Megumi stared at his hand, looking at the small bits of frost that had formed on it. Despite what should have been an occurrence that would render it damaged to a point where his skin should be flaking off like snow, it was completely fine. Cursed Energy reinforcement was the subject of application that he had unconsciously done, an instinct so engraved deep into his body that his subconscious had already taken it in as his kin.
The scenery from before was vivid before his eyes, like staring at a frame which held a delicate picture from memories now long lost. Such a description wasn't accurate for how he felt, because the passing event of... whatever happened before... was only something that had happened so recently.
Walking amongst the snow, he didn't know how to feel. The longing for home became more apparent, the warmth that he felt within the presence of people he knew and adored—was far too painful of a desire. It retched within his chest, making him keel over and grasp at his mouth, feeling the bile starting to formulate and rise up.
He clenched his fist and pressed it against where his heart should be, making sure that the feeling would wash away with a forceful push. Indeed, it had, the pressure coursing through making the black haired man wince and straighten his posture once more. A dash of Positive Energy going through his bloodied veins and all should be at a better condition than before.
"What is wrong with me?" Megumi shakily asked himself, staring at the frosted hand. The flakes of ice that had clung onto the moisture of his skin like a parasite had started to melt off, falling uselessly onto the ground as water, before being steamed upwards into the sky. His eyes watched the occurrence without much fervor, having already had enough conversations for the day.
A few steps were heard not too far away from him, so the Sorcerer turned his head to look at the looming shadow which was presiding across the land. It was who he expected it to be, the towering man who held a rustic armor built upon a miracle of technology, one that could only be made in Terra. Or rather, that was what Fushiguro Megumi believed, for this world's alloys and materials were far more durable than Earth's.
Gazing upon the emblazoned Wendigo mask of Patriot, along with the mancing sheen that casted from his mighty vermillion orbs and pierced across the scenery in a surveying gait, Megumi took in a small breath. He could already tell that his eyes had turned to his Dharmachakra for a brief moment, the howling wind falling to a somber credence.
Only a single utterance was given.
"Find your place."
***
There was something methodical with the way the sun drove its way up from the purview of where its orbital path travelled. The bleeding orange lights that mingled amongst the blues up above and blended seamlessly in a way that showed nature's beauty was splendid within Laurentina's eyes. A natural occurrence wasn't so easily beaten down from their pedestal with digital replicas.
Having finished observing the scenery from the small transparent opening of the tent, Laurentina decided to sit up and exit it. They were near a Leithanian settlement, having already made it to the edges of the country. All they needed to do was travel more inward, to reach Sturmland where the Kurfurst of Sturmland was waiting, along with potentially the woman who had caused her Princess trouble.
She stared at her sleeping bag, the one that usually fit two people. Usually—during their journey to Ursus—the Aegir would drag him into it, as they only had one tent. After a few days of doing so with a flustered black haired sea urchin, he had seemingly gotten used to it. Last night though? He hadn't even entered the tent.
Putting on an analytical expression, Laurentina reached for her hat, before flicking it upwards lightly. The object flew into the air and spun a few times, before skillfully landing on top of her head in a perfect manner. Although her hair was slightly messy, the white haired woman could always fix it easily with a comb.
Lowering her head and exiting from the tent, the first goal for her was to find where Fushiguro Megumi was. Just when she had laid her plan out, she looked upwards and was presented with a bizarre sight. Letting her body pause at the absurdity of it, the Aegir was finally able to fully register what was happening.
First of all, there were multiple animals. They ranged from a werewolf, to a bird, to a serpent, to an ox, to a rabbit, to a deer, to a... of course, the list went on. What she didn't see however, was that looming Divine General which would strike the chords of danger within anybody's internal systems.
She knew that Fushiguro Megumi had many summons, but there were many amongst the pile that she had never seen before, despite having been with the black haired man for the duration of two months.
'What could have warranted this?' Laurentina crossed her arms and continued to observe the pile. Right now, a strange blue and black energy was emitting from the summons, with her Princess being stuck in the middle of the pile. He looked tired, with bags under his eyes while his head rested on the curled up form of the werewolf.
By his side was a small tiger, one that looked quite adorable in her eyes, but that wasn't what mattered at the moment. What did matter was why the summoner looked so tired, as if he had been drained all night—
—Maybe that wasn't a good analogy to use. Shaking her head with slight mirth, the Aegir delightfully moved in a small waltz toward him, covering the distance extremely fast.
***
"What have you done this time?" Laurentina clasped her hands behind her back, moving across the animals which sent a few gazes her way before turning back to Megumi. "Don't tell me an enemy passed by and you were forced to call upon all of them? My, I haven't ever seen this tiger."
Megumi didn't let out a sound, only giving the woman a slow turn of the head as she picked up Tiger Funeral.
"...So, are you going to provide any sort of context?" Laurentina brought Tiger Funeral close to herself, patting it on the head, "and what is with this strange blue energy coming across them? How strange," she continued to state the obvious.
"Just a bit of... training," Megumi provided the best context he could. Having wanted to increase the levels of Cursed Energy in each of his Shikigami, he had decided it could also work as a training regimen for himself. What the process entailed was summoning one of them and providing the most Cursed Energy he could, before they were practically overflowing.
Once he had gotten used to it and was able to instinctively provide them with the extra energy, the Sorcerer had decided to move on to his next Shikigami. Rinse and repeat the process a few more times until he ended up with Tiger Funeral, and Fushiguro Megumi was already feeling like he was going to die.
