Night fell on the first day of the Goodwill Event.
A thick cloud of gloom hung over Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Although the school doctor, Shoko Ieiri, was missing, Yuta Okkotsu, who also possessed the Reverse Cursed Technique, was present to heal everyone's physical wounds. Their bodies were mended, but the trauma to their spirits was far harder to heal.
Megumi Fushiguro and Yuji Itadori had been taken captive. Shoko Ieiri was missing, presumed abducted by the Cursed Spirits. To top it off, the stored fingers of Sukuna and the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings had been stolen.
All they had to show for it was one captured curse user: the "Butcher."
They had lost this round, and they had lost miserably.
At dinner, the students sat before a feast of delicacies, yet no one picked up their chopsticks.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Satoru Gojo, the resident mood-maker, stood up and clapped his hands with a bright smile. "Lost your appetite just because of one little defeat?"
"Or perhaps you'd like to hold the third 'JUPPON' tournament? Only the winner gets dinner! It's a great idea, since the Kyoto students are all here, let's make it a mega-sized JUPPON match!"
No one responded. Everyone's mind was elsewhere. Gojo gradually petrified and crumbled in the silence.
"Alright, since everyone is so hung up on this afternoon, let's just have a reflection meeting. Everyone states the mistakes they made, and then we'll all vote to crown the 'Ultimate Scapegoat'! That's right, it's the first-ever Scapegoat Championship!"
"I'll start," Gojo said, counting off his flaws on his fingers. "First, I was too weak and couldn't drive off all the enemies instantly. Second, I failed to see through the enemy's plot beforehand. Third, I knew the school's security was lacking but didn't bother to reinforce it. Fourth..."
Gojo rattled off a long list, making it sound as though the entire failure rested solely on his shoulders. With Gojo taking the lead, the others finally began to open up.
"No, it was my fault," Yuta Okkotsu said, standing up. "I was too incompetent. Gojo-sensei called me back specifically to protect everyone, and I failed."
"How can you blame yourself?" Maki said with a dark expression. "We were too weak. We held you back."
"Salmon," Toge added.
"It was me. I didn't help at all near the end," Panda said. After his fight with Ultimate Mechamaru, he had no combat power left.
"I committed an unforgivable error as well," Aoi Todo said, his expression unusually somber. "The moment I encountered Aosora, I should have told Itadori to leave and report to the rest of you. Instead, I let my confidence get the better of me and charged in, dragging Itadori down with me."
"I'm sorry... I just watched while Fushiguro-kun sacrificed himself," Momo Nishimiya sobbed.
"I should have performed much better. I've failed everyone's trust," Noritoshi Kamo added, lowering his head.
As everyone rushed to take the blame, the atmosphere finally began to stir from its stagnant state.
"Enough." Masamichi Yaga's powerful voice suppressed the chatter. He bowed slightly and said, "As the Principal of Tokyo Jujutsu High, the ultimate responsibility for failing to protect the students lies with me. Tomorrow, I will report this to the Jujutsu Headquarters and resign from my post. Someone as inadequate as I has no right to lead."
"Principal, that's not necessary!"
"Don't be rash, Principal!" the students urged.
"Yaga, I was there today too. If we're talking about responsibility, I can't escape it either. I'll go with you tomorrow," Principal Gakuganji said, uncharacteristically supportive.
"There's no need for that. You two stay here; there are too many things that need processing. As for the Headquarters, I'll handle them alone," Gojo said, knowing he was the only one with enough leverage to tank the fallout. "Principal, listen to me this time."
"Satoru... fine," Yaga conceded, seeing the seriousness in Gojo's eyes.
"Argh, this is so annoying!" Nobara Kugisaki suddenly slammed the table and yelled. "What's the point of all this whining? I'm going to eat well, sleep well, and go get them back tomorrow!"
With that, she began frantically stuffing food into her mouth, eating ravenously.
"She's right!" Maki was the first to join her, digging into the now-cold meal. Inspired by them, the others opened their appetites and began to eat.
Watching this, Gojo flashed a genuine smile. "That's our Nobara."
…
Outside the Zenin estate, in a hidden underground cavern, one of Aomori's new hideouts.
The various "Aomoris" and his team returned one by one.
