Chapter 5: The Ritual
The three small figures stared at each other in confusion. Tusimiki's eyes fell on the large white dog crouched by Souta Enjou's feet. It was worth mentioning that even when he wasn't acting ridiculous, he still looked quite handsome.
Trying to strike up a conversation, Tusimiki said, "Hi, I'm Fushiguro Tusimiki, and this is my brother, Fushiguro Megumi. Is that your dog?"
Souta Enjou nodded slightly. "My name is Souta Enjou. He's a gift from an old man. His name is White Wolf."
Tusimiki smiled sweetly. "Can I call you Enjou? Megumi also has two dogs. Even though I can't see them, Megumi said one's black and one's white but I can see yours."
Souta Enjou didn't bother to explain what a cursed corpse was. He simply treated it like an ordinary dog; at first glance, it looked no different.
White Wolf squatted on the ground, tongue hanging out. Perhaps he understood Tusimiki's words, for his tail wagged even more cheerfully. Though Fushiguro Megumi was a rather stern faced boy, with his sister nearby he remained relatively calm and polite.
Using the topic of White Wolf as a starting point, the three gradually became familiar with each other. At Tusimiki's request, Fushiguro Megumi reluctantly summoned his own great white dog.
Souta Enjou watched as Megumi clasped his hands, forming a dog's head like a shadow puppet. Then, with a sudden motion, Megumi's shadow surged, revealing the great white dog.
Perhaps because White Wolf carried the cursed power of a cursed corpse, the White Dog known as Jade Dog and White Wolf got along quite well. This was especially true because, though young, Tusimiki was incredibly gentle and kind, something reflected in her brother's obedient attitude toward her.
After playing nearly all afternoon, Souta Enjou, who was about to leave, was persuaded to stay for dinner. From what he remembered, he should know how to cook though reaching the stove might be a challenge. However, upon seeing Megumi's disapproving look, Souta Enjou smiled and agreed.
The meal was prepared by Tusimiki. It was simple and homely, but Kamigon enjoyed it so much that he nearly fought with Megumi over it. Megumi glanced at the boy across from him with clear annoyance. This guy… why does he feel so familiar? And why does he keep hanging around here? He almost stole my sister away…
Thinking about what Gojo Satoru had said about attending school with him later, Megumi stirred the rice in his bowl even more aggressively. His sister noticed and said, "Megumi, eat properly and stop playing." That only made him sulk more.
After saying goodbye to the Fushiguro siblings, Souta Enjou returned to his new home. It was quite large especially since he was the only one living there which made it feel even more spacious and quiet. However, Souta Enjou didn't feel the slightest fear. He simply sighed softly, thinking that Gojo Satoru was indeed as unreliable as Yaga Masamichi had said...
As Bailang explored the area to get familiar with it, Souta Enjou also examined the three story house and chose a room on the second floor with good sunlight as his bedroom. The place was clean, with working plumbing and electricity. It seemed someone had tidied it up beforehand, so perhaps Gojo Satoru wasn't entirely untrustworthy.
He spent his first unfamiliar night there. The next morning, Souta Enjou got up and prepared a simple breakfast of fried eggs, bread, and milk from the fridge. Just as he finished eating, there was a knock on the door.
Opening it, he found Gojo Satoru smiling brightly. Before Souta Enjou could say a word, Gojo spoke first:
"Get ready I'm taking you to test your technique. I'll also teach you some basics about the world of curses."
Souta Enjou turned to hug Bailang, and suddenly, the familiar scene shifted again. Gojo Satoru had brought him back to Jujutsu High or rather, to what looked like it. Souta Enjou also saw Yaga Masamichi standing nearby, though this wasn't a campus but a barren field.
Yaga, slightly displeased, said, "Satoru, he's still young. Aren't you being too hasty?"
Gojo waved his hand. "Relax. Enjou's got talent and his technique's a bit special. It needs to be understood."
Gojo clapped his hands. "Principal Yaga is an excellent teacher. I've asked him to explain the basics of the curse world to you."
Ignoring White Wolf, who playfully circled him, Yaga adopted a serious expression. "Let's start with some fundamentals."