It was so bad to the point where his Cursed Energy reserves weren't regaining faster than they were losing, and that it had been put to a complete stagnation. If he had called out Tiger Funeral in a greater form, Megumi was sure he would be completely sapped clean, like a water tank not only losing all of its water—but also the remaining droplets being evaporated.
"While training yourself by pushing your body to its brink is an effective method..." Laurentina glanced at the other animals gathered around, taking note of their resting positions "...I don't believe it is a good idea to strain yourself this far." How long has he been training now?
If she remembered correctly, he started his training session during the late afternoon, while she went off to the settlement to explore for a bit. The place was as anybody would have expected, just a few cultural distinctions from other places she had visited before. After that, she had just gone back to the car while the night was encroaching, and Fushiguro Megumi was resting by his summons.
'All night, what a surprise.' Laurentina remembered just how long he would train back in Ursus, to the point where she hadn't even been talking with him much—only with the other Reunion members. 'Then he must have quite the stamina.'
"That's funny, coming from you," Megumi replied bitterly. "I wish you could have said the same thing when beating me black and blue."
"Oh please~," Laurentina sighed, sitting by him and pinching his cheek with an exasperated look, "only I get to beat you into submission, nobody else. Not even yourself, is that a good enough reason?"
"No."
"I was merely jesting once more," Laurentina replied dramatically, reeling her head back and placing her back wrist on her forehead. "You need to work in regards to... how should I say this? Providing a more welcoming response to others."
"No."
"I understand, is this the small game we'll be playing?" She continued stroking the small tiger's fur in her arms, "if so, I would consider myself to be very convincing in extracting information from others."
Megumi felt something cold wash over the back of his neck. Feeling uneasy, his exhausted eyes turned to assess Laurentina, who was tracing her cold fingers against it. Her face was closer to his, making the black haired man raise an eyebrow and slightly pull back, "what do you mean by... that?"
"Curious about me? Well, I could provide a few details... even if they would be a scant few," Laurentina placed the tiger down, watching as the small creature moved closer to Megumi and rested its head on his thigh. "Oh, before I continue, I'm curious about your summons."
"Go ahead," Megumi motioned for her to continue, pushing through the burn out his body was undergoing.
"These critters look to be intelligent, despite being a summon coming from your Arts," Laurentina shifted her gaze to all the other ones, "they seem to possess a certain 'personality' to them too. Do these 'cursed' Arts of yours produce life?"
"I have no clue," Megumi honestly replied. "I don't know where their consciousness or intelligence starts or ends, but I do know they are sentient to... a degree." His gaze Laurentina's, leaving him to gauge his Shikigamis once more. "I'm more inclined to believe they do possess a 'life' separate from mine."
"Are we delving into the territory of the philosophical and theoretical science of your Arts now?" Laurentina spoke thoughtfully, "in fact, have you ever stopped and imagined the implications of these... 'Cursed' Arts would bring? Aside from being a beacon of viscera."
Megumi stayed silent, streaking his hand across the head of Tiger Funeral, feeling the soft bristles of their vantablack fur running across his own, "I don't believe I ever have." Now that he thought about it... "I don't even know their genders, despite knowing their names."
"Interesting." Laurentina took note of his summon's reaction, the way that the small tiger melted into his hand like butter on a hot pan.
On Megumi's side, his mind traced back to yesterday night, how he was in distant pondering of how his Shikigamis actually worked. The Aegir before him already had about the same thoughts as him in regards to them, about how they possessed a modicum of intelligence from their behavioral patterns.
There was also the fact that they grew stronger exponentially depending on the amount of Cursed Energy he put into them. Not only was it in regards to increasing their strength, durability, speed, and overall special abilities; but also their control over said Cursed Energy. He had only gotten one Shikigami so far to use Falling Blossom Emotion, and that was Divine Dog: Totality.
It was only for a few seconds.
In regards to his other Shikigami, the only one that had shown a feat on par with that was Nue. The bird could form its own Domain, just as he knew of the Shikigamis who could also draw a Domain with their trajectory. Most of them throughout Jujutsu history who could form Domains were usually flight based creatures, so he already had a clue of which his Shikigamis could do such a thing.
"...I should probably find out their genders," Megumi suddenly announced his next course of action.
"...Eh?" Laurentina turned away from his summons, and looked at him. "Really? Hah~, well, do as you please then," she chuckled while flicking his Dharmachakra, finding a tinge of humor in his usually tone-deaf voice.
"I'll keep that in mind," Megumi leaned back further on Divine Dog: Totality, "we should continue our route to Sturmland."
***
The blinding Spire was a sight to see, decorated in ivory and marble with the most splendorous flair one could imagine. It glimmered undering the shimmering celestial sphere placed above it, taking in the incandescence as its own and refracting it a thousand-fold more elegantly throughout its bustling surroundings.
There were buildings which were of more insignificant size laid strewn around it, while their chocolate brown wood of fine dining still showed their other aspectual importance. Suffice to say, the land was rich in a different type of flavor than other places, a sight to behold for any tourist who stray their way upon here.
When looking at the scene with a magnifying glass, many structures such as statues and gargoyles could be seen. It is said that they have been hand crafted by some of the most excellently skilled hands, and doused with a perfume of delicate Arts—providing a more artistic show in a different light. Indeed, the sights were something even common citizens of Sturmland would pause to contemplate upon.