The "Aomori" (actually Ditto in disguise), Absol, and Pidgeot had captured Yuji and Megumi. Darkrai had snatched Haruta Shigemo as he tried to retreat. Aomori himself had easily captured Mahito and Shoko Ieiri, along with the fingers of Sukuna and the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings.
The Cursed Womb: Death Paintings were Special Grade cursed objects; once they found a human host to undergo "Incarnation," they would become lifeforms similar to Cursed Spirits. Mahito's side had stolen them to gain more allies, but Aomori had no use for them.
"Aiyee, Boss Aomori, have you finally seen the light? Don't worry, I won't tell your other women," the "Aomori" (Ditto) said, looking at the captive Shoko Ieiri with a lecherous, knowing grin.
Lately, Aomori had been leaving Ditto with Naoya Zenin to learn conversational nuances. Indirectly, it had learned a lot of "new knowledge," opening a door to a world beyond Pokémon. In short, it had been corrupted.
"Ditto, are you in the mood for more 'training'?" Aomori asked. What other women? I've always been a paragon of virtue.
Aomori gave it a "kind" glance, and Ditto immediately fell silent. "No, no! I still need to finish copying these people."
"Is the Megumi Fushiguro copy done?"
"Finished. Just the 'hedgehog' one left."
"Forget him for now. Copy this woman first," Aomori said, pointing at Shoko Ieiri.
Shoko's value lay in her mastery of the Reverse Cursed Technique.
Reverse Cursed Technique is not an innate technique carved into the body, but a sophisticated manipulation of Cursed Energy. By multiplying negative energy by negative energy, one converts it into positive energy, allowing for the healing of oneself or others. While it cannot remove scars, it is practical enough to save someone whose heart has been ripped out.
Aomori didn't expect Ditto to master it instantly; the copy was just a way to see if it was possible. For actual application, Aomori intended to figure it out himself. The conversion of positive and negative energy might provide a new path for his mastery of Light and Dark energies.
Before long, Ditto finished the copy. Aomori hurried it off to copy the remaining captives—one can never have too many transformations. By now, Ditto had far surpassed "Seventy-Two Transformations"; it likely had over a hundred and forty-four. It wasn't the strongest of Aomori's four pets, but it was undoubtedly the most versatile and difficult to deal with. With its mastery of various sorcerers' techniques, even Darkrai would have a hard time pinning it down.
Once Ditto finished its copying duties, Aomori gave it a new mission: transform into Haruta Shigemo, leave the Zenin estate, and go undercover with the Cursed Spirits.
Mahito was currently encased in a massive sphere made of layers of barrier techniques. Having studied the Zenin archives, Aomori's barrier skills had progressed by leaps and bounds; trapping Mahito was child's play. Without Mahito around, slipping into their ranks would be easy. This mission was primarily to monitor a certain "super-villain" on that side. Since Aomori hadn't seen the series finale, he didn't know the man's ultimate goal. To ensure his own plans succeeded, he had to keep a close watch on a guy like that.
After Ditto left, Aomori provided some medical treatment for Yuji and Megumi. With a snap of his fingers, they both groaned and began to wake up.
"Excellent. You have the strongest physique among them."
As Yuji drifted into consciousness, these were the first words he heard. Sounds familiar...
He looked around and found himself in an underground cavern. His body felt as if it were bound to a stone pillar, unable to move. The person who had just spoken was the cursed spirit he hated most—Aosora. Nearby stood the two shikigami-like spirits that had beaten him to a pulp.
"I've been caught? Dammit!" Yuji strained with all his might but couldn't budge. He yelled at Aomori, "Hey! What happened to Todo? Did you catch him too?"
"Shut up, Itadori," Megumi Fushiguro complained, yawning as if he had just woken up from a nap.
Hearing the familiar voice from his side, Yuji turned his head. Seeing Megumi also bound to a pillar, he felt a mix of shock and joy. "Fushiguro! You're here too? What a coincidence!"
"Wait, no—why were you caught too?"
"I told you, you're too loud. Isn't it obvious? I was caught by the same spirit you were," Megumi said flatly.
"Agreed. Please stop yelling, Itadori-kun. You're disturbing everyone's rest," Shoko Ieiri added, also awake and complaining.
Shoko was on the far right, Megumi in the middle, and Yuji on the far left, all bound to pillars by a mysterious force.
"Wait, that voice... Ieiri-sensei?"
