The three children once again found themselves standing there, staring at each other awkwardly.
Tsumiki glanced at the large white dog sitting beside Tokiya Shingen. She had to admit—when it wasn't acting silly, it actually looked pretty cool.
Finding a topic, she spoke first:
"Hello, my name is Tsumiki Fushiguro. This is my younger brother, Megumi Fushiguro. Is this your dog?"
Shingen nodded.
"My name is Tokiya Shingen. It was given to me by an older man. Its name is White Wolf."
Tsumiki smiled sweetly.
"Can I call you Shingen? Megumi has two dogs too, you know. I can't see them, but he says one is black and one is white. But… I can see your dog."
Shingen didn't explain what a cursed corpse was. For now, it was easier to just treat it as a normal dog—after all, on the surface, there wasn't much difference.
White Wolf sat on the ground with its tongue out, wagging its tail even more enthusiastically, as if it understood what Tsumiki had said.
Megumi, though usually cold-faced, behaved more quietly and politely with his sister around.
With White Wolf as a starting point, the three of them gradually warmed up to each other.
At Tsumiki's request, Megumi reluctantly summoned one of his shikigami.
Shingen watched as Megumi formed a hand sign resembling a dog's head. His shadow rippled—and from it emerged a large white dog.
Because White Wolf was a cursed corpse infused with cursed energy, it got along fairly well with the shikigami known as Divine Dog.
And perhaps it was also because Tsumiki, despite her young age, was gentle and kind by nature.
Just looking at how the usually stoic Megumi behaved obediently around her was proof enough.
They played together for nearly the entire afternoon.
Shingen had originally planned to leave, but Tsumiki insisted he stay for dinner.
Thinking about it, Shingen believed he could probably cook himself—though reaching the stove might be a bit of a challenge at his height.
But seeing the slightly displeased look on Megumi's face, Shingen smiled and agreed.
Dinner was prepared by Tsumiki.
Simple. Homemade.
But Shingen ate happily—so much so that he nearly ended up competing with Megumi for food.
Megumi shot him an annoyed look.
What's with this guy…?
Why is he so familiar already? And why won't he leave? It's like he's stealing my sister…
And when he remembered what Gojo Satoru had said—that they might even go to school together—
Megumi stabbed at his rice even harder.
"Megumi, eat properly. Don't play with your food," Tsumiki gently scolded.
That only made him more frustrated.
After saying goodbye to the Fushiguro siblings, Tokiya Shingen returned to what would now be his home.
Inside, he found the place surprisingly spacious.
For a single child, it felt even more empty and quiet.
Still, Shingen didn't feel afraid.
He simply couldn't help but think—
Gojo really was as unreliable as Masamichi Yaga had said.
White Wolf ran around the house, familiarizing itself with the space, while Shingen explored the three-story building.
He chose a sunlit room on the second floor as his bedroom.
The house was clean, with running water and electricity—all properly set up.
It seemed someone had prepared it in advance.
Maybe Gojo wasn't completely unreliable after all.
That night, he spent his first evening in this unfamiliar place.
The next morning, Shingen woke up and made himself a simple breakfast using ingredients from the fridge—fried eggs, bread, and milk.
Not long after eating, there was a knock at the door.
When he opened it—
There stood Gojo Satoru, grinning as usual.
Before Shingen could speak, Gojo said,
"Get ready. I'm taking you to test your technique—and I'll teach you some basics about the jujutsu world while we're at it."
Shingen picked up White Wolf—
And in the next instant, the familiar sensation of space shifting overtook him.
When his vision cleared, they were back at Jujutsu High.
Not far away stood Masamichi Yaga.
But this wasn't the main campus.
It was an open, barren field.
As soon as Shingen was set down, Yaga's voice rang out, slightly displeased:
"Gojo, he's still just a child. Isn't this a bit too soon?"
Gojo waved it off.
"Relax. Shingen's got talent. And his technique is… unusual. We need to figure it out."
Clapping his hands, Gojo added,
"Yaga-sensei is an excellent teacher. He'll explain the basics to you."
Yaga stepped forward, ignoring the overly excited White Wolf bounding around.
With a serious expression, he began:
"I'll start with the fundamentals."