It was lively. That much was a given, for the life poured from the passionately woven tapestry of fine art illuminated all in its wake. Rather than silken fabric however, they were of cold hard stone. The peerless showing was something only unique to the confines of Leithanien, just as how Lungmen possessed the incandescent neon lights of their unsleeping skyscrapers. However, just like any city, this one had also possessed its fair share of dredged down secrets.
That was the assumption of Fushiguro Megumi, gazing at the dazzling scene that seemed too good to be true. It reminded him of the theme where he stared upon the towering skyscrapers of Lungmen when entrapped by the shadows of the slums, watching life from a distance continuously passing him by. Compared to the size of every building, he was just an ant crawling across the deserted dirt, filled with other ants.
The truck they brought with them to this city was parked outside the Nomadic City's walls, but held at a lot where they could keep it. Most of the journey toward the 'Spire' where Werner von Hochberg was held would be on foot, throughout the crowded streets of this city. From what they knew, this single letter of invitation would allow them to enter at any time.
It was so important in fact, the both of them didn't even need to provide an ID toward the border guards of Leithanien. All that needed to be shown was a flash of the letter, and the uniformed men paused immediately with their steps. A few more seconds of recognizing the wax seal and confirmation of the Arts, Megumi and Laurentina were allowed to enter the city without a single hitch.
It was... more of a surprise than Megumi could have expected. Honestly, it was like when he went to a Jujutsu Sorcerer institution with Gojo Satoru, everybody who resided in them would immediately bow or make way for the Strongest Sorcerer. Such was the benefit of having connections, one woven by many threads of spider silk. Compared to back then, though, the black haired man was sure the letter of invitation could hardly be on par with his sensei's radiating influence.
"These statues..."
Megumi turned toward Laurentina, the Aegir was walking through the streets with him, but had halted in her steps to gaze upon a statue placed at the side of the road. Although he didn't hold much interest in the casted stones of human expression, the Sorcerer already knew that the Abyssal Hunter before him was. Whether she found inspiration or liked them was something for her to decide.
The black haired man moved toward her location, moving diligently across the crowd with skillful movements. Despite going against what was essentially a wave of human bodies, not a single graze of his skin or clothes could be felt. What Megumi did feel, though, was the curious gazes upon the Dharmachakra. At this point in time, the black haired man had already gotten used to such stares, one that he relegated to a temporary affliction.
Most of the people here had deer antlers and goat horns, the two being the Elafia race and Caprinae race respectively. While he doubted an Aegir was common here, the amount of stares he and Laurentina received based solely on their race was quite low, and he preferred it would be that way. It was, of course, more focused on his golden Dharmachakra, but they were in a more 'well-off' district from what he could tell—so there was no worry for any people of 'that' kind to attempt to nab it.
Stopping beside Laurentina, Megumi turned upwards to see what all the fuss was about. Looking at the sculpture, the Sorcerer... immediately squinted his eyes, feeling something strange coming off of it. There was a lingering influence that he couldn't quite put his finger on, but that Sorcerer assumed it was because it had some Originium implemented into it. Maybe that was why Laurentina was so interested in it.
"Strange," Laurentina gave her description of it with crossed arms, "there's something off about them, do you feel the same way?"
"Probably because there's Originium in it," Megumi placed his hands in his pockets and replied. The stagnant face of the object he was gazing upon the two was filled with no life, and the stoic expression that was granted to it proving no emotions. There was a faint melody coming off of it, something that the both of them had recognized.
"Do you hear that?" Laurentina rhetorically asked, placing a hand to cover her rising lips, "this isn't merely 'technology,' but I would say... those notes are Arts that are being produced from this simple sculpture." The eyes belonging only to a surgeon continued scalpel through the rock hard sculpture.
A harsh wind blew, gray clouds above passing through with a gloomy stride. Their shadow casted over the environment, the people around turning their attention away from what they were doing to mumble about the weather. It was a common occurrence within Sturmland, as storms passed by the place at least once a month.
Megumi felt the air, the dampness clinging onto his skin, like phantoms of Primavera. Compared to the salted and decrepit city however, this one was much more bearable, and felt like the grace of nature rather than the disgrace of horror. Waving his hand as it had gotten used to the feeling, the Ten Shadows user continued to analyze the statue.
It was positioned in a seated position, its right hand reaching out below to the empty void in front of it, as if reaching for an imperceptible goal or object which it could never take hold of. Its back was bent forward, the straining weight could be seen even from the lifelessness that emanated from it.
"...Isn't that funny?" Megumi dryly expressed, turning upwards to see where exactly the hand was reaching out for. His Dharmachakra floating above laid just where the statue's hand was, as if it was grasping for the divine golden object. "What's your interpretation for this sculpture?"
"It looks like it's reaching for you," Laurentina jokingly replied, "the soft tune that comes from it speaks of despair, like the object of their desire is forever unreachable—I believe that elegant wheel of yours is what they're attempting to find."
"I'm not a part of the sculpture," Megumi let his hands leave his pocket and crossed his arms, shifting his eyes away from her and back onto the inanimate structure.
"You complete it," Laurentina stated, as if it was a matter of fact. "There is nothing that it is reaching for in front, I believe it is up to the viewer's interpretation for what they are reaching for... if you weren't here, I'd believe it would be reaching at an unattainable void, which is what the air in front of is."
