Chapter 43 - Reunion

A/N: 16k Words

In regards to Mahoraga's adaptation, even though he adapted to Yorozu's Liquid Metal, KEEP IN MIND HIS SWORD OF EXTERMINATION STILL DIDN'T GET EVISCERATED BY PERFECT SPHERE, a different concept altogether from Liquid Metal.

What is A Perfect Sphere? A mathematical impossibility that gives off INFINITE PRESSURE, as stated in JJK.

And yes, Perfect Sphere scales to High Universal because of that (Blame Gege).

There should have been NO way, despite adapting to liquid metal, that Mahoraga's Sword of Extermination should have survived a HIGH UNIVERSAL phenomena that emits from the perfect spherical shape of liquid metal, thus meaning it should be a separate phenomena from liquid metal..

If Mahoraga can adapt to liquid metal. Which in which makes him immune to a Perfect Sphere infinite pressure phenomena made of liquid metal, why tf doesn't he adapt to flesh and skin and just make himself invincible to all physical blows?

Short answer: Gege didn't think it through.

My own conclusion? I've decided Mahoraga's adaptation can also be bullshit conceptual, I don't care if this is wank, I've given up on powerscaling ages ago.

I'm only bringing this up because of how stupid Arknights cosmology is, and how gacha game developers seem to not be able to resist sucking off cosmic shenanigans.

Don't worry, Megumi isn't getting to cosmic levels right now, because that'd just be... SO boring. I'll save it when Arknights reaches the end of its story, where all the universal, reality bending, type 4-5 civilization, and multiversal cosmic levels of powerscaling BS happens. :|

Honestly, having written this portion has alleviated any anxiety or frustration over future developments regarding these stupid gacha cosmic stuff.

This is my final message/conclusion in regards to all of this powerscaling nonsense:

What I'm going to go for with Megumi is that he is a HUMAN, but has access to conceptual BS or however powerscalers call it, just like how Yorozu has PERFECT SPHERE and how Yuki has a BLACK HOLE.

Even though Megumi is still a frail human, he'll have some means of dealing with cosmic threats with these 'conceptual capabilities.'

These 'conceptual capabilities' include: Mahoraga adapting to literally destroy a Perfect Sphere of infinite pressure (mathematical impossibility btw) and adapting to cutting the world.

Sorry about the rant, I'm just here to write a fun story that mainly focuses on character interactions, development, and reactions with each other, and not having to deal with fandom powerscaling. It seems I can't avoid it when it's practically a requirement for writing crossovers, though.

***

"I never had a chance to ask, but what is that golden wheel above your head?" Talulah looked upwards at the object slightly floating above Megumi's head. The object looked pristine and well-kept, something she assumed to be... "is it an Arts Unit?"

"Precisely so," he steered the car against the snowy ground, producing a crunching sound at the objects underneath the wheel. "It helps me execute my Arts," that was all he was going to give the woman.

"Then, when it spins...?" The times when it had spun during their battle had honestly made Talulah a tad bit nervous. It could have been charging up some powerful attack that would wipe her out, or cause severe damage. But even now, she still didn't know what it did.

"It just spins," Megumi replied. There was no way he was going to give this woman the full answer to how it functioned, even if they were on better footing than before. "There's not much to think about it, think of it as an accessory."

"A very extravagant accessory," Laurentina chirped from his side. "Really, I wonder how many thugs in the back alley that object would attract with how shiny it is... Oh wait." the woman remembered all those times during their journey when it had caught multiple gazes. Some included but were not limited to: unscrupulous people who attempted to nab it. By 'unscrupulous,' they were mainly pickpockets and thugs.

Never ended up well for them.

Talulah watched as a small banter ensued with the two. The stoic Fushiguro Megumi and the more extroverted and expressive Laurentina, their dynamic seemed to fit each other well. Although her relationship with Alina wasn't quite like this...

...It still reminded her too much of her friend. A sinking feeling formed in her chest, like black ash and soot forming at the epicenter and plaguing her well-being. If this persisted any further, the Draco was afraid that something terrible may happen.

One that she would never be able to turn away from. What a sickening thought.

"Mulling over your thoughts?"

Talulah found herself pulled away from her thoughts, turning to her left. Surprisingly, the white haired Aegir woman was right in her face, the red eyes of her discerning every aspect of her being. Or that was what it had felt like.

"Excuse me if I came off as rude, was I ignoring a conversation?" Talulah slightly pulled herself back, "my thoughts have been on matters relating to Reunion. Having to take in account every factor that keeps it... well, moving, takes quite a lot of effort."

"I understand," Laurentina smiled, "having to bear a great burden, correct? What matters most if you're truly fit to undertake it. Me?" The Abyssal Hunter moved back, crossing her legs together, "I enjoyed my profession. I was made for it after all."

"That's a gloomy way of putting it," Talulah didn't know what she was talking about, but could only make assumptions. She believed that some of the ones running through her mind like a marathon could be valid to an extent.

"Would you say the same for yourself?" Laurentina propped her chin on her palm, keeping her gaze fixated on the dragon lady. "

"That's..." the Draco's hand moved to cover her mouth in a contemplative stance. "...It's like putting yourself as a tool, isn't it?" She shook her head, "I don't believe that's a good way to look at things." Ursus patrol men were tools used by the Ursus Empire to conduct whatever nasty acts they commanded them to do.

There was no need to put herself on the level of such people. That would go against everything Reunion was striving for: to raise the Infected up not as slaves to be pushed around... but actual people.

"A tool, hm?" Laurentina tried the word on her tongue, "tool, tool... I guess you could say so..." the Abyssal Hunter was biologically engineered to become a weapon for Aegir after all. Used to fend off the Seaborn which had been plaguing the underwater cities for so long.

However, it was her own choice to become this weapon, this tool. To mold herself into a being most suited to combat such threats lingering the seas. There should be no regrets, and there were no regrets in partaking in such a program.

"You're fine with viewing yourself as a tool?" Talulah gave Laurentina a weird look, adjusting the collar of her uniform.

"A well sculpted piece of art is more accurate," Laurentina placed a hand on her chin and nodded to herself in affirmation. "Yes, that's more like it. A tool is too basic and uninspired—there are more articulate ways to describe my purpose. Just as you define yours, correct?"

"...I can't deny that," Talulah could understand this woman somewhat better. "Everybody has a purpose for what they do. I believe that's what makes them human... for better or for worse. The same applies to all Infected, they are people after all."

"You know, I don't truly understand this plight," Laurentina admitted, making her conversation partner pause. "Infected... I don't see how one should differentiate an Infected over a wounded, for me, it's just the same. Yet the land-dwellers here seem to have something going on in that head of theirs."

The Draco wanted to ask what she meant by that. From what she understood, she must be either a Higashinese like Fushiguro Megumi or Iberian. She was leaning more on the latter, especially with the way she dressed, and what information was given to her before.

"Probably widespread propaganda or fear mongering," Megumi called out from the driver's seat.

It caught their attention, Laurentina motioning for him to continue on and Talulah turning away from the Aegir's previous topic.

"I'm not an expert. But from what I've learned, all it takes is a good amount of fear to develop the public's hatred," it was a lot more nuanced than what he was describing, from what he had learned from highschool tutelage of course. "Otherwise, how would genocide and mass slaughters be explained?"

"That's... you seem to know this topic quite well?" Talulah had to wonder how educated this man in front of her is.

"I'm a college drop-out if you think about it," Megumi rested one of his arms on the car door, letting the vehicle drive itself through the snow. "I wouldn't say I'm the most professional about these things."

"You're much more educated than many on land, I'd like to assume." Laurentina thought back to Aegir. Education was practically a necessity with how technocratic it was, and it was an opportunity given to everybody.

On land, it was a completely different story.

Talulah chimed in, "education in of itself is a privilege without a doubt. There may be some nobles or well-off people who don't think so, but that's because they've never understood the circumstances that come with it."

There were many who struggled to gain enough money to enroll into a school. "That isn't even including the Infected, they would never be allowed in an educational institution if that is so. For those who are young, even they are no exception."

It was an aching thought for the woman. The Infected always had to have everything cut out short for them.

"...Mhm," Megumi tapped his finger boredly on the base of the car door. "I can't say much on the subject," even if his life had a high chance of spiraling down when being forced to join the Zen'in Clan, it was just that—a possibility.

