Silly author note: If cursed energy comes from negative emotions… therapy would solo half the cast.
===
The gate loomed between them like the world's most dramatic meeting point.
Shinra's feet carried him forward on autopilot, his brain still catching up to the fact that he was here, in Jujutsu High, about to interact with an actual character from the manga. Not a cosplayer. Not a drawing. The real deal.
Fushiguro Megumi. Potential Man himself. The guy who could've been the protagonist if Gege wasn't so obsessed with his king of curses.
The guy in question was now close enough for Shinra to see the details the anime never quite captured, the slight furrow of his brows, the way his eyes missed nothing, the natural wariness of someone who'd grown up in a world where danger could come from anywhere. He was taller than Shinra expected. Or maybe Shinra was shorter now? He hadn't checked a mirror since waking up.
You're sixteen, ROB supplied helpfully. Shaved off a few years and a few inches. Don't worry, you'll grow. Probably.
Thanks. Very reassuring.
Megumi stopped walking. His eyes locked onto Shinra with the intensity of someone who'd just spotted a potential threat.
Here we go.
"You're not a student here." Megumi's voice was flat, neutral. A statement of fact, not an accusation. Yet.
Shinra raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Woah, yeah, no, I'm new. Just got here, actually. I'm supposed to..." He fumbled for the envelope, pulling it from his hoodie pocket. "Admission letter. From the higher-ups."
Megumi's eyes flicked to the envelope, then back to Shinra. He didn't move to take it. "The higher-ups don't send admission letters directly to students. That's not how it works."
Shit. Okay. Quick, Shinra, think like someone who definitely belongs here.
"I don't know how it usually works," Shinra said, going for confusion rather than defensiveness. "I just got told to come here with this. Something about a distant relative owing them a favor? I didn't really understand it, honestly."
Megumi studied him for a long, uncomfortable moment. Shinra forced himself to maintain eye contact, to not look away like he had something to hide. It was harder than he expected, Megumi's gaze was heavy, like it carried weight.
Finally, Megumi extended his hand. "Let me see it."
Shinra handed over the envelope. Megumi examined it carefully, the wax seal, the paper quality, the way it was folded. He opened it with the care of someone defusing a bomb, pulling out the letter inside and reading it with the same intense focus.
The silence stretched. A bird called somewhere in the trees. Shinra became acutely aware that he had no idea what the letter actually said.
Relax, ROB's voice soothed. I'm good at forgery. Billions of years of practice. That letter will pass any test short of a direct confession from me.
You could've mentioned that earlier.
Where's the fun in that?
Megumi looked up from the letter. His expression hadn't changed much, still wary, still assessing, but some of the tension had left his shoulders. "This looks legitimate." He folded the letter carefully, tucking it back into the envelope. "I'm supposed to take you to the principal's office."
"That'd be great, thanks."
Megumi turned and started walking, clearly expecting Shinra to follow. Shinra fell into step beside him, suddenly very aware that he was walking next to a major character from one of his favorite series. Fushiguro Megumi. Ten Shadows user. Future head of the Zenin clan if things went differently. The guy who...
DING!
A translucent blue screen materialized in front of Shinra's face, making him stumble. Megumi glanced back.
"You okay?"
"Yeah! Fine! Just, tripped. On nothing. Happens all the time."
Megumi's eyebrow arched in that perfect "I don't believe you" way that characters in anime always did. But he turned back around and kept walking.
Shinra focused on the screen, willing it to be less obvious.
[MISSION COMPLETE: First Contact]
Objective: Successfully enter Jujutsu High and make initial contact with a canon character.
Reward: Basic Cursed Energy Control
About time, Shinra thought. He could feel the knowledge settling into him, not like information being downloaded, but like a muscle he'd always had finally waking up. Suddenly he could sense it properly: the flow of cursed energy through his body, the way it pooled in his gut like a second heart, the potential waiting to be shaped.