"Because air can be considered immaterial?"
"Certainly not, by definition, air is considered a material as it takes up space and mass." Laurentina waved him off, "but based on an artistic interpretation, it should be. Which is why I believe what the statue is reaching for is simply a 'void,' nothingness in the grand scheme of things."
"I see..."
The Dharmachakra was considered to be the representation of the Law of Dharma itself, the cosmic force which governed the entire universe—along with existence—in its teachings. Most followed it prominently in Hinduism and Buddhism, to reach a state of enlightenment in the plane of Nirvana, to be free of all worldly desires.
Looking above us head once more to the expression of the statue, Megumi could see something... different. Mixing in what he knew of the despairful melody that was leaking out of, most likely due to an applied Arts, there was a note of despair that he felt. He would have never interpreted such a thing by looking at its expression, but the music gave everything away.
"It's reaching for something it can never have, you're right," Megumi suddenly said. The face that he would have seen as stoicness was now replaced with 'desire' and 'despair,' reaching for something it could never attain, just as Laurentina had stated. 'Desire needs to be abandoned for enlightenment, but this statue 'desires' the enlightenment with every fiber of its being, so that means... its own desire for 'peace of mind' is its undoing.'
...But then again, the Sorcerer wouldn't put too much of a factual statement of how it should be interpreted. He was only a drop-out college student by proxy, and he hadn't taken any philosophical courses during his stay in Jujutsu Tech. The only thing he had was in high school, a mandatory art class which only focused on the 'basics' of art.
"I'm glad we can agree on one thing," Laurentina smiled, turning upwards to the black haired man's floating accessory. "You know—I've never understood the underlying message of that wheel of yours. Does its shape have some importance, or is it shaped like that, just to be shaped like that?"
Megumi kept silent, racking his brain for all that he knew of the wheel. Formulating his response in a way that could be understood best, he opened his mouth, "It's a Dharmachakra. Each turn of the wheel represents 'perfect harmony,' and has a connection to a religious culture."
"Perfect harmony... religious culture..." Laurentina's voice mixed in with the passing crowd, the latter moving quicker with the impending rain about to fall. "I can see how..." she drew out "...well, seeing what comes out of it, it only makes sense." The Aegir shrugged with a small huff, "I believe this sculpture is mediocre, or perhaps even above average."
"...It's a sculpture placed on the streets, so that must mean something," Megumi replied with a casual posture.
"Just because it's not placed in some marbled museum, my dear Princess," Laurentina placed a finger on his lips, as if telling him to 'shut up,' "does not mean it is lacking in value to them." She remembered some of the signs of art when travelling across her home city, all of them had their own flair and message—far different from those in museums.
"...Whatever you say," Megumi pushed her hand away, before turning back to the street. Strangely enough, there were some people who immediately lowered their vintage cameras... vintage cameras by his world's standards, and looked away, going back to their daily lives. This caused the black haired man to raise his eyebrows.
"I believe they decided to take a few pictures because of how fitting you are with the sculpture," Laurentina giggled, placing a hand over her mouth, "my, you should take a look form a third person's perspective, but alas—I doubt any of them would be willing to share a picture with such an ice-cold Princess such as you."
"...What?" Megumi felt his face falling into a further deadpan. "What do you mean, 'fitting' with the statue? My wheel?"
"Not only your wheel, but your face certainly matched the sculpture with how you two looked. I could even mistake the both of you as siblings." Laurentina motioned toward the sculpture with her chin, "take a look for yourself, take note of how your expression compares to it."
"No thank you," Megumi said, while giving the sculpture with a brief side-eye. Having a faint glimpse of the stoic expression, the Sorcerer could see somewhat how it could be of relation to his own. "We should get going, it looks like it's about to rain."
His gaze turned back to the Spire at the center of the city. That was their point of destination, not the sculpture which they had spent far too much time on, "I don't know if Werner von Hochberg is waiting for us, and I actually doubt he is. In fact, he might not even be aware of who we are, considering the letter of invitation was given to me by a second party."
"Well, might as well see for ourselves," Laurentina turned away from the sculpture, having already had her fill with a country's other culture. "I must say, these sights are much superior to the ones we've witnessed so far." Compared to Primavera's rotten streets filled with salt and Ursus' snowy tundras stained with death—this city was a godsend. "Still, incomparable to Aegir."
Her body had been itching to fulfill its purpose and duty. Having been stuck in the tundras was an agonizing experience, only alleviated by the fact that she could converse with others after so long of being stuck in a lab and desecrated city. Facing those Facerending Liches also provided a stretching of her stagnant muscles.
Megumi took the initiative and started his journey back to the Spire, moving away from the sculpture. His eyes held not much of a passionate light.
Laurentina followed along.
***
The towering structure which was seen and gazed upon from far away was now right in front of them. With gates covering its perimeter to impede intruders from stepping into lands which weren't theirs. It was a statement, one built upon by fortressed walls in the form of dingy defenses. However, such an illusion wasn't something that could find its way into Fushiguro Megumi's brain.
There were barriers and layers of Arts which were provided toward them. If he attempted to fire off an attack from his bladed weapons of war or his body forged from Jujutsu Sorcery, it would all be repelled in some way or another. Overall, a decent amount of effort would be needed to breach these defenses, unless he utilized a certain god-forged artifact from times long since lost.