"Human negative emotions generate cursed energy, which in turn gives rise to curses. Every year, over ten thousand people go missing or die under mysterious circumstances—most of them caused by curses."
"Cursed techniques are innate talents possessed by certain individuals. Once they learn to control their cursed energy and apply it through their technique, they become what we call jujutsu sorcerers."
"Cursed techniques are quite fascinating… you can think of them as superpowers. Techniques, cursed energy, and physical combat—these are all essential skills for a sorcerer."
"For example, Gojo's technique is called Limitless. It's a bit complex, but simply put—anything that approaches him slows down infinitely, making it impossible to ever reach him."
"Most sorcerers openly reveal their techniques. Doing so acts as a binding condition, increasing the power of their abilities."
"Gojo also possesses the inherited Six Eyes, which allows him to perceive cursed energy flow and even the nature of techniques."
"As for your technique—it's unknown. To understand it, you'll either need to use it more… or rely on Gojo's analysis."
Gojo chimed in with a grin,
"Exactly~ Now, Shingen, show us your technique."
Shingen nodded.
"I sometimes enter a special state… where everything around me seems to stop, and I can move extremely fast."
As he spoke—
He activated it.
His cursed energy shifted—
And that familiar state returned.
Time slowed.
The world blurred.
Gojo still followed him with ease.
Yaga… not so much.
After about ten seconds, Shingen stopped.
Gojo's expression had grown more serious, the playful edge fading.
He had already removed his blindfold.
Raising his hand, a blue flame-like aura formed at his fingertips.
"Try this," Gojo said. "Release your cursed energy like I'm doing."
Shingen had some experience with this—and with Gojo's guidance, even if it wasn't exactly teacher-like, he managed.
Soon, a stable cluster of cursed energy formed at his fingertip.
"Now," Gojo continued, "apply your technique to it."
Shingen focused.
It was a strange sensation.
His technique was like his own limbs—always there, but usually unnoticed.
Only when he actively used it did its presence become clear.
Now, he could feel it.
Control it.
So—
He applied it.
The moment he did—
The energy vanished from his fingertip.
At the same time, a visible trajectory appeared in the air.
Strangely, the resulting sound was sharp—but not loud.
Yaga frowned in thought.
When Shingen moved himself at high speed, Yaga could barely track him.
But this—
He hadn't seen anything at all.
The disappearance and the trajectory existed simultaneously.
If that attack had been aimed at him—
He wouldn't have been able to react.
No evasion.
No counterattack.
Only defense.
And that was with Shingen holding back.
After all, he was still just a child.
Shingen himself looked slightly confused.
In truth, he hadn't been holding back in the way Yaga assumed.
He hadn't poured massive cursed energy into it.
Instead—
He had focused entirely on speed.
Even he hadn't been able to see it clearly.
Gojo watched the fading trace of energy in the sky, then turned back.
Those brilliant blue eyes held a rare intensity.
"…This is something else."
Yaga couldn't help but ask,
"Gojo… what exactly is his technique?"
Gojo smiled.
"Time."
"His technique turns the concept of time into something tangible. He's not speeding himself up with cursed energy—he's accelerating time itself."
"That's why his movements and attacks are so fast. His time… is different from ours."
Yaga's expression changed completely.
In the history of jujutsu, there had been countless techniques—
Some unbelievably powerful.
But one that directly manipulated time like this?
He had never seen anything like it.
And beyond that—
Shingen's cursed energy reserves were enormous.
Gojo continued,
"His cursed energy is influenced by his technique. It's probably been accelerating subconsciously this whole time—so his energy regenerates extremely fast."
"If my Limitless + Six Eyes makes my energy consumption nearly zero…"
"Then Shingen might one day reach a state where his energy generation exceeds consumption."
"In other words…"
"Unlimited cursed energy."
Shingen looked down at his hands.
"Time…"
"So that's my technique…"
Countless thoughts filled his mind.
Time—
This might be something extraordinary.
Before he could think further—
Gojo suddenly wrapped an arm around him, grinning brightly.
"Well? Since your technique is completely new—why not give it a name?"
Shingen paused.
Then said quietly—
"…Wheel of Time."