Don't get too excited, ROB warned. That's literally the bare minimum. You can sense CE and perform basic reinforcement now. No techniques yet. No fancy moves. You're basically a first-year with training wheels.
Still better than nothing.
Speaking of better than nothing... ROB's tone shifted to something that made Shinra immediately suspicious. I've got another mission for you. Special offer. Limited time only.
Another screen appeared:
[SPECIAL MISSION: Show of Appreciation]
Objective: Slap Fushiguro Megumi's ass.
Reward: Yuji Itadori's Physical Capabilities (Strength, Speed, Durability)
Shinra stopped walking.
Megumi stopped too, turning with obvious impatience. "What now?"
"Nothing! Give me one second! Emergency, um, shoe issue!"
Shinra crouched down, pretending to fiddle with his sneakers while his brain completely short-circuited.
ARE YOU INSANE?!
Probably, ROB replied cheerfully. Billions of years alone does things to a being's psyche.
I'M NOT SLAPPING HIS ASS!
Why not? It's a great deal. Yuji's physicals are no joke, watered-down Heavenly Restriction, basically. Super strength, super speed, super durability. You'd be streets ahead of where you are now.
I don't care! I'm not, that's, he'll think I'm...
Gay? ROB supplied. So what? You're in a new body in a new world. You can be whoever you want.
That's not, I'm not...
Look, I'm not saying you have to enjoy it. I'm saying you need the power, and this is the fastest way to get it. Yuji's physicals would let you keep up with heavy hitters from day one. Without them, you're gonna struggle against anything above Grade 3.
Shinra wanted to argue. He really did. But ROB had a point, a terrible, horrible, no-good point that made Shinra hate him for making it.
Yuji's body was built different. Literally. The guy was a physical anomaly, capable of keeping pace with sorcerers who'd trained their whole lives despite having only months of experience. That kind of foundation would be invaluable.
But slapping Megumi's ass...
He's walking right in front of you, ROB crooned. Perfect positioning. Easy target. No one will ever know.
I'LL KNOW.
Yeah, but you'll also know you've got the body of a demigod. Weigh your priorities, kid.
Shinra stood up, his face feeling like it was on fire. Megumi was waiting, arms crossed, patience clearly wearing thin.
"Done with your shoe emergency?"
"Yep. All good. Let's go."
They started walking again. Shinra's eyes drifted to Megumi's back. To his... back. Just his back. Normal back. Walking normally.
Don't look at his ass. Don't think about his ass. There's nothing special about his...
His uniform fits pretty well, ROB observed. Those pants are tailored.
SHUT UP.
I'm just saying. If you're gonna do it, now's the time.
Shinra's hand twitched. He curled it into a fist. Then relaxed it. Then curled it again.
This is insane. This is actually insane. I'm debating whether to sexually harass a fictional character for power.
He's not fictional anymore. And it's not sexual harassment if it's for a good cause.
THAT'S NOT HOW THAT WORKS!
Details details. Look, you're running out of time. We're almost at the main building. Decision now or forever hold your peace.
Shinra looked ahead. Megumi was maybe two steps in front of him, walking with that effortless grace that anime characters always had. The path was empty. The trees provided cover. It was now or never.
I can't believe I'm doing this.
DO IT!
Shinra's hand moved before his brain could stop it.
SLAP.
The sound echoed in the quiet afternoon like a gunshot.
Megumi froze mid-step. His entire body went rigid, his back still turned to Shinra, his hands hanging at his sides.
The silence that followed was so absolute Shinra could hear his own heartbeat. And Megumi's heartbeat. And probably the heartbeat of every bug within a fifty-meter radius.
"...What," Megumi said, his voice completely flat, "was that."
Shinra's soul attempted to evacuate his body through his skin.
"There was..." His voice cracked. He cleared his throat. "There was a curse. On your, on your back. A small one. I slapped it away."
Megumi turned around slowly. His face was the definition of deadpan, no anger, no embarrassment, no emotion at all. Just a stare that could curdle milk from across the room.
"A curse."
"Yes."
"On my back."