Megumi moved across the perimeters with Laurentina in tow, the latter moving with a diligent waltz beside him. He watched as her dress fluttered in the near-autumn wind, the small prairies of flowers fluttering from the fences and coalescing around her. Thinning his lips, the Sorcerer wondered if this scenery was greeting her entrance, while his black haori which spoke of nothing but death was being averted by them.
Letting out a sigh, the black haired man eventually found themselves at the front gate, with two guards stationed on both sides. He felt their gazes turn to him and Laurentina, before Megumi reached into his black haori, accessing his shadows and pulling out the letter of invitation. Walking upwards, the black haired man pulled it out, to the slight confusion of the guards.
However, it would turn into recognition and surprise, seeing who exactly the letter belonged to. Despite being guards who were meant to protect the gates, their standardized Arts awareness immediately knew that it was no counterfeit, before they respectfully regarded the beholder of such an object.
Laurentina peered from behind Megumi, watching the guards move themselves to the locks of the gates and disengaging them. Eventually, a small screech was heard as the gates were fully opened, presenting the sight of the gardens toward them. There was a path in between them, leading to the Spire.
Megumi wordlessly walked forward with Laurentina, not knowing what to say in this situation. He was already used to this kind of thing when following Gojo Satoru as he remembered before... but being the one to command this 'respect' was unnatural. He hoped it wasn't like this everytime, because the Sorcerer wasn't sure he was ever going to return to Leithanien after hearing what Arturia wanted.
***
Arturia let the melodies of her cello play in the isolated room, one devoid of any life to witness it. Of course, she had been advised by Kurfurst of Sturmland Werner von Hochberg not to play it in front of other people, and the Sankta took it seriously—for once. This provided a brief distraction, for the wait of a certain somebody had been itching at her for quite a while.
There were messengers prepared to visit where she was, to inform her if a certain black haired man had entered the confines of Sturmland or not. While wandering the other parts of Leithanien, no message was ever sent to her, indicating that the person of interest hadn't ever stepped foot in Sturmland the past two months.
Having decided to route back to Sturmland and back to the Spire, the Sankta hadn't expected much to happen today. But oh... how wrong she was, seeing how a strange sensation had overtaken her body this morning. It wasn't just the change in weather, nor was it her body reacting to it, but Arturia could feel a faint connection to...
"...He's here now, how convenient," Arturia continued playing her instrument, her eyes cracking open and leaving her gaze across the empty room. "Just as Cora was visiting too, I wonder if they would love to hear my music once more."
Uncaring of the passing time, the Sankta continued to play her instrument, letting the honed technique ripple through the air with her passionate movements. She could feel his steps across the outskirts of the Spire belonging to Hochberg, the Kurfurst who had temporarily left the Spire to attend to other matters. Recently, the man had been curious about the person of her interest, who she had been speaking of a lot.
"This strange feeling," Arturia abruptly paused her music, her eyes slightly widening when she caught wind of Fushiguro Megumi's full presence. There was no doubt about it, the intense divinity reaching to her senses, along with that overpowering emotion, "oh... haha~, of course. How could I have ever forgotten such a beholden feeling?" It was there, right before her eyes. During the time of casted shadows mingling above the skies of Terra, a single light which shone so bright it could blind all which gazed upon it.
"Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga... A mighty title."
Its skin was the purest white she had ever seen, its eyeless face which had been replaced by angelic wings spanning a great distance, and the crudely attached blade which could tear apart armies themselves. Every part of its body was an immaculately dedicated art piece that couldn't have been forged by the hands of man, and the emotion she had attempted to read from it before...
...She didn't know.
It had emotions, that much was for sure. However, the sheer might of its divinity and clause had torn away her efforts in attempting to probe it. Naturally, the only conclusion she could draw was that it wasn't 'human' in nature, it was a 'deity' created by some higher force that surpassed a 'deity' itself. How it ended up in Fushiguro Megumi's hands...? Oh, she desired to know with great clarity.
That summon was perfect, in the way that it embodied the perfection of harmony itself. What almost all humans lacked was the expression of themselves, how they would always hide between mountainous layers to keep their truest selves hidden. The primal beast that once stood before her? It hid nothing, and its unending desire for slaughter only provided evidence for such an idea.
Before it was defeated by that black haired man, anyways. The scene had continued to replay itself in her head, when Fushiguro Megumi had brought out his soul itself and imposed it in a barrier which invaded the world. Now, Arturia wasn't sure on the specifics, but she would have to assume that...
"The Divine General... has been tamed?" The Sankta felt a brief flash of inspiration and excitement pass through her chest. Although she wasn't sure of it, the feeling that permeated from Megumi was what signified such. "Of course, what else could have happened when the beast was slain?"
Like the stories of a valiant knight tearing down the dragon and saving the day, that was what had happened in Lungmen—if a bit... of a more broad description she had to admit. However, it was a summon that originated from the mysterious caster which was Fushiguro Megumi, and Arturia was famished to find out more.
"I must see it," Arturia said to herself, standing up and packing up her instruments with a slightly rigid movement—from all the excitement that she was feeling. "Could my prediction have been correct? It has been two months after all..." the aura of divinity continued to pierce into her senses, making her intrinsic understanding for emotions continue to go haywire, just as the Divine General had done so before "...There is no doubt about it."