Well, his life had already gone downhill when he decided to take on his first Jujutsu Sorcerer mission. That much had already been persistently established over the course of his life, and he only realized how much it had snow-balled when he stepped into the ruined city of Shibuya.

"Why did you drop-out, anyways?" Laurentina leaned her body against the car's seat. "Didn't find it appropriate for what you wanted to be?"

"Like Talulah said," Megumi pointed his chin toward his right, in the direction of Talulah. The Draco paid closer attention to his action, "circumstances."

"You're Infected too?" Talulah asked. Perhaps he understood what the people of Reunion go through. After all, he didn't seem to discriminate against them at any measure, and even stood up for them against those Ursus patrol men.

Maybe she could...

"No," Megumi replied.

"Huh?" Talulah blinked.

"Seriously?" Laurentina propped her chin on the shoulder of his chair, "you always keep things so vague~, how are we supposed to understand anything about you if everything you say requires mental gymnastics?"

The black haired man had always been dodgy of any question she had asked him. If it were mundane, there was a high chance he would answer them within a heartbeat. Everything else, in regards to his abilities and home? He'd be able to dodge lightning bolts at the rate he was going at—dodging subjects and all.

"I guess that's just how it is," Megumi not once turned back, maintaining his eye contact with the road.

The Abyssal Hunter sighed, "this guy..." shaking her head while going back to her chair, she turned to Talulah. "He's not a people person, as you can see..." She coughed into her fist, shooting a glance toward Megumi.

The dragon lady didn't know what to say. Glancing between the two of them, Talulah didn't know what conclusion to come to with Fushiguro Megumi. He wasn't Infected, yet didn't have any qualms or vices with them either. That was obvious with his companion being Infected herself.

However, there must have been something deeper about him. The way his Arts were 'cursed' as he described it—to the point where the Draco didn't even know if they were still Arts or not—brang so many more mysteries about him. Was it the same case as Kashchey? Could he be somebody similar to her?

'...Has he faced loss?'

That despondent gaze that seemed to stare a thousand miles off into the horizon. There was no boundary in the world within his eyes, staring off into the vastness of what Talulah assumed to be space itself.

There should be bags under his eyelids, and she could even see the faint stress markings of what should have been there. A gloomy mood lingered over him even without his malignant 'cursed' Arts presence, something she assumed to be able to be turned off. Or... was it because he wasn't actively fighting?

'Ms. Laurentina is right, there's something he's hiding about, by an awful margin I believe,' Talulah watched his hands slowly operate the wheel of the car. The object above his head stayed stationary above his head, almost like the celestial object of the sun staying on its axis to the planet.

Silence.

All that remained in the car was silence.

Laurentina's usually open mouth wasn't heard, and Fushiguro Megumi's inquiration toward the Reunion Movement was gone. There was nothing to herald such a thing, whether it be listening out for danger or a tense preparation for a battle to ensue. Most likely, there was nothing else they wished to talk about.

Talulah found it eerie. Not the white haired shark Aegir sitting right by her and shooting the most unsubtle glances toward the Draco, but the complete and utter unresponsiveness of Megumi. A soulless man was what he was comparable to. Even if one were to remove the downtrodden implications of his tone, his overall mood didn't seem that much approachable.

He was a logical person, that much she could give him. Not pragmatic to a fault either, seeing how he was able to separate herself and the Aegir from getting into yet another vicious battle via... summoning some strange creature she couldn't quite see. But that's besides the point, 'Mr. Fushiguro isn't somebody to get into pointless fights.'

So did that mean his slaughter of the Ursus patrol squadron had a point to it? Talulah would like to think it most certainly did. Saving an Infected person which the village had been harboring was righteous within her eyes, even if the person who committed to such a just act didn't seem... righteous.

But it was never good to judge a book by its cover. That much she knew when even the most unsuspecting and dusty book within Kashchey's manor held some of the most valuable information she could find.

With how terrifying Patriot was at first glance, the idea she had reiterated within her mind rang even louder.

'Higashinese.' That was the most obvious part of Megumi. The black haori and white martial arts gi gave those all away. They also looked expensive and a luxury attire, anybody with half decent eyes could see such a thing.

With the fact that he made it to college, meant that he lived at least a good life or an expensive household. What happened to have him lurking in Ursus' tundras for whatever reason was completely lost to the Draco. From what she believed, he must have either ran away from home or was kicked out.

But what could have led to such a thing? 'Is it because he had been cursed? That makes the most sense when connecting the dots,' Talulah recounted everything she could in her mind about the enigmatic man.

Somebody who was cursed would definitely be a stain on a noble lineage. That was if he was of any noble lineage, a mere assumption of hers to make heads over tails on why Fushiguro Megumi possessed expensive clothes from Higashi.

All in all, they were just mere conjectures on what he could be. If he were of some kicked out noble, then Talulah can sort of understand him. Although her state of affairs in such regards were different—having left on her own accord—that connection still lingered.

Maybe she could have held it in a better view, if the man driving at the front of the car didn't seem so unapproachable. 'What should I say to him? Should I explain more about Reunion?' Talulah didn't even know where his views truly lied.

Sure, he viewed the Infected as humans, and had an Infected companion; but would he fight against the injustice against the Infected? It would be ignorant of her to assume he would automatically be the type to fight against all unfairness in the world just because he saved a few villagers.

But as an ally, the man was extremely capable. Maybe not in leadership from the character she was witnessing, but as a bastion for the Infected. If the Infected had somebody protecting them, then no matter how emotionless they seemed—they would still inspire hope with their sheer might.

'Am I thinking too optimistically?' Talulah fiddled with her the fingers of her hands, which were resting on her thigh. 'This is if he even wishes to join Reunion. Then again, doesn't his cursed Arts produce a horrid aura? How could I have forgotten that?'

Indeed, if Fushiguro Megumi emitted such an eminence during combat, then it would invoke more fear than inspiration. What was she even thinking about at this point? Maybe Patriot was right about her being too much of an idealist.

Optimism was necessary for hard times such as this, and Talulah knew she needed it the most out of all her members.

Taking her attention off of him and taking a small glance to Laurentina, Talulah cycled in her head of what she knew of the woman. First of all, she was an Aegir that had come from Iberia to Ursus for some reason. Said woman must have met Fushiguro Megumi during some time period while in that place.

She possessed massive physical strength, which far surpassed what the black haired man had displayed yesterday. The clothes she wore were masterfully crafted, just as much as her companion's was. Whoever tailored them must have been an excellent person endorsed in the field, maybe somebody from Iberia's Golden Age?

That must have signified some connection with an extremely skilled craftsman then.

But why are they in Ursus in the first place? For an Aegir, it was rare to ever see them in Ursus. However, that didn't mean it was impossible for them to appear here. What was more astonishing was a Higashinese visiting Ursus.

Because of the Bloodpeak Campaign, discrimination over the Higashinese nationality was very common. Somebody who wore their clothes were practically a flag for every single ultra-nationalist Ursine to target. Especially for the military.

"You know," Laurentina suddenly raised her voice for everybody in the car to hear, catching their attention. "Princess, I wonder where you got all your wide assortment of armaments, they must have been made by some excellent blacksmith, right?" The shark lady remembered how his 'Vajra' was created by a blacksmith in Iberia.

She didn't know who they were, but they must have been ungodly skilled to have been able to make something like an Arts Unit which could shoot out lightning casually. Whether it be from the sky or from his sides, the black haired man had full control over where they appeared.

Talulah gave a weird glance toward Laurentina, 'why does she call him princess? Isn't he a male?' Maybe it was some sort of teasing nickname? Well, she couldn't really understand. Alina never had a fun nickname to tell her, and she never would be able to provide her with one.

"Close acquaintances," Megumi replied without much thought. "They were part of the occupation I was at before arriving here, a lot of them provided those weapons for me to hold." The black haired man was getting tired of the silence anyways, so he decided to give the two that much.

Close acquaintances just meant friends. Maki had him carry Dragon-Bone for her, but it didn't end up too well with what happened to him. Playful Cloud was a weapon he was also tasked to bring back to the woman and keep holding after it had been repaired, so about half of his repertoire were for other people.

He didn't mind it though, being a team player in this regard always made him happy. However, Gojo Satoru would always chide him for being excessively selfless—something that Megumi could fully understand now. But he would still argue that holding these Cursed Tools for his allies wasn't that detrimental, for it was the most minimal selflessness he could show.

