"I won't bother with threats," Tokiya Shingen said calmly.
Standing inside the heavily damaged school building, he looked down at the curse user lying on the ground—limbless, broken.
"Just tell me why you came to steal this sword. Who sent you? If what you say is valuable enough… I might even let you go."
Earlier, considering Gen Naoto's mental state, Shingen had dragged the man inside, leaving Naoto and White Wolf outside.
The curse user stared at him with disbelief—and contempt.
Shingen sighed.
"You know the phrase 'refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a penalty'?"
The man frowned, confused.
He didn't understand a word.
"…Right. Let me simplify."
Shingen tilted his head.
"You're asking for it."
The blade of Dōjigiri rose.
Then fell.
A scream tore through the air.
Shingen casually took out his phone and held it in front of the man's face.
On the screen—
Was the inside of his own exposed skull.
The man froze.
Compared to that horrifying image—
Pain no longer mattered.
Shingen adjusted the angle slightly, letting him see more clearly.
His voice dropped, soft and cold.
"People like you ever think you'd end up like this?"
"I told you to cooperate earlier."
"Sure, we both know I won't let you go."
"But there are things in this world far worse than death."
"Do you really want to find out?"
The man's mind began to collapse.
His breathing became erratic.
Shingen waved a hand—
And activated reversed cursed technique.
Only on the man's head.
The damage reversed.
Clean.
Perfect.
Two sharp slaps brought him back.
Shingen showed him the phone again.
His head—
Whole again.
The man's pupils shrank.
One thought surfaced through the chaos:
Reverse Cursed Technique.
If his head could be restored—
Then his limbs could too.
Which meant—
The suffering could continue.
Endlessly.
His resolve shattered.
"I'll talk…!" he choked.
"It was… Suguru Geto…!"
"He ordered me to retrieve the sword!"
Shingen paused.
Suguru Geto.
A name he knew well.
From both memory—and the jujutsu world's records.
A former ally of the school.
Now—
Something else entirely.
"Then why didn't your 'Geto-sama' come himself?" Shingen asked.
The blade pressed lightly against the man's forehead.
"He's… busy… with other things."
"This task was passed down to me…"
It didn't take long for everything to spill out.
At first, the man had sent a shikigami to infiltrate the Gen estate and steal Dōjigiri.
Instead—
He had been discovered by Naoto.
And worse—
His shikigami had been wounded by the blade.
Terrified, he fled.
Then—
The shikigami died mysteriously afterward.
That fear kept him from acting.
But he couldn't disobey Geto.
Then came Shingen.
Which made things even worse.
So he waited.
Watched.
Until the perfect moment—
When Shingen and Naoto were trapped in the domain.
And had just escaped.
That's when he struck.
Hostage taken.
Sword demanded.
Escape planned.
All meaningless.
Even if he had killed Naoto instantly—
Shingen could have ended him in a heartbeat.
And revived her just as easily.
Shingen looked down at Dōjigiri.
"This blade…"
It truly was exceptional.
Everything it cut—
Stone, reinforced walls, cursed bodies—
All parted effortlessly.
Like a hot knife through butter.
"My lord… I've told you everything… please… let me go…"
The man's voice trembled weakly.
Shingen raised the blade—
Then paused.
"…No."
Better to leave him to someone more qualified.
He smiled faintly.
"Sure."
"But first—you're going to meet someone."
"…Who?"
"Satoru Gojo."
Not long after—
A figure appeared out of nowhere.
Dark uniform.
White hair.
Eyes covered in bandages.
Tall.
Effortless.
The strongest sorcerer of the modern era.
The curse user's expression collapsed into despair.
For sorcerers—
He was safety.
A pillar.
For curses—and curse users—
He was a natural disaster.
"Is this him?" Gojo glanced down lazily.
Then looked at Shingen.
"Seriously? That's kinda gross. Why not just kill him?"
Shingen rolled his eyes.
"He took a hostage. What was I supposed to do?"
"And I needed information."
He held out the sword.
"This is it."
Gojo took Dōjigiri.
Removed the bandages.
The Six Eyes shone.
After a moment, he nodded.
"Yeah… this isn't just a cursed tool."
"It has properties of a cursed object too."
He paused.
"…It might even be capable of reviving something like Shuten-dōji."
Shingen narrowed his eyes.
"Legend says the Gen family's ancestor used this to kill Shuten-dōji."
"There could be a connection—between their bloodline and this blade."