The Sankta closed her eyes with a soft smile, letting her body flow upon the crashing waves of divinity once more. It felt like she was being carried away by them, off to some distant void where all sense would be lost. Opening her eyes, a new sense of profoundness lingered across her body.
"This change, like the leaves turning from an emerald to an amber, marking the descent into autumn." Arturia lifted her case, standing up once more and turning to the door. A greater sense of conviction was prominent, and she was going to act upon it with greater fervor than before. "He has truly grown."
With a light step, she made it out of her room.
***
The steps leading down the Spire were grand and magnificent in scale. They were painted with the greatest of colors taken from the most blessed of flowers across prairie plains untouched by the world of Catastrophes.
Arturia continued to descend them with graceful steps, the weight of her cello packed into her reinforced case not impeding her movements in the slightest. Step by step, a faint melody was produced by her steps, combining into a tune which could be picked out by even the less musically inclined people.
Fushiguro Megumi's presence became greater every time she came closer to it, making her chest flutter at this grand reunion—with a person who had been altered over only the course of two months. What would he look like? What expression would he be wearing? Why had he decided to visit Sturmland so early? Oh, they were all curious yet distracting thoughts.
Cora Lowenstein should be inviting the guests in, at the front doorstep of where the two should have been. Arturia remembered how the woman would tell stories of how difficult it would be to greet guests when she had lost her eyesight, yet the brief spark and glimmer of humor and friendliness had never left her. The way she had also tuned instruments was skillful, only one with years of practical experience could have done.
Her steps stopped their pirouette once they reached the lowest floor, where the esteemed guest should have been.
Opening the door with her free hand, Arturia stepped out of the confines of the Spire's staircases. What shall she do first after their greeting? Play for him? Introduce him to Leithanien's culture? Perhaps even...
...Her steps halted when she finally passed through, feeling the full brunt of the incandescent aura. Taking in a small breath, Arturia exhaled and opened her eyes, being granted the sight of the black haired man. His expression was the same, his spiky hair possessing the same gravity-defying features it had done before.
The black haori stacked on top of his white martial arts gi, and the tight black turtleneck spandex underneath all of them defined his muscles well—especially his neck. However, all those features weren't what had caught her attention, as there was no change within them the last time she had witnessed it.
What caught her sight was... the wheel, the golden and illuminating wheel above his head. It was like a crown for a king... no, a Sovereign, dressed above his head to send a clear message across his body. An esteemed ornament which only spoke of grace and power, once belonging to the Divine General, was now on top of his head.
She felt it, his emotions, they were a spiral of incomprehensibility, crashing against each other in a contradictory mass which threatened to tear apart his body. Strangely enough, he held on. Rather than his own body imploding from the inside out, the black haired man stood as a bastion which wouldn't be torn about by it.
Just as she was about to approach him, something else had caught her sight. It was obvious that Cora Lowenstein would be greeting him into the confines of the building, however, there was somebody else beside him.
A white haired woman, possessing a finely crafted attire which spoke a thousand different messages. It was beautiful, such as her lustrous white hair flowing down with voluminous grace. There was a small recognition when who she assumed to be Aegir turned her crimson eyes toward her, a dampening silence following right after.
Arturia could tell many things about her from a first impression, and the Sankta was sure the other woman felt the same way. The way she had carried herself spoke of both a gracious lady and a well-forged weapon made to fight against the greatest horror the world had to offer—a self-made sculpture which could tear apart the seas and ravage its monsters. Yet the way she stared at her with a wary and unfriendly gaze...
Laurentina tilted her head, remembering this woman. Looking at that small, yet smug expression on the little angel, the Abyssal Hunter couldn't help but find this woman to be... unpleasant. Especially with what she remembered from Fushiguro Megumi, how that Sankta had caused him many troubles down the line, nearly at the expense of his own life and security.
The lights of the room dimmed, the small conversation having started with Fushiguro Megumi and Cora Lowenstein slowly dying down to a halt. There was something which permeated the air, making all people residing in the room aware of it, one that was as tense as the cables holding up a tensile bridge.
One thing for sure though...
...Laurentina could tell...
...Arturia could tell...
...She did not like this woman at all.
***
A/N: Here's a little side story extra, slightly ahead in the story, but the current sequence of events currently doesn't fit it.
It will be touched upon and mentioned later on though, this is just a snippet because I have final exams starting monday, meaning I will have to put this story on hiatus to study.
***
The tune swirled together to form a soft melody, rising into the air where it could freely roam, unfettered by any worldly pressures which kept it down. It is said that gravity holds together many parts of existence, as a fundamental force of the universe which tethered many parts of existence together.
There were even some Jujutsu Sorcerers who have dabbled in the field of science and physics, claiming that 'fate' itself, the one controlled by Cursed Energy, was connected in some way to gravity. Indeed, Cursed Energy was a fundamental part of the universe, but it was unattainable to any ordinary people.
Earth could exist without it. Cursed Energy contributed to nothing but negative emotions and fear, creating the sworn enemies of mankind in large swarms of mass. They destroyed everything, hated everything, and have sworn to destroy all of which was beautiful by the will of their own miserable existence. Such was the way of Cursed Spirits.
The tune pirouetting from the violin Fushiguro Megumi was playing attempted to emulate such a thing, but due to the lack of experience and skill of tuning an instrument to play by his whims, the Sorcerer hadn't found much success. Admittedly, Gojo Satoru had taught him a few lessons in violin while he was still in his youth of highschool, but it was still limited.