"Small one. Grade 4, maybe. Really tiny. You probably couldn't sense it because it was so..."
"I know you're new here," Megumi interrupted, "but I don't swing that way."
Shinra wanted to die. He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole. He wanted Truck-kun to make a surprise return appearance and finish the job properly this time.
"It's not what it looks like!" The words tumbled out in a rush. "I'm not, I don't, I'm straight! Extremely straight! The straightest person you'll ever meet! I just, curse, had to..."
"Uh huh." Megumi's expression didn't change. "Sure."
"I'm serious!"
"Follow me." Megumi turned back around and started walking. "And don't do that again."
Shinra stood there for a moment, mortification crystallizing into a solid mass in his chest. Then, because he had no other options, he followed.
DING!
[MISSION COMPLETE: Show of Appreciation]
Reward: Yuji Itadori's Physical Capabilities (Unlocked)
The change hit him like a truck, a good truck, if such a thing existed. Suddenly his body felt alive in a way it never had before. Muscles he didn't know he had awakened. His bones felt denser, his tendons more elastic, his very cells buzzing with potential. He could feel his new strength like a coiled spring, waiting to be released.
Congratulations, ROB announced. You're no longer a pathetic baseline human. You now have a body suitable for someone who's about to get into a lot of fights.
Shinra wanted to appreciate it. He really did. But the memory of that slap kept playing on loop in his head, each replay worse than the last.
I can't believe you made me do that.
You made you do that. I just provided incentive.
Same thing!
Not even close. Anyway, enjoy your new physicals. Yuji's body is no joke, you're basically a mini-Toji now. Well, not really, but closer than you were five minutes ago.
Shinra tested his new strength subtly as they walked, flexing his fingers, feeling the power there. It was intoxicating. He felt like he could punch through a wall. He felt like he could run a marathon and not break a sweat. He felt...
Like Megumi was probably never going to trust him.
Worth it, he told himself. Probably.
The main building of Jujutsu High was exactly as imposing as the manga suggested. Ancient architecture, wooden beams, paper screens, the kind of place that felt steeped in centuries of tradition and violence. They walked through corridors that creaked appropriately, passed doors that probably hid training rooms full of cursed tools, and eventually stopped in front of a door that looked exactly like every other door they'd passed.
"Principal's office," Megumi said. "Go in. I'll wait here."
"You're not coming?"
"I have other things to do." Megumi's tone suggested those "other things" included "never being alone with you again."
Fair enough, Shinra thought miserably.
He knocked.
"Enter."
The voice was gruff, masculine, exactly what Shinra expected from Principal Yaga. He slid the door open and stepped inside.
The office was cluttered in the way that suggested genuine work, not just decoration. Papers stacked on the desk, files overflowing from shelves, a few vaguely sinister-looking dolls in the corners that Shinra recognized as Yaga's creations. And behind the desk sat Principal Yaga himself, broad-shouldered, stern-faced, exactly like his manga design.
And on the worn leather couch against the wall, legs crossed, blindfold firmly in place, was the man himself.
Gojo Satoru.
Shinra's brain momentarily blue-screened.
Oh shit oh shit oh shit it's Gojo it's actually Gojo THE Gojo holy fuck...
Play it cool, ROB advised. Don't stare. Don't freak out. He's already analyzing you anyway, so just act normal.
Right. Normal. He could do normal.
"You're the new transfer?" Yaga's voice cut through Shinra's panic. "The one the higher-ups sent?"
"Yes, sir." Shinra stepped forward, pulling out the admission letter, the same one Megumi had already inspected. "I was told to give you this."
Yaga took the letter, his eyes scanning it with the same intensity Megumi had shown. Shinra used the moment to sneak a glance at Gojo.
The strongest sorcerer in the world was sprawled on the couch like a bored cat, one leg dangling off the edge, his blindfolded face turned in Shinra's general direction. Even without seeing his eyes, Shinra could feel the weight of his attention, like being under a microscope, like every cell in his body was being catalogued and filed away.