What was detrimental was all the other influences and factors that surrounded his selflessness. Case in point, summoning Mahoraga to save his teammates. It was self-explanatory in the most obvious way possible.

"Interesting," Laurentina said.

Talulah thinned her lips, 'he's vague indeed.'

The rest of the car ride was vested in silence.

***

"Is that the settlement?" Megumi squinted his eyes toward the distance. There wasn't much fog despite it being the morning, making the buildings much more bearable to spot. "I'm seeing wooden cabins off in the distance, along with a few... tents?"

"Yes, the scenery around is very familiar." Talulah glanced outside the windows, "they might not be used to seeing a vehicle driving in, especially not one like this. So bear with them for a bit, they're not in the best of straits currently."

"Duly noted," Megumi said before shifting the position of his foot. They were on the brakes now, ready to step on it once he reached close enough to the settlement. "I'm seeing some people gather around, mainly dressed in white."

"Ah, that must be the Yeti Squadron," Talulah glanced over from the shoulder of the front passenger seats. "Out of all Reunion sub-groups, I believe they are the ones you can acclimate the best with."

"I'll keep that in mind," Laurentina replied, "though, hopefully they don't attack us on sight. Right?" She gave a playful glance toward Talulah.

The dragon lady coughed into her fist, glancing away. "Apologies." Maybe past events have been getting on her skin recently. If it were her back then, maybe she could have assessed the situation better.

A clear and unclouded mind was the best state she could be in, but it didn't seem like that was achievable at the moment.

At that moment, the brakes were stepped on. The truck slowed down to a halt, grinding against the snow-filled ground and leaving its track marks on them. There were many trees which were settled around where the small town of the Infected were, something that Megumi felt looked to be the totems of the Infected.

But maybe he was thinking too deep into it, "alright, we're leaving the car now." Megumi motioned for the two sitting at the back—or, the one sitting at the back. Laurentina had already moved back to the front seat without him knowing.

"I'll go first, then," Talulah replied, placing her hand on the car's door knob. "I hope we all get along."

"Of course," Megumi watched as the woman opened the door and stepped out. The look in her eyes was like that of somebody ready to introduce their friends to another friend... but deep down, there was something that troubled her. He wasn't somebody who liked to get involved in other people's matters, so the Sorcerer didn't find any need to confront her about it.

Especially when the sensation of the woman's blade encroaching on his neck was still barely present. 'Crazy woman,' Megumi was glad that his thoughts couldn't be heard. The rabid look in the dragon lady's eyes from yesterday still burned a deep hole into his brain the more he thought about it.

"Are you going to let her do all the talking?" Laurentina tapped Megumi on the shoulder, catching his attention. "Well~, you're not much of a talker, so what should I expect?" One thing she did know however, was that he seemed comfortable talking with the elderly, for whatever reason.

"How about you do all the talking?" The black haired man dryly remarked to the shark lady, getting ready to exit the car. "I'm sure your vibrant personality would be a better experience for them to witness."

"Hehe~, I'm sure you love experiencing it too, don't you?" Laurentina gave him a swift poke on the cheek before moving to her own door.

"I sure do," Megumi kept his tone level.

"Can't tell if you're being serious or not," Laurentina left it at that, opening her door alongside Megumi. Her feet greeted the snow, leaving its indentation on it as she moved her arm to shut the door right after.

Right after, the full view of Reunion was in sight of her. Ranging from what she assumed to be crossbowmen warily stationed around the roofs of the buildings to white cloaked... Casters, yes, they should be called Casters. The way their furred hood was pulled over their heads cast a shadow over it, something Laurentina wondered if Megumi could abuse.

After all, he had summoning abilities on top of his already stupidly large arsenal. Why not add one more?

Back to the group of people in front of them, they looked surprised and confused, their sights mainly turning to Talulah for an explanation. From what Laurentina understood, the Draco was the leader of this little movement, no matter how much the ashen haired woman had been deflective of that statement.

"...Talulah?" A white haired girl with bunny ears called out to the dragon lady, "are these...?"

"FrostNova," Talulah waved toward the woman with a smile, keeping up the best mood she could in spite of recent events. "They're recent acquaintances who have been curious about Reunion. They helped save a village after it was persecuted by an Ursus patrol squadron..." She presented her hands to Fushiguro Megumi, who stood slightly behind her.

FrostNova motioned for the Reunion members stationed in the back to 'cease' what they were doing, as there didn't seem to be any imminent danger. However, what caught her sight... and practically everybody else's sight was the wheel stationed above the black haired man's head.

Most including FrostNova assumed it was an Arts Unit, but the sensation it gave off made it seem so much larger than that. 'Divine' was the best word anybody could use to describe it, and the Infected who were familiar with using Arts Unit assumed that it must have been an artifact of some kind with what they were feeling from it. 

Or the more boring answer: that it was simply a 'powerful' Arts Unit.

His expression was neutral, deadpan even. If Patriot's external demeanor could be granted a facial expression, then the Cautus was sure the deadpan look wouldn't shy away from what it could actually be. Especially with how her father had been with Talulah in the early stages of their meeting.

"Fushiguro Megumi," Megumi stepped past Talulah, presenting a handshake toward FrostNova. His voice was devoid of any emotion, and neither did his eyes shift that much when speaking, only staying fixated with FrostNova's own. "Family name first, given name second."

"...FrostNova, but you already know that," FrostNova's voice could only be described as cold. it was about the same energy the black haired man was giving her. Her gaze turned downward from his... abyss-like eyes and to his outstretched hand.

There was a black haori fluttering in the air, one that looked to be something of high-class. She had to wonder who he really was, and why he had been curious about Reunion. "It wouldn't be a good idea to touch my hand." She dryly remarked.

Talulah said he had saved an entire village from the Ursus patrol men, so she could respect that. Certainly however, his attitude didn't seem too approachable if she judged him from first impressions.

"...Why so?" Megumi tilted his head slightly, retracting his hand. 'I can only hazard a guess, but I can feel her lowered body temperature from here. Not only that, but the weird energy Originium gives off is most prevalent from her, compared to everybody else.'

"You can risk hypothermia from just touching my skin," FrostNova curtly replied. "I hope you understand."

"I understand." Megumi's hands were placed by his side, gaze still kept on FrostNova.

Talulah watched from behind, taking glances between the two. The expressionless faces they gave each other, the seemingly bitter silence as the wind passed... 'They're more similar than I thought.' Although she knew the black haired man was more... excitable in a fight. That's how she would put it.

"..."

"..."

The Reunion members who had recently eased up from behind FrostNova, stared at the current scene with confusion. If they didn't know any better, it was as if the two in front of them were sizing each other up.

There wasn't a sense of any imminent danger just... awkwardness? From their view, even Talulah didn't know what to say in the situation to break the ice. Her gaze turned to Laurentina, the more sociable one compared to Fushiguro Megumi.

She was presented with the sight of an amused shark.

'Nevermind, she won't do anything, will she?' Talulah looked around for a brief moment. Everything looked to be in order, with the members who would usually be doing their daily activities standing by to watch the scene.

Patriot still wasn't anywhere around, but he should be back within three days. With where he was venturing off to, it was only reasonable that it would take some time for him to return.

In Megumi's eyes, the way the faint traces of snow fell around FrostNova seemed to present her as the epicenter of never-ending winter. Usually, a hurricane would be the calmest it could ever be when at its eye, or otherwise known as its center. With this woman, he could see how it could apply to her.

That was mere conjecture, however. From what his instincts seemed to be telling him, the woman was more so stuck in ice,never to break out. He hadn't learnt much about Oripathy, but he certainly read enough to know it was a terminal disease that was inevitable for everybody—no matter the exception.

The person in front of him didn't have much time left. 'Frostbite can be caused because of her low body temperatures? It probably originates from her Originium Infection.' He wasn't completely clear on the details, but that was the feeling he was getting off from the woman.

Sorcerers such as Gojo Satoru who possessed the Six Eyes could probably have a far more precise and clinical view of the woman from a glance. To the black haired man however? Everything he assumed about the woman was just... that—an assumption.

On the other side, FrostNova bore the burden of staring into his eyes once more. It was what an endless chasm would look like, and the isolation within them reminded her of certain memories she'd wish to keep buried.

There was something wrong with him, and the white haired Cautus was sure she had already placed a finger on what it was. Whether it be from trauma or some past experience, something was definitely afflicting the black haired man in front of her.

