"It's simple! I've said it so many times before! You just go whoosh like this, then swirl like that!"
Right in front of everyone, Shoko raised her fingers and drew two circles in the air to demonstrate.
"What? You guys don't get it?" she questioned, blinking her eyes innocently at the group of blank faces staring back at her.
'I explained it clearly… didn't I?'
"I think it's safe to say no normal person could understand that," Suguru said quickly, seeing Haibara already slipping into an existential crisis.
"Then there's nothing I can do~ Maybe you guys just don't have the talent for it." Shoko shrugged, looking perfectly serious as she said something that made everyone else's heads ache.
"Forget it. It's fine if we can't learn it anyway. It's not like anyone could ever push me to the point where I'd need to heal myself with reversed cursed energy." Satoru pushed up his sunglasses and spoke with a smug grin, trying to hide the fact that he didn't understand a single thing.
"That's exactly why you can't learn it," Mukuro said suddenly.
"Now that you mention it… yeah, you're probably right. After all, no one can break through my Limitless, and no one can fool my Six Eyes," Satoru replied, scratching the back of his head before flashing a carefree smile.
Just like Shoko said, perhaps he really wasn't gifted in that area. And with his overwhelming power, there'd never been a real need for it. Since enrolling in Jujutsu High, not once had he met an enemy capable of hurting him. So of course, his motivation to master reverse cursed energy was… nonexistent.
"Need a hand with that? If I put you through a near-death experience, you might just grasp the essence of Reverse Cursed Technique." Mukuro spoke up casually.
The air shifted at his words. What had originally been a lighthearted atmosphere grew tense.
"You wanna try me? The barrier's not up yet, so we can have a little spar. Don't worry, I'll hold back. We're not enemies after all." Satoru gestured toward the half-destroyed school building behind them, his blue eyes glinting faintly beneath his shades.
"I'll pass," Mukuro responded with a shrug. "But if you're serious, give me enough money and my brother would be happy to help you 'awaken.'"
"Your brother? Sure. If it works, I'll pay you this much." Satoru held out his hand and wiggled five fingers.
With his status in both the Gojo clan and the entire jujutsu world, money was nothing more than a number to him. If five hundred million yen could teach him reversed cursed energy, it was worth it. Though he doubted he'd ever lose.
"Hey, hey, you two… maybe stay on topic?" Suguru frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Deal." Mukuro agreed before his friend could stop him. "Don't worry, I'll tell him to go easy on you. Like you said, we're not enemies."
Another fat paycheck. And honestly, after all the years they'd spent in the assassination world, it was about time for him and his brother to quit while they were ahead.
"You sure talk big. But anytime's fine by me; whether I'm sleeping, eating, even on the toilet, doesn't matter. I won't lose." Satoru smiled faintly, unfazed by the challenge.
"Alright, you two, that's enough. Mission's done, let's head back. We still have juniors watching." Suguru sighed, exasperated, as the two continued their ridiculous talk in front of everyone. He should have known. Put two cocky idiots like them together, and chaos was guaranteed.
Stepping forward, he slung an arm around each of their shoulders like a tired mother separating her squabbling sons.
"Come on, let's go already!"
At that exact moment, the curtain dissolved, and Shoko quickly pushed everyone toward the exit.
"The mission report was wrong. This was a grade 1 incident. Make sure they get extra pay for it."
Outside by the car, Suguru released the two troublemakers and turned to the assistant managers to report the situation.
"Understood!"
And just like that, a grade 1 cursed spirit event, something that would send most sorcerers running, was casually wrapped up by a handful of fresh-faced teenagers.
* * *
More than a month passed in the blink of an eye.
One morning.
"Fushiguro, why are you up so early today?"
Inside the dorms of Tokyo Jujutsu High, Haibara, who had just woken up and was about to grab breakfast, ran into his next-door neighbor.
"There's a mission. They think it's a grade 1, maybe even special grade. They've offered me a very high price to take care of it urgently." Mukuro waved his phone lazily, yawning.
"Wow, that's amazing! It's only been a month since you enrolled, and you're already handling cases of that level alone!"
Haibara's face was full of admiration.
"It's not a big deal. I just don't get why they're calling me for it. Shouldn't that white-haired idiot and Suguru be first in line for these kinds of jobs?" Mukuro furrowed his brows slightly. Both of those guys were already well-known and powerful sorcerers. It didn't make sense that the higher-ups would contact him instead.
"White-haired idiot… you mean Gojo-senpai, right? I heard Miss Mei and Utahime-senpai have been missing for two days now. The second-years went to investigate, but the school's been really busy lately." Haibara rubbed his chin, repeating what he'd heard.
"So it's already started…" Mukuro's tone changed subtly at the words. That important event was about to happen.
"What do you mean?" Haibara asked, puzzled.
"Nothing. Take care."
Before he could ask further, Mukuro waved the boy off and walked away.
As he moved through the quiet path of the school, he opened his inbox. Just as he expected, there was a new message from Toji: 'What you wanted is here.'
"The Star Plasma Vessel, huh?" Mukuro murmured as he dialed his brother's number.
"I'm curious. How did you know the Time Vessel Association would come to us through Kong?" On the other end, Toji sounded confused. When he first received the job, he was stunned.
Years ago, Mukuro had told him that if the Time Vessel Association ever tried to hire them for an assassination, not to refuse.
"If they want the job done right, they'll go to the strongest in the business. And the strongest… is us."
"Hah, still as arrogant as ever. So, what's your plan?" Toji chuckled, no longer questioning it.
"I'm just finishing the first job I ever took," Mukuro said, a faint smile curving his lips. "Though you might be getting a nice bonus out of this one."
It was time.
Time to show that white-haired idiot just how terrifying the so-called 'monkeys' could be.
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