He knows, Shinra thought. He knows I'm not supposed to be here. He knows something's wrong. He's Gojo Satoru, he always knows...
Relax, ROB soothed. He can tell you're unusual, but he doesn't know why. And he won't figure it out unless you give it away. So stop giving it away.
Shinra forced himself to breathe.
Yaga finished reading the letter, setting it down on his desk. "Everything seems in order." He leaned back, studying Shinra with the same assessing gaze. "I have one question for you."
"Sir?"
"Why do you want to join Jujutsu High? What's your goal here?"
Shinra opened his mouth to give the standard answer, duty, family tradition, whatever sounded good, and then stopped.
Because that wasn't the truth. And for some reason, lying to Yaga felt wrong. Maybe it was the way the man looked at him. Maybe it was the presence of Gojo in the room, silently judging. Maybe it was just that Shinra was tired of pretending.
"I want to save people," he said.
Yaga's expression didn't change. "That's vague."
"I know." Shinra met his gaze. "But it's true. I've lost people. People I cared about. People I couldn't protect because I didn't have the power to. I don't want that to happen again. I don't want to watch the people around me die while I stand there useless."
The words came out rougher than he intended. He hadn't meant to get emotional. He hadn't meant to think about Kenji, or Gramps, or all the others who'd slipped through his fingers. But here they were, ghosts in the room with him, pushing the words past his lips.
Yaga was quiet for a long moment. Then, surprisingly, he nodded.
"That's the right answer." He glanced at Gojo. "What do you think?"
Gojo stretched like a cat, a lazy grin spreading across his face. "I think he's telling the truth. Maybe not the whole truth, but definitely not lying. And his body's interesting, did you notice? Physically, he's way above normal. Like, way above. It's almost like he's got a mini-Heavenly Restriction going on, but not quite. No loss of cursed energy to compensate, either. Weird."
He noticed, Shinra thought. Of course he noticed. He's Gojo.
He'd have to be blind not to notice, ROB agreed. But he doesn't know why, and he won't push. Yet.
Yaga grunted. "We can figure out the details later. For now, you need to pass the entrance exam."
"Entrance exam?"
"Standard procedure." Yaga stood, moving toward the door. "You'll face a series of curses. Show us what you can do. If you survive, you're in. If you don't..." He shrugged. "Well, you won't be around to worry about it."
DING!
[MISSION: Entrance Exam]
Objective: Survive and pass Jujutsu High's admission test.
Reward: Basic Reinforcement Technique (Enhances physical attacks and defense)
Cheery, Shinra thought.
Welcome to jujutsu society. Where the entrance exam is literally life or death.
They walked through the school to a training ground, an open area behind the main building, surrounded by trees, with clear signs of past battles scarring the earth. Megumi had apparently decided to stay, because he was there when they arrived, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed.
Still not trusting you, ROB observed. Probably thinks you're gonna slap him again.
I will literally never live that down.
Nope!
Yaga gestured to the center of the training ground. "Stand there."
Shinra moved to the indicated spot, acutely aware of his three observers, Yaga, Gojo, and Megumi, all watching him with varying degrees of interest.
"First test," Yaga announced. He reached into his jacket and produced something small and sealed, a cursed object, clearly. "Grade 4 curse. Newly manifested. Should be easy for anyone with basic cursed energy."
He unsealed it and tossed it into the ring.
The curse materialized mid-air, a twisted thing, vaguely humanoid but wrong in every proportion. It was maybe three feet tall, with too many teeth and eyes that spun independently. It spotted Shinra and charged.
Shinra's new body moved before he consciously commanded it.
One moment the curse was three meters away. The next, Shinra was there, his fist already cocked back, his cursed energy flaring instinctively to reinforce the strike. The punch connected with the curse's head...
CRACK.
The curse disintegrated mid-air, its form scattering like smoke in wind.
Shinra blinked. He'd barely felt the impact. It was like punching wet tissue paper.