They just weren't the eyes of somebody his age—she didn't know his age, but he looked quite like a young adult—should possess. But then again, the world of Terra was a cruel place to be in, and anybody of any age would have a high chance of facing its cruelty. It was indiscriminate.

His body was like that of an unholy figure. It might have been rude of her to believe such a thing, but FrostNova could feel something sickly clinging onto his body, so it was warranted to an extent.

Maybe it was only somebody like her—who was intimately familiar with Arts—who could feel such a thing. Talulah must also be sensing such a thing from the strange man, but the Cautus wasn't completely sure.

The two continued staring on in silence, assessing one another.

It was an odd scene for all of the Reunion members, Talulah and Laurentina included.

***

"You really know how to strike up a conversation, huh?" Laurentina poked fun at Megumi from the side.

The two visitors of Reunion's settlement were sitting by a campfire and on a log. Although it wasn't the most comfortable place to sit with how the bark felt, it was better than nothing. The fire didn't do much for them either, with the functions of their body far surpassing the problems nature could impose on them.

Whether it be the skin blistering heat of the sun, or the biting frost of the tundra, the Sorcerer and Abyssal Hunter both had their means of handling such things. On the biological level, they were at most trivial—like a facet of information given to somebody on a small billboard.

Attention grabbing, sure, but that was all there was to it. It changed nothing nor was it worthy enough to gain their full focus. Moving past a billboard was what anybody would have done in a bustling street. Who would pay it much of their time? Not many.

"Maybe not," Megumi stared at the steaming liquid in the cup he held. It was made of ceramic, a good material for keeping heat retention, something the Sorcerer believed was a necessity for a cold place like the tundras. "But I at least tried, right?" He took a sip.

"If introducing yourself and staying silent for a good minute or two is trying, then I would be the most effort-exuding person in the entire world." Laurentina rolled her eyes playfully. "Come on, you can try much harder than that. Like how you do in our spars, right?"

"...Mmh," Megumi swirled the cup in his hand after letting the liquid flow down his throat. It was hot, possessing what he would believe to be a leafy flavor of tea, but it was only a mere memory. His taste buds still couldn't register anything.

Members of Reunion were walking around, sometimes giving a glance at the two. They were the most well-dressed out of everybody, and knowledge of them being outsiders was already spread out through the entire settlement.

It was a surprise for them to find out that the black haired man wasn't an Infected, a slightly difficult notion to swallow—but he had saved an Infected from an entire Ursus patrol squad. If that was anything to go by, then Fushiguro Megumi could be somebody they believed they could trust.

It was made further adamant when Talulah spoke of him in a better light than even the Sorcerer could have expected. With how passionate the woman had been of vanquishing his life from the mortal plane which they resided within, he wasn't sure the Draco could have ever complimented him.

Laurentina was less... 'controversial' than him, since she was Infected after all. What Megumi found strange was how well she got along with the children, something he wouldn't have expected from a sadistic shark such as her. But maybe it was because somebody in combat and out of combat were completely different, then he could see how that applied here.

'I'd know it best,' Megumi noted in his mind, taking a look at the night sky. The stars were clear, just like how it had been back in Iberia, cleared of city lights that would blot them out of any measure.

Or maybe it was because she looked beautiful. Yeah, that was probably it.

"Mmh? Is that the best response you can give to me?" Laurentina sighed while turning back to stare at the crackling flames. "Looks like most people here don't have much time left to live their life, huh?"

...That was a quick change in subject, "that's the life of an Infected it seems." Megumi commented. Indeed, having their life-span cut short and facing unfair discrimination was a commonality for them. It was like a double-hit in what would happen to somebody who was unlucky enough to contract Oripathy.

"You land-dwellers fight over even some of the most foolish matters, I must say." Laurentina saw the wood within the flames turn ashen black. Despite how sturdy they were, and their great duration for keeping a fire burning, they would eventually wisp away from the heat. It was inevitable.

"We really do." Megumi couldn't deny it. Humanity has fought over the stupidest of matters ever since the dawn of time. It was hilarious honestly, the first ever fight between their ancestors must have been two idiots fighting over an ugly rock on the ground.

Not much different compared to the many matters today, bleeding all the way even into Jujutsu Society. Funnily enough, despite how there were some Jujutsu Sorcerers who viewed themselves as superior over the standard human, they were just as bad—if not worse—compared to them.

How disgusting.

"To the point where you would kill yourselves over a rock sticking out of your body. Actually, you'd torture each other over such a thing, that's more accurate." Laurentina crossed her right leg over her left while staring off into the night sky. "I can't decide whether it's disgusting or humorous. But I do know it's... how should I put this? Utterly uninspired."

"You really like art, don't you?" Megumi took another swig of his cup after, giving a glance toward the woman staring off into the sky.

"Wasn't that already obvious?" Laurentina didn't so much as give him a turn. Perhaps the stars were what had captivated her the most at the moment, "just like how everybody is a molded sculpture or a painted paper within a frame, they all tell a story. Wouldn't you agree?"

"And art is supposed to be interpreted by the person viewing it, right?" Megumi remembered learning about that during his time in highschool. However, it was still extremely vague to him, a distant memory that he didn't want to spend too much time thinking about.

There was always something far more important for him to do rather than linger on them. Saving his sister, fighting against Sorcerers, exorcising Cursed Spirits, becoming stronger, they always placed a greater importance than such mundane things. Even if he wished and yearned for the mundane, the Sorcerer needed to face the fact that they did nothing for keeping him alive.

"Well, it's basically a guarantee you have some level of education," Laurentina mused, slightly shaking her feet in the air. "You prefer the more mundane things in life, I remember you yearning for it like a lost child."

"...No comment, you should already know." Megumi glanced away while drinking from his cup. If he didn't know any better, the Reunion settlement around him would look like that of a town meant for sheltering homeless people. That was to be expected from a group of people exiled from their own country.

"Well, it's already an art of its own," Laurentina interlocked her fingers while swaying her body to an invisible tune. "Enjoying mundaneness is no different from enjoying complexity, when you completely boil it down. Happiness is just happiness, I don't believe there's much to refute about that."

Megumi didn't know if happiness was something that was fitting for the environment they were in. Well, misery didn't seem to fit the picture either.

There were many Reunion members who were moving around, talking to each other, or doing some activities that he wasn't too completely sure what the purpose was for. But certainly, it was a far cry from the suffering he would expect from the Infected—more like a refuge for them.

Conditions of the place didn't matter much to them either, many Infected persecuted by Ursus would have gone through far worse living conditions. There was one thing that rang true within Fushiguro Megumi's mind, and it was that this place was far better than any back alley filled with trash or the cruel embrace of winter.

"I can get behind that view," Megumi stared down at the weightless cup in his hand. He had already drunk everything, "But I don't think there's much space for me to think about the mundane. You said it best before, there's many dangers we don't know about." So what better way to prepare for them to get stronger?

What better way to get stronger than to train? Over and over again, that was the familiar routine he had been etching into his body with sparring matches and Cursed Energy refinement. With how weakened he was with the Binding Vow affecting his body, Megumi needed to catch up to his previous level as fast as possible.

Then, when the restriction was finally lifted, he could train even harder than he had before. The amount of time he had lost during his time back on Earth that could have been spent for training was being paid back in Terra. Equivalent exchange, if you will.

All of the warm and fuzzy memories he had spent developing with Itadori Yuji, Kugisaki Nobara, and Gojo Satoru had already long since passed. All there was to look forward to was becoming stronger, to reach a potential height which surpassed that of the Strongest Sorcerers in history.

"What a way to view things," Laurentina sarcastically commented. "I don't take you for the type to take your time and view the world in a more nuanced view, to be honest. What you already strive for is extremely general—but a good enough generality where you aren't actively screwing yourself over, hm?"

"Of course," you couldn't go wrong with strength after all. Fushiguro Megumi was sure he could reign himself in from becoming an absolute evil such as Ryomen Sukuna. He wouldn't become a calamity just as he had, a deity which cared not for the cries and suffering of others.

The sound of a stick crunching behind them left the two from their thoughts. Like a needle pin dropping within a silent room, it was bound to catch their attention one way or another.

"...Ms. FrostNova?" Megumi called out to the woman standing behind them. Her pale skin contrasted with the night sky littered with glittering stars of various colors, a near chromatic view which basked a light onto the Cautus' body.