Cleanup crews arrived soon after.
The curse user was taken away.
Thanks to the Curtain—
No civilians had noticed anything.
Though the damage to the building was… extensive.
Soon—
Shingen, Naoto, and Gojo boarded a car driven by Kiyotaka Ijichi.
"W-wait! I haven't even told my family!" Naoto panicked.
Gojo turned, smiling casually.
"It's fine. I'll inform them."
"And right now, dangerous people are after that sword."
"You might be a target too."
"So you're staying at Jujutsu High for now."
"…What about my parents? My grandfather?"
"No need to worry."
"I'll have people protect them."
"And unlike curses—curse users can be dealt with… normally."
"…If I'm right," Gojo added lightly,
"You're actually the one in more danger."
Naoto fell silent.
Back at the school—
Gojo arranged a dorm for her.
Soon—
Only he and Shingen remained.
"This sword is definitely unusual," Shingen said.
"Incredibly sharp. It ignores most cursed energy defenses."
"But reviving Shuten-dōji? How would that even work?"
Gojo shrugged.
"No idea."
"Maybe someone has to consume it."
"Or maybe the 'core' is just part of the blade."
He looked out into the night.
"But that's not the important part."
"It's his goal."
Shingen thought for a moment.
"…Geto."
"His technique is curse manipulation."
"So… revive Shuten-dōji and control it?"
Gojo nodded slightly.
"Most likely."
"And if your report is accurate…"
"He's not just after this."
"Clap."
Gojo placed a hand on Shingen's shoulder.
"Don't worry."
"You've already uncovered this before it escalated."
"We'll stop it."
"…I'm going to sleep," Shingen muttered.
"Let me know if you get more intel."
He paused.
"…What about the sword?"
Gojo waved casually.
"You keep it."
Shingen's face darkened.
"…That makes me the target."
Gojo walked away.
"Think of it as fishing."
"You'll be fine."
"…If I held it, no one would make a move."
Shingen sighed.
Back in his dorm—
He didn't even bother gaming.
A quick shower.
Then sleep.
He woke up—
To Panda's voice.
"Shingen! That girl—new student?"
"Gojo just said she's training with us for now!"
Walking out with Panda, sword in hand, Shingen gave a brief explanation while checking his phone.
A message from Gojo.
New intel.
Geto wasn't just targeting Dōjigiri.
Other cursed objects too.
Including two famous blades—
Connected to the same legends.
"Higekiri and Hizamaru."
Also known as demon-slaying swords.
Once wielded by Minamoto no Yorimitsu—
The same figure tied to Shuten-dōji.
"…So these objects might recreate those 'great demons'…"
Shingen exhaled.
"…Whatever comes, we deal with it."
They arrived at the training ground.
Yuta Okkotsu and Toge Inumaki were already warming up.
Nearby—
Maki Zenin was training Naoto.
"Shingen!"
"Salmon!"
After greeting them, Shingen asked,
"You finished your mission?"
Yuta nodded.
"Yeah, just got back."
Panda added,
"They ran into a semi-grade 1 curse."
"Barely handled it."
Shingen raised an eyebrow.
"Wrong intel?"
"Probably," Yuta said with a smile.
"But we managed."
Shingen nodded.
"…I'll ask Gojo later."
His attention shifted to Naoto.
"Think she'll join us?" Yuta asked.
Shingen shook his head.
"Probably not."
"She'll enter next year."
"…Same batch as Megumi Fushiguro."
The group relaxed.
"A junior and a junior girl already? Not bad."
"Hey! Get over here already!" Maki shouted.
They hurried over.
Introductions made.
Training resumed.
"…Shingen," Yuta said quietly,
"That sword… it feels dangerous."
Shingen sighed.
"…It is."
"But don't worry."
Yuta nodded.
Trusting him.
Far away—
In a temple-like hall—
A man in monk robes stood before two ancient blades.
"…These are just normal cursed tools."
"Where's Dōjigiri?"
Before him stood a pink-haired woman.
"No sign of Kyuo either."
"The Gen family is now heavily guarded."
"And a new sorcerer has appeared."
"…He's probably been captured."
The man murmured.
He was—
Suguru Geto.
"…So the blade ended up with the school."
He closed his eyes.
"No matter."
"These were never the main objective."
He smiled faintly.
"Our true target…"
"Rika Orimoto."
"We'll meet again soon, Satoru."
"I will achieve my vision."