"Grade 4 is definitely too easy for him," Gojo commented from the sidelines. "His physicals are way above that level. Bring out a Grade 3."
Yaga nodded, producing another sealed object. This one felt heavier, more ominous. He unsealed it with the same motion, tossing it into the ring.
The Grade 3 curse was larger, maybe six feet tall, with elongated limbs and a face that was just a vertical mouth filled with needles for teeth. It didn't charge blindly like the first one. It looked at Shinra, assessing him, and then moved with purpose.
Shinra moved to meet it.
The fight was quick but satisfying. The curse was faster than the first, stronger too, but Shinra's new body was on another level entirely. He dodged a swipe that would've taken his head off, ducked under a follow-up, and drove his fist into the curse's torso. It staggered but didn't fall, Grade 3 curses had more substance than Grade 4. So Shinra hit it again. And again. And again, each punch driving it back, each impact cracking its form until finally, with a sound like breaking glass, it shattered.
Shinra stood in the center of the training ground, breathing evenly, feeling the fading remnants of cursed energy around him. That had been... almost fun.
"Okay, yeah, his physicals are ridiculous," Gojo commented. "That Grade 3 didn't stand a chance. Yaga, you know what this means."
Yaga's expression was thoughtful. "You want to test him against a Grade 2."
"It's the only way to get a real measurement. Grade 1 would be overkill, but Grade 2 should give us a good idea of his limits."
"A Grade 2 curse can be dangerous even for experienced sorcerers."
"And if he can't handle it, he shouldn't be here." Gojo's voice was light, but the words carried weight. "Better to find out now than in the field."
Yaga was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded, reaching into his jacket one more time. This seal was different, more complex, more layers. Whatever was inside was serious.
"Last test," Yaga said. "Grade 2 curse. If you survive this, you're in. If you don't..." He shrugged. "Well."
He really likes that shrug, Shinra thought.
Focus, ROB warned. Grade 2 is no joke. Even with Yuji's body, you're still inexperienced. Don't get cocky.
The seal broke. The curse emerged.
And Shinra's confidence took a hit.
It was easily eight feet tall, a twisted humanoid shape with four arms and no legs, it floated instead, hovering above the ground on some invisible force. Its skin was mottled gray, covered in eyes that blinked independently, and its face was a nightmare: too many mouths, too many teeth, all of them smiling.
Most concerningly, it radiated menace. The air around it felt heavier, thicker. This wasn't a random curse, this was something that had killed before. Probably multiple times.
The curse's many eyes fixed on Shinra. Its mouths smiled wider.
And then it moved.
Shinra barely dodged the first strike, a four-armed combo that would've turned him into paste. He threw himself to the side, rolling across the ground, coming up just in time to avoid a follow-up. The curse was fast, faster than anything he'd faced so far, and its attacks came from every angle.
Think think think...
He couldn't just punch this thing. It was too big, too durable. One solid hit from it would end the fight. He needed to...
The curse lunged. Shinra ducked under a swinging arm, drove his fist into its torso. The impact was like hitting concrete. The curse didn't even flinch. One of its hands grabbed Shinra by the shirt and threw him across the training ground.
Shinra hit the dirt hard, rolling, gasping. That had hurt. That had actually hurt. His new body had absorbed most of the damage, but he'd felt it.
Get up, he told himself. Get up get up get up...
He scrambled to his feet. The curse was already on him again, its many arms swinging in a pattern that left no room to dodge. Shinra did the only thing he could, he dropped, sliding between its legs (it had legs? It didn't have legs, it was floating, the physics of this made no sense) and came up behind it.
Hit it where it hurts. Where does it hurt? It's a curse, it doesn't have organs...
But it had eyes. Lots of them.
Shinra jumped, channeling every ounce of his new strength into a vertical leap that carried him higher than any normal human had any right to go. He came down on the curse's back, one hand gripping its shoulder for balance, the other hand driving into the nearest cluster of eyes.
The curse screamed.