Her hair slightly fluttered in the wind, as if its pale luster was one with the wintry snow itself. The black pupils of her eyes held two white stars within them, shining a light that far surpassed all the celestial objects dotted across the endless expanse of space.

The loose cloth and cloak hung around her body also fluttered along with her hair. The zephyr following along with her was majestic, as if it were humming a tune of a folklore, a fairytale-like story that had no place within reality. Only in dreams.

Laurentina shifted her attention to the two. She was starting to wonder if it would be like during the late morning, where they would stare at each other in silence. If there was a pistol by both of their sides, then it would be the most fitting scene she could imagine at the moment.

"...Is there a spot for me?" FrostNova asked out to the two. The snow bunny ears on top of her head twitched while staring at the fire.

"Of course, you're free to sit by," Megumi set his cup down by a chopped log acting as a small table. The roughly cut piece of wood still had the strong smell of bark and wooden dust even when he wasn't focusing on its scent, making the Sorcerer wonder if it had been freshly cut.

"Thank you," FrostNova moved to Megumi's right, wherein Laurentina was to his right. Once she reached the spot, she dusted off her clothes of any snow and stepped over the log, setting down on it with her knees being pulled closer to her chest.

The breathtaking eyes of hers stared off into the flames whistling and dancing on the top of the motionless wood. By the time she had arrived, most of the logs and twigs added to the campfire had already completely black, signifying the near end of their short life.

Unless more fuel was added, then there was nothing else that could be done to stoke the vibrant fires. The warmth she needed would fade away soon, and the Cautus woman was completely aware of such a fact.

"Why did you save the villagers?" FrostNova suddenly asked out to the black haired man sitting beside her. Indeed, it confused her why a non-Infected person would go out of their way to save a singular Infected man, and a village which they had no connections to.

If anything, it would have been more beneficial to the man known as Fushiguro Megumi to simply step away, wouldn't it? Incurring the ire of the Ursus patrol squad infesting the tundras would be a death sentence at worst—a ruination of one's stay in Ursus at best.

Like the towering pillars which held up the largest of bridges finally crumbling under its weight, that was what would happen to anybody's everyday life within Ursus.

Talulah's words about this man's actions had left an impression on her, one that left FrostNova curious enough to wonder where his goals lay. When asking the Draco woman about what he wanted, the ashen haired woman was quite unsure herself. The best advice she could give to the Cautus? Ask him herself.

"...I just felt like it," Megumi replied without much passion. "If you stare at a child drowning in a lake, and you believe yourself able to save him, then you'd jump in and get yourself wet to save them, right?" The Sorcerer thought of the best analogy he could.

He wasn't a hero, and he saved who he wished selfishly. Those villagers and the Infected shouldn't face the threat of being completely wiped out just because they harbored an Infected or were an Infected themself. That was reason enough to selfishly save them.

"You'd risk yourself drowning," FrostNova stared at it from another view. "I'm sure that would be enough for anybody to not step in," as terrible as it sounded. But that was how the world worked, didn't it?

"So? What if you could swim?" Megumi took a glance at his nails, clicking them together to get the frosted snow out of them. "If you could swim, then why not just take the dive? The risk of drowning yourself is significantly reduced if you have the means and experience to swim."

"...Is that so?" FrostNova was starting to believe she had a somewhat better view of how this black haired man was. Her chin rested on her knees, continuing to stare off at the dying flames of the campfire, "I'll admit I read a lot of fairy tales. One of heroes who would selflessly throw themselves in danger to save people—"

"I'm not a hero, I'm a Jujutsu Sorcerer."

The flames of the campfire fully died out. As if there was a whitescape that had formed around the black haired man, it was like the world was focusing its attention on the blackened soul which resided in it.

Laurentina turned her gaze towards Fushiguro Megumi with a curious look. This was the first time he had ever mentioned something about himself, and this one from his tone seemed to be on a personal level.

Megumi had interrupted the woman out of instinct. Perhaps it was some instinctive response to the word 'hero' or being implicitly described as a 'hero,' but the black haired man always felt the need to deny it.

However, it was only then did the Sorcerer realize what he had just said, and pulled his head slightly back in response. "...Sorry, just some nonsense that came out of my mouth," Megumi waved both of the white haired women off, standing up and letting his foot apply pressure to snow ladened ground.

His steps were brisk, moving to a medium-sized cabin stationed by Talulah to be the resting place for their temporary stay. For some reason, Megumi felt his fingers slightly twitch, as if being induced with a small shock only which he was aware of.

***

The sights were a natural one for Talulah, watching the Reunion members go about their day—er, night as they usually would. Sounds of familiarity were like musical notes dancing into her ears, keeping her calm despite the brewing storm that had been her mind.

It would have been far better if she were... yes, it would have definitely been better if Alina were still standing beside her. At this point in time, she was regulated as nothing more than a memory which the Draco was clinging to—something that she wished to cling to.

"Troubled?" Laurentina appeared behind the woman when a small pat on the back, making the Draco woman flinch. "You look like you're always lost in your thoughts. Reminds me of a certain somebody."

"M-Ms. Laurentina? Please don't do that," Talulah breathed a sigh of relief, having half-expected the person behind her to be an enemy. "I thought you were with Mr. Fushiguro and FrostNova...?" Her gaze turned to where she remembered them being.

She was granted with the sight of a lone rabbit sitting by a campfire.

"..Huh?" Now that was a confusing sight. She had only glanced away for a minute or two when watching the white haired woman approach the campfire site after suggesting she go talk to Fushiguro Megumi, but...

"This isn't about us," Laurentina chirped out to the dragon lady. "But if you don't wish to speak on it, then that's fine with me." However, she was clear enough about the message she brought out to the ashen haired woman.

Talulah blinked once, and watched as the Aegir started walking away from her. Aside from Mr. Fushiguro, the woman known as Laurentina, was also a big mystery to her. The way she walked around as if there was nothing troubling her, and the sass coming from her voice when she felt like it...

...Well, for her capabilities and most likely high-educational background—it was warranted. But that was all she could suggest from the dashing woman who possessed beautiful white hair that danced along the crevices of the snow-filled tundras of Ursus.

'...They're all so confusing...' Talulah was starting to wonder if she could even convince them to join.

She would find out soon that she never could.

***

Four days left...

There was silence in the cabin Fushiguro Megumi stayed in. Not an inkling of life could be heard within except for the faint rustles of clothing and the bristles of the wood peeling off. Then again, could such a thing be called life? For such questions, the Sorcerer didn't really care much. All that mattered right now was that he was inside the room, and there was an activity needed to be done.

Such as creating Cursed Tools or enhancing them to their best. He possessed no such materials to create such esteemed weapons at the moment, and Reunion wasn't likely to give him any. After all, he had only been here for a single day, such a length was not enough to build enough rapport to ask for their precious supplies.

That was even assuming they had materials effective for creating a Cursed Tool in the first place. Antonio's blacksmith really was a godsend with that Iberian gold.

Laurentina was most likely outside at the moment, speaking with Reunion members. If he had to hazard a guess, it would be with FrostNova or Talulah, she was more of a social butterfly than he could ever be.

Taking a deep breath, Megumi stared at the items that lay in front of him. First was Playful Cloud, then Dragon-Bone, then the Inverted Spear of Heaven, and finally, Laurentina's buzzsaw. The Chain of a Thousand Miles was already attached to the large dagger hilt's circular end, so there was no need to include it.

It was practically a part of the other weapon.

Megumi glanced toward Playful Cloud, the first ever Special Grade Tool he had laid his hands upon. Although it was difficult to use compared to a shortsword or bladed weapon, its complexity had absolutely grown on the man. The way it flowed with every movement he executed, along with the rattling of chains was simply music to his ears.

Constant training with it along with the Dharmachakra's help had been a huge bolster in his skills regarding the Cursed Tool. Really, he was starting to think of how much he had taken it for granted. Despite not having that great of a physical strength, it was still a Special Grade weapon which caused fissures everywhere he hit.

Bonus points for the Cursed Tool still being able to be enhanced by Cursed Energy, unlike a certain Inverted Spear of Heaven.

What made him focus on it first wasn't just because it was the first ever Special Grade Cursed Tool he had gotten, however, but rather because of its unique feature. Sure, it enhanced the output of one's blow when put through the weapon, but that didn't mean it had a Cursed Technique imbued into it.