"That's me."
"What's going on? Was the school invaded too? Did Jujutsu High fall?" Yuji asked in a panic.
"Of course not. Gojo-sensei is still there!" Megumi cut off Yuji's illogical spiral. "Ieiri-sensei must have been targeted for a specific reason."
"I'm just a humble member of the faculty. Fushiguro-kun's deduction is surely incorrect," Shoko said.
Liar, you're anything but ordinary! Megumi thought, silently scanning the room for an escape. My body doesn't hurt... it feels like I've been healed. My Cursed Energy hasn't recovered yet, but I could probably summon a few shikigami if I push it. I don't see any ropes, yet I can't move. However, I can still use techniques. Once my energy returns a bit more, if I coordinate with Itadori, we might have a chance to get out. The problem is Ieiri-sensei isn't a fighter. Did he grab her as a hostage to keep us in line? And what does he want with us?
Megumi's mind raced. Finally, Aomori spoke up. "You must be wondering why I've invited you here."
"Yeah! Fine, grab me and Fushiguro, but why Ieiri-sensei? She looks totally useless," Yuji said.
"Itadori-kun, I understand you're saying that so he'll let me go, but it still hurts my feelings. You definitely seem like the type who's never had a girlfriend," Shoko said, pouting.
"Ah, sorry, sorry."
"Don't get sidetracked. Let him finish," Megumi said. He had been dying to know Aomori's goal. Yuji and Shoko immediately shut up.
Aomori smiled. "You are witnesses, and you are my facilitators. You will help me, and witness me, become a true God!"
"Facilitators? Witnesses?" That means we aren't in immediate danger of being killed. Megumi felt a quiet wave of relief.
"We won't help you!" Yuji refused instantly. "Become a God? You aren't worthy!"
Aomori ignored Yuji's shouting and looked directly at Shoko. "Now, I invite our first facilitator to take the stage."
Shoko felt her body dragged by a mysterious force, lifted from the pillar and placed directly in front of Aomori. Then, her ability to move was restored.
Watching this, Megumi realized several things. A technique similar to telekinesis? He can bind someone's body and lift at least 40kg. That's troublesome. And I'm still not sure which spirit's ability it is. Megumi glanced at Aomori, Absol, and Pidgeot, his gaze finally settling on Aomori. It's most likely his own power.
Shoko stretched slightly. "Well? How do you want me to 'help'?" She remained unfazed, acting as if Aomori were just another patient.
Aomori was quite impressed; he almost made a "you're an interesting woman" remark worthy of a romance novel protagonist. "I have a bit of an interest in the Reverse Cursed Technique. I'd like to see it in action."
"That's it?" Shoko was baffled. He went through all the trouble of kidnapping her for something as basic as Reverse Cursed Technique? He could have just asked.
Understanding her look, Aomori, a master of subtle flexing himself, felt he had found a kindred spirit. He nodded. "I'm just a little curious."
Megumi didn't believe for a second that it was just "curiosity." There had to be a deeper meaning, but he couldn't have Shoko refuse. Who knew what the consequences would be? Most likely, either he or Yuji would be beaten half to death to serve as Shoko's practice material. Being at someone's mercy was a terrible feeling. He waited silently for an opening.
"Fine. Give me your hand," Shoko said bluntly.
Aomori extended his right hand. Shoko took it in both of her own. A soft, supple sensation reached his mind.
"Here it comes."
In the next instant, a foreign Cursed Energy flowed into Aomori's body.
Aomori felt the energy. To his perception, it carried a vibrant, life-filled positive energy similar to Holy Light. The complete opposite of the negative-emotion cluster that was standard Cursed Energy. Through their joined hands, Aomori's own energy entered Shoko's body, sensing the interplay between the two distinct forces.
After a long time, Aomori finally understood.
"I see."
Negative times negative equals positive. It was the principle of extremes meeting. By pushing darkness to its absolute limit, pure light is born. This was the Duality of Light and Dark.
Aomori released her hand. A brilliant light erupted from his palm, forcing Shoko and the others to shield their eyes. But quickly, the light shifted into a deep, pitch-black void. It was as if he held a black hole in his hand, a darkness that consumed all light.
Ding!
[Congratulations, Player Aomori has reached an enlightenment. Light Affinity and Dark Affinity have increased to LV7.]
————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]