It was a horrible sound, high-pitched and warbling, like nails on a chalkboard crossed with breaking glass. The curse thrashed wildly, trying to throw him off, but Shinra held on, punching again and again into the eye cluster, each impact making the scream louder.
It's working. It's actually working...
One of the curse's arms caught him across the chest and sent him flying again. He hit the ground, rolled, came up spitting dirt. The curse was turning toward him, but it was moving slower now, its form flickering at the edges where he'd damaged it.
Finish it. Before it recovers.
Shinra charged.
The curse saw him coming, raised its arms to block. Shinra didn't slow. He jumped at the last second, using the curse's own arms as platforms, launching himself higher, higher, until he was above its head, looking down at its many-eyed, many-mouthed face.
He came down like a meteor, both fists together, all his strength, all his cursed energy, everything he had, straight down onto the crown of its head.
CRACK.
The curse exploded.
Literally exploded, its form couldn't contain the damage, and it burst apart like a balloon filled with ink, spraying darkness in every direction. Shinra fell through the dissipating remains, hit the ground hard, and lay there staring at the sky, breathing like he'd just run a marathon.
Silence.
Then, applause.
Gojo was clapping, slow and deliberate, his blindfolded face turned toward Shinra with an expression that was probably a grin. "Not bad! Not bad at all! Grade 2 curse, first real fight, and you pulled out a win. Messy, inefficient, but a win."
Shinra groaned, pushing himself up to sitting. His whole body ached. He'd definitely bruised some ribs. Possibly cracked one. But he was alive.
Yaga approached, looking down at him with something that might have been respect. "You passed. Welcome to Jujutsu High."
Shinra let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Thanks."
From his spot against the tree, Megumi watched with an expression that was harder to read. Wariness, maybe. Respect, possibly. Or he was still thinking about the ass-slap. It could go either way.
---
Later, after a quick visit to the school's infirmary, after being poked and prodded by a tired-looking doctor who confirmed nothing was broken, Gojo led Shinra through the school to the dormitories.
"First-years usually share rooms," Gojo explained, his tone conversational, "but since you're a late transfer and all the other first-years aren't here yet, you get a private room for now. Lucky you."
They stopped in front of a door. Gojo produced a key, handed it over.
"This is you. Dorm's basic, bed, desk, closet, bathroom. No kitchen, but there's a communal area for that. Any questions?"
Shinra had approximately ten thousand questions. He settled for one. "When do I meet the other first-years?"
"Soon." Gojo's grin widened behind his blindfold. "They'll be arriving over the next few days. In fact, I think Fushiguro mentioned something about checking on a certain interesting vessel tomorrow. You might get to meet everyone sooner than you think."
Yuji, Shinra realized. Tomorrow's the day Yuji eats the finger.
"Get some rest," Gojo continued. "You've earned it. And try not to sexually assault any more of my students. Fushiguro seemed weirdly bothered by something, and I can't imagine what it was."
Shinra's face went red. "That's not, it wasn't..."
Gojo waved cheerfully as he walked away. "Night night, new kid! Don't let the curses bite!"
The door closed behind him.
Shinra stood in his new room, small, simple, exactly as described, and let out a long, exhausted sigh.
DING!
[MISSION COMPLETE: Entrance Exam]
Objective: Survive and pass Jujutsu High's admission test.
Reward: Basic Reinforcement Technique (Enhances physical attacks and defense)
Nice, Shinra thought. More power.
You'll need it, ROB agreed. Tomorrow's the day. Yuji eats the finger. Sukuna awakens. The timeline starts moving.
I know.
You ready?
Shinra looked around his new room. His new life. His second chance.
"No," he admitted. "But I'm gonna try anyway."
He collapsed onto the bed, still wearing his clothes, and was asleep within seconds.
Outside his window, the moon hung over Jujutsu High, casting pale light on the training ground where he'd fought for his life. Somewhere in the city, a boy with pink hair was about to have his world turned upside down. And in the morning, everything would change.
[END CHAPTER 2]