Yes, that was right, Playful Cloud had no Cursed Technique ingrained into the weapon. It was a surprise when he had first heard it too, seeing how the phenomena of it increasing one's strength should have been a Cursed Technique's effect... but that wasn't how it worked.

The Cursed Tool was just imbued with so much Cursed Energy that it amplifies one's physical strength to an absurd level. It was to the point where it gained the infamy of being a Special Grade Cursed Tool, something that made Megumi wonder how it was even created in the first place.

'So right now, I need to think of what two Cursed Techniques to imbue into it,' Megumi placed a hand under his chin. While he was provided with a brief period of respite in Reunion's settlement, the Sorcerer was going to spend most of the time enhancing his current available Cursed Tools.

Yamata no Orochi's lightning was out of the question, considering he already had it planned for a different Cursed Tool. The first option would definitely be Yamata no Orochi's Piercing Ox ability, seeing how he would simply need to build up momentum to increase its power.

That physical enhancement stacking on top of Playful Cloud's already present one would be absolutely devastating. Imagining already made Megumi decide on what the first imbued Cursed Technique would be, and it was no contest.

'Second one... what should the second one be?' He tapped his index finger against his cheek while his hand covered his mouth. There were many options, such as Yamata no Orochi's flames, or hell, even its water. The latter didn't seem that appetizing to put on a Cursed Tool, though.

Putting water on a Cursed Tool which had subtle flame-like patterns wasn't in good taste at all. It was like putting chocolate on sushi, a method which would absolutely ruin the meal and all of its integrity.

Besides, Tiger Funeral and Playful Cloud went hand in hand. Especially its Shadow Extension, something Megumi had found out ages ago.

When he had used it with Shadow Extension, the immense blows sent entire waves of flames which could engulf people. It had been experimental at first when he had faced Lappland, but it still showed great results. In conclusion? Playful Cloud would be imbued with Piercing Ox and Tiger Funeral.

Now onto his next Cursed Tool, the Chain of a Thousand Miles. It was self-explanatory, it would be imbued with Piercing Ox for building up momentum. With how much he spun the weapon—rivalling his finesse with Playful Cloud—it would only provide him benefits.

Adding lightning or flames into it would be useless, seeing how it was meant to extend the Inverted Spear of Heaven's reach anyways.

'Now, Dragon-Bone...' Megumi's gaze turned to the Nodachi sitting alongside all the other weapons. The Cursed Technique imbued into it was that it could absorb Cursed Energy and eject it at higher outputs. This came from the three barely noticeable engine-like protrusions at the back of the blade.

The Nodachi reached up to his neck in full length, an impressive height considering he was 6'1 (185.42 cm) with his current age. Now that he thought about it, the Cursed Tool would have been amazing for fighting off Ryomen Sukuna's incessant Dismantles, which is its property to not only absorb Cursed Energy—but steal it entirely.

Zen'in Maki had filled him in on that little detail, having depleted Zen'in Ogi's entire Falling Blossom Emotion with that feature.

'Most of its power comes from the force it is able to build up from ejecting the Cursed Energy,' Megumi continued to ponder. He could already provide Cursed Energy for the weapon, and even enhance its usage with Falling Blossom Emotion.

Now that he thought about it, he needed to learn Simple Domain. Despite it being an Anti-Domain technique first and foremost, it could still be applicable to standard combat.

'You're losing track of the subject, focus.' Megumi shook his head and chided himself. 'Where was I again? Ah, right, Dragon-Bone.' He needed a Cursed Technique which could compliment its engine propulsion effect.

Yamata no Orochi's lightning, definitely. The Shadow Extension did not only provide electric properties to whatever he used it on, but it also improved its speed. Both for his own body, and inanimate objects he swung while it was being affected by it.

By increasing the speed of his attack, it also increased the amount of damage it could do. Kick it up to Yamata no Orochi's lightning of all things, and it would become a very powerful Cursed Tool meant for both speed and force.

'Perfect, now there's Laurentina's buzzsaw.' The next one he decided to focus on was Laurentina's gigantic weapon. The jagged edges of its saw blades were visceral to look at, its purpose practically screaming the word 'brutality.'

For fighting off creatures of the deep, Megumi could wholeheartedly understand why it was made with such size and fearsomeness. The weapon had no Cursed Technique imbued, only being a marvel of technology and extremely tough alloys making it up. Overall, its features complemented Laurentina's unending physical strength.

A physical strength which could tear apart the ground and leave chasms in its path, deforming any landscape which she stood on. The only reason why the serene cliff which overlooked Primavera's vast ocean hadn't been pulverized to nothing but dust was because the Abyssal Hunter held back. By a considerable amount.

'Piercing Ox and Max Elephant. Next.' There was no need for further explanation on the first one. For Max Elephant, Laurentina's Aegir race was definitely based off of a shark, as evidenced by the sharp teeth the Sorcerer had seen the woman possess.

Everytime she danced with her weapon, Megumi could have sworn he saw water each time she did so. Maybe it was a trick of the mind with how extravagant she was with her waltz and grace, but it was undeniable to him that it completely fit the woman.

Every battleground was Laurentina's dancing stage, and every splash of blood was the result of that. A pirouette of sanguine splashes was a dazzling sight whenever Megumi witnessed it, especially during those times when she had fought off those Seaborns—back in the high church and the beach.

So if her weapon could produce highly pressurized water and aid in her fighting style, it would be perfect for the vision he had for her. She had already given him permission to do so, as her line of reasoning that Arts infusement was no different from technology enhancement.

Well, it wasn't really Arts, but he digressed.

'I guess what she said makes sense.'

After all, Gojo-sensei had told him that sufficiently advanced technology is no different from magic. How were CPUs created in the first place? It was basically taking what medieval people would see as a rock, silicon, and then turning it into something that could process information (a very disambiguated description).

If anybody from previous time periods or eras saw it, they would accuse it of witchcraft or magic.

'Cursed Energy has a lot of scientific and mathematical ties too, so it shouldn't be that much of a surprise.' Megumi reasoned to himself while envisioning how Laurentina could use her Cursed Tool turned weapon.

Cursed Tools didn't require Cursed Energy to activate, but it was necessary for enhancing it. Due to the fact that he was using Yamata no Orochi's Shadow Extensions, then the Cursed Tools he made were guaranteed to become Special Grade.

'...This is going to be draining, isn't it?' Megumi heaved a sigh. As long as nothing that required intense fighting happened after, then creating and improving Cursed Tools was the best time for him to do at the moment.

'Am I forgetting something?' Almost face-palming himself, the black haired man realized he did forget something. Turning to the far right of the room's table, the Inverted Spear of Heaven laid there inconspicuously.

The weapon that could nullify any Cursed Technique, and apparently Arts too. This only served to compel Megumi to believe more of Shinto mythology and Buddhist mythology, seeing how it was not only limited to Cursed Techniques.

'...But isn't it quite underwhelming?' Although it served as an extremely useful tool, it couldn't be enhanced by Cursed Energy, because its effects would disable any that would be pumped into it. What that entailed was that he couldn't increase its power via Cursed Energy.

At most, it was an indestructible bladed dagger with a broken shard. The Cursed Tool was only good for disabling techniques, but it would eventually be rendered useless once he faced durable enough opponents who could take it on.

The people of Terra were extremely powerful, especially in resilience. For Sorcerers, the Inverted Spear of Heaven could disable Cursed Energy reinforcement with its effects. By default, it bypassed the main defense an opponent could hold, with an added bonus being how hard you swung the weapon.

'I can't use it with Falling Blossom Emotion either, or Yamata no Orochi's Shadow Extensions,' Megumi reached forward and picked the weapon up. The weight was familiar on his fingertips, as he balanced the weapon on his hand. Giving it a few flourishes and tests in the air, the Cursed Tool was a natural thing for him to utilize after the amount of time he sunk into training with it.

'It'll be regulated to an auxiliary tool when I face stronger opponents,' Megumi dryly thought to himself, before pausing after doing a single thrust with the weapon. Inserting his finger through the ring at the hilt of the weapon and hearing the shortened Chain of a Thousand Miles rattle, he began performing tricks with it.

It spun in the air and produced a small sound. Faint ripples in the air could be seen as the black haired man wielding it mulled over what he could do to improve it.

