what was left of Yuji's hoodie, pursed her lips, and then narrowed her eyes in contempt. 'Damn bastard,' she thought.

As of now, she simply wished she could pummel the curse.

'All in due time, sis, all in due time.'

Oh no, she did not hate him, far from it, but the prospect of knocking some sense into the cockroach was truly appealing.

After collecting the ripped fabrics—grumbling all the way—, Colith turned to her audience who had, at this point, been silently staring at her.

A lopsided smirk bloomed on her lips as an idea popped into her head.

She began floating in the air, displaying her supernatural ability. "Welp! I'll be waiting for you at Asukayama Park, don't be late! See ya!" With that, she vanished before any of them could even blink, leaving them in awe of her mysterious abilities.

Megumi dropped the bag.

"...

What the fuck did I just witness?"

"MY KIKUFUKUS!"

For the first time in decades, Gojo cried.

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Sooo, hum, turns out my grandma decided to say bye bye to life which is mostly why I disappeared from here.

Yeh

Anyway, I'm back! ✌🏾

(EDITED)