"Negative emotions from people generate cursed energy and give birth to curses. On average, more than 10,000 people die or go missing in Japan each year and most of those incidents are caused by curses. Techniques are innate talents possessed by certain individuals. Once they can control their cursed energy, they use it to fuel their techniques and exorcise curses. Those people are known as sorcerers."
"A technique is a wonderful thing think of it as a kind of superpower. Mastery of techniques, cursed energy, and physical skills are essential subjects for all sorcerers."
"For example," Yaga continued, "Satoru's technique is called Limitless. It might sound complicated, but simply put the closer an object gets to him, the slower it moves. It's impossible to touch him. Most techniques are publicly known, since sharing information about them acts as a self imposed restriction that strengthens the technique's power. Satoru also possesses the Six Eyes, an inherited trait that allows him to clearly see the flow of cursed energy and the operation of techniques."
"Your technique, however, is unknown. The only way to understand it is through practice or Satoru's judgment."
Gojo stepped forward, grinning. "Exactly. So, Enjou, why don't you show us your technique?"
Curious about his own power, Souta Enjou nodded eagerly. "Sometimes, I enter a special state where I move at incredibly high speed, and everything around me seems to stop."
Souta Enjou activated his technique, feeling his cursed energy ignite and suddenly, he was in that state again. Gojo Satoru could still follow his movements, but Yaga Masamichi lagged behind.
After just a few seconds, Gojo's usual playful smile vanished, replaced by a serious look that mirrored Yaga's. The blindfold around his eyes had already been removed. He raised his right hand, and a sphere of blue light appeared at his fingertips.
Gojo said, "Try releasing your cursed energy like I did."
Though inexperienced, Souta Enjou followed his instructions. Under Gojo's guidance, he managed to steadily gather cursed energy into a small sphere at his fingertips.
"Now," Gojo said, "apply your technique to that energy and see what happens."
Souta Enjou concentrated. It felt strange like moving a limb he hadn't realized existed until that moment.
As he activated it, he could suddenly feel the presence of his technique clearly, controlling it to influence the cursed energy before him.
Then it happened the cursed energy vanished from his fingers, leaving only a faint trail in the air. The following sound wasn't loud but sharp, almost slicing through the wind.
Yaga's eyes widened. Souta Enjou could barely track the cursed energy's trajectory it disappeared the moment it was released.
That meant if the attack had been aimed at him, he wouldn't have been able to dodge or counterattack only defend until it struck.
Though the attack wasn't particularly strong, it was clear Souta Enjou hadn't used his full power. He had focused solely on speed the essence of his technique.
Gojo rubbed his forehead, watching as the remaining cursed energy dissipated into the sky. His ice blue eyes gleamed strangely as he turned to Souta Enjou.
"That's… quite something."
Curious, Yaga asked, "Satoru, what exactly is his technique?"
Gojo's smile remained, but his tone grew serious.
"Time. His technique is time itself."
"Enjou doesn't use cursed energy to accelerate his body like we do he accelerates time for himself or for whatever he targets. That's why his movements and attacks appear terrifyingly fast. His flow of time is simply… different."
Yaga's eyes widened in awe. The history of jujutsu was filled with countless techniques some immensely powerful. For example, Master Tengen's technique grants immortality, and when his body ages beyond repair, it evolves into an even higher existence.
Gojo's Limitless was also overwhelming but never before had Yaga seen a sorcerer with a time based technique, and such a direct one at that.
While strength doesn't rely solely on one's technique, it's undeniable that it shapes a sorcerer's potential. And this boy Souta Enjou possessed not only a rare technique but also a vast well of cursed energy.
Gojo added with a grin, "Enjou's cursed energy is tied to his technique. It's likely that his energy generation has been unconsciously influenced by it all along that's why it's so fast."
He chuckled. "If my Limitless allows me to use almost no cursed energy thanks to my Six Eyes, then perhaps one day, Enjou might produce more cursed energy than he consumes achieving, in a sense, infinite cursed energy."
Souta Enjou looked down at his hands. "Time… my technique is time?"
Memories flashed through his mind moments that had felt distorted, stretched, or frozen. Time… it really is extraordinary.
Before he could think further, Gojo grabbed him with a grin. "Well? This is your technique's first appearance! Want to give it a name?"
Souta Enjou paused thoughtfully. "Let's call it… Wheel of Time."
(End of Chapter)