The weapon was obviously broken, but he didn't know where to begin to even repair it. Cursed Tools by default required Cursed Energy to a certain degree in order to repair, but with how the Inverted Spear of Heaven was...

Halting his movements of the dagger into a down-turned reverse-grip, Megumi narrowed his pristine eyes at the broken weapon. There was a glow in his eyes, ideas coming from the active neurons in his brain.

Like a light bulb turning on, the Sorcerer widened his eyes. If the weapon was broken and couldn't be repaired with the means needed to repair it, then why couldn't he just change the conditions of the weapon's activation?

Placing his left hand over his mouth once more, Fushiguro Megumi leaned backwards and looked upwards to the roof. From what he understood from the Cursed Tool used by Izanami and Izanagi, there was another feature that he didn't know about.

The weapon created the Earth, and calmed the Primordial Chaos. How it did so he had zero damn clue, and Megumi believed not even Ryomen Sukuna or Kenjaku could understand what it truly meant.

'It sounds powerful, and probably is.' Based on its name, it should obviously be a spear rather than a dagger. One of its bladed prongs was missing, and so was a large portion of its handle.

Reverse Cursed Technique could be used to restore not only flesh, bone, and blood; but also broken Cursed Tools and items. Such as how Gojo Satoru could restore his clothes after having his entire body ripped apart by Malevolent Shrine.

It was hard to understand at first, but Megumi eventually got the gist of it when recalling how his sensei didn't come out of the Domain Expansion naked.

Inanimate objects have souls, that was what was known in Jujutsu Society. However, their fundamental structure of their soul was far different from that of living beings such as humans and animals.

Reverse Cursed Technique, if one could view the shape of a soul, can even heal the soul. This was an extremely high application, something that Fushiguro Megumi vaguely remembered Ryomen Sukuna doing.

Which was how he was able to heal the effects of the Split Soul Katana.

So fundamentally, repairing the Inverted Spear of Heaven with Reverse Cursed Technique was possible—but would require supreme levels of Reverse Cursed Technique in order to repair. Why was that so?

'Soul... I can barely, just barely see the soul because of being stuck in my own body for a month, but it's still something.' It required a great amount of focus, one akin to cutting one's mind and senses off from all other things. From what he saw, the 'soul' of the inanimate object known as the Inverted Spear of Heaven was damaged.

'Is this what Gojo-sensei was referring to? A complex Binding Vow to destroy the Inverted Spear of Heaven into what it is now?' It was starting to click in his mind. The soul of the Cursed Tool was damaged, which meant that normal Reverse Cursed Technique couldn't restore it unless he fixed its soul.

The problem was that he couldn't even use Reverse Cursed Technique on its soul let alone its physical body. Well, that was unless...

***

Under This Binding Vow:

Condition 1: Special Grade Cursed Tool Inverted Spear of Heaven requires Cursed Energy to activate its Cursed Technique, rather than being permanently active.

Condition 2: Special Grade Cursed Tool Inverted Spear of Heaven requires the user to designate a target to disable techniques.

Result: Special Grade Cursed Tool Inverted Spear of Heaven can now be infused with Cursed Techniques and Cursed Energy not designated to 'cancel.'

***

'Amazing,' Megumi held the dagger in front of his face and infused it with Cursed Energy. The Cursed Technique imbued into it activated with a golden glow as its indicator. Inputting more Cursed Energy, the black haired man found that it enhanced its cutting capabilities and power was actually working!

'That's more like it...!' The black haired man felt a small smile breaking off on his lips, before immediately turning back to his neutral expression. 'Calm down, you should have already expected this. Binding Vows are the backbone of high-grade Jujutsu Sorcery.'

Taking in a deep breath, Megumi glanced away from the Inverted Spear of Heaven and back to all the Cursed Tools he planned to enhance, including Laurentina's buzzsaw. He honestly didn't know how much Cursed Energy it would take in total to infuse them with Cursed Techniques, but it didn't matter at the moment.

He was going to do it, starting with an attempt in repairing the Inverted Spear of Heaven.

***

Laurentina walked into the room where Megumi had specifically requested for whatever private matters he was attending to. The black haired man had metaphorically told them to give him an hour or so, so the Abyssal Hunter decided to take it to heart.

However, instead of a damply dark room that would be fitting for the black haired man, she was presented with a... strange sight. Instead of the depressive demeanor of the room that would match his personality to a tee, Laurentina was presented with the sight of...

...Fushiguro Megumi quite literally steaming at the skin, with some parts of his body turning beet red. The amount of lingering smoke coming off of him was worrying to say the least. It didn't help that his black haori was littered across the ground, showing that he had haphazardly taken it off to cool himself down.

Multiple weapons were also strewn across the table in front of him, gleaming under what should have been sunlight—but there was nothing for their glorious sheen to reflect or refract. Instead, they looked to be emitting their own light, a magnificent energy coalescing off from their spectral shine.

"...What did you do now, Princess?" Laurentina asked out to the man laying across the ground.

She received no response.

...

"...Huh?" The shark lady glanced down at him with a more critical gaze. "Hey~, is anybody home in there? Or did that noggin of yours become so dense that you can't hear what I'm saying?" Laurentina lightly chuckled when staring at his prone form.

...

"It certainly is quite jarring of a mood for you to indulge in tomfoolery now of all times," Laurentina crossed her arms. She was starting to sound like Gladiia at this point, wasn't she? "Seriously, you always find a way to get injured, isn't that right?"

The Abyssal Hunter sighed to herself and approached him. However, faint mutterings from him made her pause her movements for a second.

"...Failed... couldn't fix..."

"Failed? Failed what?" Laurentina stared at all the glowing tools around. Even her buzzsaw had this illumination to it that had eventually faded. "...Strange?" She remembered how he said he would enhance her weapon for her, and would need time to himself to do such a thing. It looked like he had also taken the time to enhance his own weapons.

The familiar red three-section staff, the golden Nodachi, and the dagger with a... was it a dagger?

Blinking to herself a few times to check if her eyes were working correctly, she could have sworn she saw what looked to be a...

...No? It was still a dagger? 'Strange, maybe the heat of the room is getting to me,' but then that didn't make sense either. It was the tundras that they were residing in, and temperatures of this level hardly affected her in such a way that would make her experience hallucinations.

"Whatever," she hoisted the man up, "let's get this little princess back to her room, shall we?" Laurentina chuckled to herself, feeling a tad bit more mischievous than she usually would.

***

Three days left...

"You're saying I fell unconscious for the entire day yesterday?" Megumi draped the black haori over his arms, wearing the outfit completely. All of the Cursed Tools he had enhanced had been placed back into his shadow inventory, including Laurentina's buzzsaw.

It was still weird to him that he had fallen asleep for an entire day while straining himself, and then woke up completely fine right after.

Laurentina didn't look too happy, having spent nearly the entire day yesterday waiting for the 'sleeping beauty' known as Fushiguro Megumi to wake up. She wanted to play her harmless prank, but apparently the man was so out of it that she never got the opportunity to.

"That's besides the point," Laurentina huffed out, "where are you going this time? You look like you're ready to depart."

"I'm going off to somewhere private, I wanted to test out a few things," by that, Fushiguro Megumi meant that he was going to spend the entire day today training. Specifically, on learning Simple Domain and Falling Blossom Emotion.

"Hah~, if you say so." Laurentina didn't feel like arguing with him. He had some method to cure his exhaustion and a way to heal fast—somehow, so she wasn't going to question him too much.

***

The falling leaves of the tundra trees fell around listlessly and calmly. The shuttering of their branches were caused by the gale which best from west to east, providing a motionary flutter which pushed off the snow dotting the decrepit and cold leaves.

Megumi stood in a stance, as if holding a katana by his side. Taking in a deep breath, the Sorcerer envisioned how he had formed the barrier of his Domain Expansion before, this time going for a more simplistic approach.

After creating and finishing the barrier of Chimera Shadow Garden, the grasp of how to create barriers had become much more clear to him. Flow out the Cursed Energy, think of the shape you wish to create, and then impose what was envisioned.

A Domain Expansion was a thousand times more complex than the process he had just described, but a Simple Domain was only ten times more complex. Even with the process being as simplified as he could make it, showing the complexity of creating such Barrier Techniques, Megumi had an easy time grasping it.