Add on to the further stack that he hadn't played the instrument in three years, then it became apparent why his skills were lacking. Megumi could feel a slight tinge of frustration, akin to not being able to use an application of Jujutsu Sorcery, like how he had failed to reinforce his body that one time... the time where he had first dipped his toes into the world that was Jujutsu Sorcery.
"Decent, at best," Laurentina's voice cut in, resting on a fancy chair to the left of Fushiguro Megumi. Her legs were crossed together, while her right elbow laid on the armrest of the chair to prop up her chin. The Aegir's posture was immaculate, the embodiment of a renaissance painting only depicted by the most brilliant of artisans.
Megumi stopped playing the violin to listen to her criticisms and compliments, but he was sure the latter wouldn't be much. The sounds which emitted from it had already faded, the pirouette having been abruptly interrupted.
"You have some level of practice with the violin, that much can be seen, but it lacks much to be desired." Laurentina flicked her foot a few times in the air while recounting what she had seen from his performance, "your melodies are attempting to convey a message, but it falls flat the moment you attempt to add more to it. Playing in a free-style way with merely your own emotions isn't a skill you should even think of attempting—with where your experience lies at the moment."
"...I see," Megumi replied without much of a passionate flair. He didn't even want to play the violin, but had felt some sort of obligation to do so when Arturia had asked him to do so. Speaking of Arturia, she sat on the chair to his right, her eyes closed in a concentrated yet relaxed manner, even after his performance had long since been cut off.
It was then the Sankta had finally spoken up "...isn't that too harsh of an assessment on our young apprentice here, Laurentina?" Arturia sang out the Abyssal Hunter's name at the end, slowly opening her eyes with a relaxed expression. "For somebody who looks as if they had never picked up an instrument, he plays quite well."
"Oh please," Laurentina scoffed toward her, "I just say it how it is, criticism is bound to be present when somebody judges another's art piece. It's up to them whether they wish to improve on it, or not—either way is fine with me."
"Then I ought to teach our little Princess how to play the violin, shouldn't I?" Arturia said, "here, let me aid you of where the path of your bow should travel," the Sankta slightly shifted in her seat, pulling closer to the black haired man.
"I..." Megumi was about to refute her, but stopped when the woman's hands touched his shoulder and onto the instrument. It reminded him of the first time when Gojo Satoru had fixed his posture, playfully berating him for his lack of skill in playing the refined instrument. The only thing that was lacking from Arturia to fully complete the scene was chastising his lack of skill.
Laurentina fit the mold quite well, though.
"Here, position your hands like this, and steady the violin..." Arturia's words whispered into Megumi's ears, fixing his posture with her delicate hands. The instrument, guided and orchestrated by her hands, had been fixed in a fancy way, reminiscent of how a skilled violin player would hold their precious tool.
"Ah, really?" Laurentina narrowed her eyes, before moving from her seat to get closer to Megumi, reaching her hands out to grasp the violin and his arm. "You've preached so much about playing with the soul's content, little angel, but here you're imposing your style. Quite hypocritical, isn't it?" She pulled no punches, pushing down the violin in Megumi's grasp to set him to a default resting position.
"Inspiration is a good medicine for learning," Arturia persisted, keeping a gaze locked on Laurentina, unheedingly meeting the crimson silhouette of her gleaming eyes. "I'm not merely telling him what he should do, but simply pointing to a path bestowed with multiple roads, and it's his choice to choose."
"Haha~? Is that so?" Laurentina faux laughed. "I'm sure he would much prefer to learn from me."
Megumi could feel himself being pushed against the two while having to balance the violin against his neck. Their movements have already paused, leaving themselves to lightly press on his body. Personally, it was a jarring feeling, the Sorcerer wondering if he should immediately break them apart.
"Truly?" Arturia tilted her head, almost speaking in a way that implicated a challenge.
"...I wouldn't prefer to learn at all," Megumi decided to cut in between the two, holding a dissatisfied look, "I don't like playing instruments, they were never my thing."
"Hm?"
"Huh?"
Arturia and Laurentina spoke in that successive order, turning towards the black haired man with a neutral expression.
...Megumi felt as if they were judging him.
"Isn't that quite boring? Goodness, I can't imagine you would settle for such a boring life, lacking the grace of any music," Laurentina let out an exaggerated sigh while shaking her head in disappointment.
"It's not a good idea to lie, Princess—"
Laurentina let out an indignant huff, hearing the Sankta use her nickname for him.
"—After all, I can easily tell of which intention you broadcast within yourself," Arturia gave the sharky lady a small smug smile before turning back to Megumi.
Megumi frowned, being double-teamed by questionably sane women wasn't something he would have wanted to check in his non-existent bucket list.
"Forgot about that," Arturia waved her hand, "I would have never expected you to have played an instrument, who taught you to do so?"
Laurentina hummed in agreement with the other woman for once, resting her arms on her chair's armrest and crossing her legs once more.
Megumi's mouth opened, keeping the same expression as he had done before. At that moment, a memory of a time long since lost invaded his brain, of a certain white haired man too eccentric for his gloomy world. Those gleaming blue eyes which encompassed the skies themselves continued to glitter themselves within his mentalscape, lighting it up with only its azure permeance.