New Shadow Style: Simple Domain

A faint teal half-sphere formed around him, all the while the black haired man took in a deep breath. The wind blew stronger, fluttering the snow upon the leaves and cracking the branches—letting a combination of those substances fall down on him.

It was a harsh sound with how sudden it was, the nature of the world's gravity acting upon them to fall faster and faster—

—Until it was immediately intercepted by the blurring of an invisible sword being drawn. All of which were about to fall on the head of Fushiguro Megumi were immediately deflected away, scattering in the wind with the obstruction of Cursed Energy being their demise.

Flourishing what should have been a sword in his grasp, the Sorcerer finally took in a deep breath to let himself rest. "Finally," after multiple tries of having to form the barrier for Simple Domain, the black haired man had finally succeeded.

It was both a defensive and offensive tool he could use. Mix that with Falling Blossom Emotion, and...

"What was that?"

Megumi turned to the person who had asked him the question, seeing FrostNova of all people leaning by a tree. "How long were you...?" Seriously, how did he lose track of his surroundings? It would have been disastrous if an Ursus patrol squad saw him.

"Not that long," FrostNova replied. "Arts applications?" The woman spoke out disinterestedly, or what Fushiguro Megumi assumed to be an disinterested voice.

"Yes, Arts application," Megumi responded back quickly. He didn't know if she felt the spike in his Cursed Energy or not—he still kept his Cursed Energy suppressed even while training. Why? Because it worked well for his refinement of input and output, along with not wanting to alert any Reunion members who could sense its rising presence.

Even with the distance he was from the Reunion settlement, it wasn't a risk he wanted to take. "What are you doing here, anyways?" Megumi stretched his arms nonchalantly, as to not look like he had been shocked by the woman's sudden appearance.

"Not much of a reason, your friend Laurentina wanted to know what you were doing so long out in the forest." FrostNova responded to him. Indeed, the beautiful white haired woman had walked up to her after having a small chat with Eno and Sasha, asking for a small favor.

"...I see," Megumi turned away from her. "Tell Laurentina that I'm doing fine. I'll be in the forest for a bit longer." The black haired man finished stretching his arms, getting ready for another round of testing out Simple Domain.

"...You train a lot," FrostNova commented, watching as the black haired man entered another stance. She herself couldn't train much, considering what extensive usage of her Arts would entail. But every battle she had experienced that forced her to use her Arts always made her stronger as a result.

Along with bringing her closer to her grave.

"I do," Megumi let a calming sensation enter his veins once more.

New Shadow Style: Simple Domain

FrostNova watched as the transparent teal barrier appeared around him once more. It was as if everything around that area held an extreme sense of danger, especially with the... 'strange, what is this...?' She felt as if something was encroaching upon her life the more she looked at it.

It almost felt baleful, the rise of that mysterious energy. Was this what Talulah meant when she said his Arts were cursed?

The particles that had fallen into Fushiguro Megumi's half-sphere were immediately intercepted with movements that turned into a blur. The Cautus had to narrow her eyes to keep track of the movements that left him as a static phantom.

...It was certainly a sight to see, to the point where she forgot to go back to the settlement and tell Laurentina of the message Megumi had told her to deliver back.

***

Two days left...

The Reunion members seemed to be getting along with Laurentina from the eyes of Megumi. For himself however, the only people he had spoken to were the Yeti Squadron members, FrostNova herself, and at times—Talulah.

Right now, he was sitting by the woman while a bowl of soup was in his hands. Megumi felt slightly guilty for consuming a meal when he really didn't need to, thanks to the applications of Reverse Cursed Technique.

Speaking of Reverse Cursed Technique, he had tried yesterday to repair the Inverted Spear of Heaven after finishing his 12 hour training session in the tundra woods. Went as well as he would have expected, steaming himself alive and then falling unconscious on his bed.

Thankfully, by the time Laurentina had intruded in on his room to wake him up for the next day, the Aegir didn't witness his decrepit state, so he wouldn't get an earful from that. What he did get an earful from though, was the shark lady complaining of how long of a time he had spent out in the woods.

To the point where she had threatened to tie him to his bed if he stepped outside for such an extended duration again. Something that Fushiguro Megumi had taken to heart, and decided to settle by the campfire with Talulah.

"So... what do you think of Reunion now?" Talulah asked out to the man sitting beside her, a half-expectant look plastered across her face. Having to deal with her recent emotions had been an ordeal, but the Draco was sure she would push through them eventually. After all, Reunion still needed her—and with whatever tragedies would happen next—she assured herself that she would be prepared.

"It's like family," Megumi responded back to the woman, seeing the bright look in her eyes. Honestly, with how optimistic she looked, the black haired man wondered why his next words had crushed her so badly, "a family where I don't belong."

"That's lovely to hear—huh?" Talulah blinked a few times, slightly clutching her bowl tighter. "Come again?" He complimented the Reunion Movement, comparing it to a family. But... a family where he doesn't belong?

"I think what you're doing is great," Megumi took a sip of the bowl in his hands, staring off blankly into the campfire. "But I don't believe I belong to such a place," he could never find himself within such a closely knit community such as this.

"Is there... a reason why? Reunion doesn't just welcome the Infected, but anybody with—"

"I don't fit in," Megumi replied back without so much as an inflection in his voice. "I'm sure you can already tell what type of person I am." Selfish, self-centered, and obsessed with training. Fighting for justice or against injustice wasn't something he could sink much time into, nor could he believe himself to be a herald of.

He was just... a Jujutsu Sorcerer.

"Is that how you view yourself?" The voice of FrostNova cut Megumi off from his blank stare. "It's a sad way of living life, isn't it?" She took a seat by Megumi's left, while his right had Talulah.

"A sad way? Please, I don't like to wallow in self-pity," well, that was a lie, wasn't it? But at the current moment in time, Megumi truly didn't like to indulge in such an act. "There are many things that happen in the world, progression, advancement, war, and all you can do is attempt to catch up." What else was there for him to do in such a broken and shattered world such as this?

The Infected were treated horribly, and it would be ignorant for him to believe he wouldn't face such treatment because he wasn't Infected. Racism was rampant, and a commonality with the many nationalities this country possessed—the only comfort he could find in this... this crap-sack of a world was in the solitude of his own strength.

To be so powerful where nothing could ever hurt him. That seemed like the best goal he could go for at the moment, before deciding on other things. He wasn't a hero either, and neither did he wish to become a hero.

"Does this have to do with—" Talulah was about to ask the black haired man about his statement of being a 'Jujutsu Sorcerer' or the like when he had his conversation with FrostNova not too long ago, but was cut off.

"He's back! Patriot and his Shieldguards are back!"

A voice of a Reunion member called out to the three sitting at the campfire.

FrostNova turned up with an expectant look on her face, while Talulah looked up at surprise. Megumi? He looked confused, wondering who this new arrival was.

Gauging everybody's reaction, he must be somebody of great importance to Reunion. In fact, he was sure he had heard a few mentions of his names being thrown around, but never got to understand the full significance of it.

Everything after that statement from the Reunion member was a blur for all he could recall. Right after, Talulah and FrostNova seemed to have said something to him, before he followed them to see what all the fuss was about.

Right as his foot trampled on the snow when making his advance toward the location of where a large gathering of Reunion members, did Fushiguro Megumi truly understand what had gotten them all so riled up.

Despite his hazy recollection of today's events, the sight presented before him was something he would etch deeply within his mind. A grandiose figure standing like a bulwark against all the danger and discrimination which bore their spears and swords toward Reunion.

He stood at a staggering height, his build being so large that Megumi was confident it would cast a full shadow over him if the towering man had stood over him. Patriot—wore a wendigo mask, a power armor of impressive technology gracing his body in a plated alloy which the Sorcerer couldn't fully recognize.

On his hands were a shield with an indistinct logo attached to it. A flowing red band was tied across the Wendigo's right arm, one of blood-crimson color billowing in the wind. He was completely and utterly majestic, a true Aegis for the Infected to stand behind and follow—perhaps even until their very last breath.

The sun of Terra shone a brilliant light amongst the Reunion settlement, as if a blessing had been bestowed upon them this very day. Ripping across the gray clouds which had been lingering upon this area for too long did it bask its rays upon this behemoth of a man.

'...Patriot...' Megumi finally had the image fully painted.

The red gaze which could make an entire army tremble scanned across the scene of Reunion members gathered around him...

...Until it settled on the Sorcerer. More specifically, his Dharmachakra.