"...It was..." Megumi drew out his voice, swallowing the rough saliva down his throat "...no, nevermind." For some reason the words 'you homewreckers!!!' echoed loudly in his mind, leaving a large amount of discomfort to pervade his body. "It doesn't matter."
Laurentina and Arturia continued to stare curiously at him.
***
Megumi gauged all the weapons in his arsenal right now. He remembered them all like the back of his hand, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, his Glock turned Handcannon, Homusubisu, Samyojana, Inverted Spear of Heaven which could change forms, and Daiitoku.They were all Special Grade, seeing how the only requirement for Cursed Tools to become Special Grade is to possess a Cursed Technique imbued into it.
Imbuing Cursed Techniques obviously took a lot of time and was a complex process, like programming code only professional seniors would know into a program. It took years upon years of experience and even dedication, just like that Black Rope that Gojo Satoru had told him about.
He was glad that the Dharmachakra was practically a cheat code. It was like a self-learning AI which could code for him, and it was the Sorcerer's own will if he wished to learn how it did such things to utilize for himself. After all, the adaptations he gained were temporary, as turning off the Shadow Extension for Mahoraga would void all of them.
After getting a feel of how his Dharmachakra had guided him throughout the processes of creating Cursed Tools, Megumi was sure he could create a Cursed Tool of his own given enough time. However, the problem with imbuing Cursed Techniques was that it took time, something that he couldn't afford to do.
So why not utilize his current experiences and current adaptations to make a well-forged weapon? That was the best way he could do things, because the Dharmachakra was always accessible to him.
Megumi remembered the first ever Cursed Tool he had received with the assistance of Gojo Satoru and his ungodly influence in Jujutsu Society. They were basically allowed to waltz straight into Jujutsu Tech's armory and nab a weapon of their choosing, and nobody could say a thing about it. After all, who would speak up against the Strongest Sorcerer and his student?
That was how he had received the Jet Black Blade, an average Cursed Tool imbued with a standardized amount of Cursed Energy for any standard Sorcerer to utilize. The only special thing about it was the obsidian colored sheen that made it stand out from other Cursed Tools. The young Sorcerer had decided to choose it that time, because it matched the shadows of his Cursed Technique.
Gojo Satoru had also said it was one of the better options out of the other Cursed Tools.
So it was his responsibility to imbue his Cursed Technique overtime into the weapon to improve it. Megumi recalled he didn't have his Cursed Technique Reversal at the type because Reverse Cursed Technique was not accessible to him—making the crucial component of Positive Energy being inaccessible. That meant he couldn't imbue his Shikigami's features into them, something that he had realized ages ago.
What he did instead, however, was imbue 'Ten Shadows' into it, the general 'medium' that it uses to summon his Shikigamis. It was as anybody, including himself, could have guessed: shadow properties. The Sorcerer lingered upon the thought a little longer, remembering the fate of the Cursed Tool that had befallen it.
It was when he was trapped in that desolate cave with nowhere to go, and having cut down those damned whack-a-mole wannabes to oblivion. They were nothing more than shredded ribbons, but that was when the accursed Special Grade monster had popped out to deal a near fatal blow to him.
He had blocked the wind breaking jab with the Jet Black Blade, and it had borne the burden of the blow. With the grotesque pressure emitted from that physical blow, the Cursed Tool still being rushedly enhanced with Cursed Energy had been shattered on the spot. It was like watching a paned glass with black tints collapsing before his eyes.
The Sorcerer still had the scraps after exorcising the Finger Bearer, and it took it back for repairs. By the time Shinjuku had rolled about, all that was left of it was sectioned pieces of the blade that had been sitting in his shadow and rotting. Megumi didn't see much of a use for the weapon, seeing how he had all the other Cursed Tools in his inventory at the moment.
But... something that he took into consideration was that all of his current armaments were 'specialized' in doing something. Take for example, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, it was a gigantic Nodachi which had jet propulsions that tore across battlefields. Its enormous size also made it a weapon not meant for traditional usages. Daiitoku and his Handcannon were self-explanatory, along with Homusubisu. Samyojana was better relegated as utility, just like how its unenhanced version had been.
The Inverted Spear of Heaven was a broken off portion of a spear, meaning it was the size of a shortsword in total. Fushiguro Megumi enjoyed using shortsword-esque weapons in their size, but he had grown accustomed to using all other kinds of weaponry. However, it still didn't seem like a standardized tool in which he could utilize in many situations, as its special feature was to disable his opponent's abilities.
It didn't have any other Cursed Technique attached to it that could assist a warrior in pure strength either. The second one was only accessible via Ame-no-Sakahoko, and the Sorcerer wasn't sure what it even was yet. Besides, the spear mode of the large dagger could only be used if he infused Reverse Cursed Technique to repair the soul of the inanimate object. Using it as a 'standard' weapon when Ame-no-Sakahoko was the strongest Cursed Tool in his arsenal wasn't productive at all.
With how draining it also was, he would only use it when the situation demanded for it to be used, lest he wished to balance his fickle life on a thin tightrope. With that in mind, the black haired man had decided he was going to create one last Cursed Tool to fit his final needs.
Donning his black haori with a swift movement, the black haired man stretched his arms for a moment. The outview leading toward the essence of Sturmland itself was a nice view, especially with the morning sun flashing its radiant gaze upon him. Looking across the city to spot anything that interested him, the black haired man had decided on his next course of action.
That was to seek out a Leithanien blacksmith.