"I'm starting to get some really bad deja vu."
The sun hung low in the western sky, its dying rays casting long, dancing shadows across the earth. The warmth of the day had vanished, leaving only the biting chill of twilight.
Hasegumo finally emerged from the depths of the primeval forest. Steam billowed off his body in thick white plumes, a testament to the sheer physical heat he was generating despite the freezing temperatures. He was dressed in a light blue-and-white yukata—attire suited for spring or autumn, certainly not the dead of winter. The sight reminded him all too vividly of the day he had first arrived in this world.
But time had marched on, and the world had changed. The old man who had saved him back then was long gone.
Hasegumo looked up at the scattered clouds, searching for a shape that might resemble an old friend. He liked to believe that if a loved one hadn't been reincarnated yet, they were watching over him from some forgotten corner of the sky.
But the sky above was vast, clear, and utterly empty.
"Guess he already moved on to a better life."
...
There were no clouds, but there was smoke—thin trails of hearth-fire rising in the distance. Without a second thought, Hasegumo set off toward the source.
"Something's not right," he noted as he drew closer. He realized that in the direction of the smoke, there were far too many sorcerers.
Since his marriage to Nagasawa, the two had frequently discussed the finer points of jujutsu. Nagasawa's innate technique allowed her to scan all cursed energy signatures within a specific range and categorize them by grade—a strategic-level ability in large-scale combat.
As the man officially recognized as the "strongest," Hasegumo felt a certain sense of responsibility to contribute to the field. He had wondered if he could develop a more universal application of pure cursed energy that mimicked her radar. He personally could perceive the exact shape of objects using cursed energy, but it required such surgical precision that none of the Grade 1 sorcerers he knew could replicate it.
Taking a page from the Hunter x Hunter playbook, Hasegumo had spent time training and eventually developed a new technique accessible to anyone: "En."
This application of cursed energy had been quietly added to the Jujutsu High curriculum, though the reception had been lukewarm. Most sorcerers simply didn't have the cursed energy reserves to maintain a large-scale "En" for long periods while looking for curses. Only a handful of elite sorcerers bothered to train it, hoping to gain an edge in complex, unpredictable battles.
Unlike a Domain Expansion, "En" didn't require an innate technique. It allowed the user to perceive anything within the radius of their extended cursed energy. Its main drawback was that the target had to be a being that could manipulate cursed energy. Because when a sorcerer or curse comes into contact with another's energy, they instinctively push back. The user then senses that fluctuation, confirming the target's location.
Of course, this worked both ways—the moment you "touched" someone with your En, they knew exactly where you were, too.
For Hasegumo, however, keeping En active was a mindless habit. It was like a player in a MOBA constantly glancing at the mini-map; whether there was immediate danger or not, it didn't hurt to look.
With a casual pulse of his energy, Hasegumo realized there were at least twenty distinct cursed energy reactions in the village ahead.
...
By the time Hasegumo reached the village, the sun had fully retreated. Cold darkness had claimed the world, punctuated only by the flickering candlelight from small windows.
The sight only deepened his confusion. He had expected a major incident given the concentration of sorcerers, but the village seemed profoundly peaceful. Because of the cold, every household had their doors shut tight, but with his heightened hearing, Hasegumo could catch the faint sound of children playing inside.
Despite the mounting oddities, Hasegumo's greatest trait was his ability to roll with the punches. He wasn't the type to obsess over finding immediate answers.
"Anyone home?" He walked up to the largest house in the village and knocked with the easy confidence of an old friend.
Creak...
The wooden door slowly swung open. A man barely five feet tall—clearly a non-sorcerer—poked his head out. He was an elderly man with deep-set wrinkles, and he squinted as he scrutinized the giant, uninvited guest standing on his doorstep.
"My lord, how may I assist you?" The old man's tone was deeply respectful. Perhaps it was because Hasegumo didn't look like a bandit, or perhaps it was the sheer physical pressure of a man his height. Either way, the elder's guard was down.
"Sorry to drop in so late. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to stay the night," Hasegumo said. He reached into his pocket to find something to pay with, but his fingers found nothing but the cold metallic surface of the Gokumonkyo.
I definitely can't give him this, he thought, feeling a bit embarrassed. He stopped his search and offered a sheepish grin. "Actually, I'm a bit short on cash. If you'll let me in, I just need to make a phone call. My friends will pay you well when they come to pick me up. What do you say?"
Like a man who spends too much time in a certain region and starts picking up the local accent, Hasegumo found himself slipping into a more formal, slightly archaic way of speaking after just a few sentences with the elder.
"I do not know what this 'phone' is... but please, come in."
The old man went quiet for a moment, appearing to weigh the risks. Finally, he turned and stepped aside, leaving the door open for Hasegumo.
"He doesn't know what a phone is?" Hasegumo wondered what kind of backwater he'd stumbled into. As he stepped inside, he noticed the interior decor was unlike anything he'd seen—a style of primitive, rustic beauty.
A young boy of about ten was sitting at a table eating. When he saw Hasegumo, he beamed. "Wow, big brother, you're so tall!"
Hasegumo gave a casual wave but didn't say much. It had been a long day, and he needed sleep to recover his state. He followed the old man's directions and settled into a small guest room.
...
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Hasegumo rose early. He was worried that if he stayed missing for too long, his friends would start to panic. Upon opening his door, he saw the old man already busy preparing breakfast.
Hasegumo didn't interrupt. He stepped outside into the snow to complete his daily routine: ten thousand Gratitude Punches.
By the time he finished, his body was once again radiating steam. He stepped back inside to find the boy had already finished eating and headed out.
"Thank you for the meal." Hasegumo sat at the table and picked up a bowl. It contained coarse barley rice and a small piece of salted fish.
The food was meager, but he didn't mind. After a moment of silent prayer, he began to eat and talk with the old man.
The elder's name was Ise Hiramori, and the young boy was Ise Genshin. Both had lived in this village their entire lives. Genshin's parents were currently working in another village nearby.
As they spoke, Hasegumo realized this wasn't just some remote "backwater" like he had assumed.
"Wait, what did you say? Heian-kyo?"
Hiramori looked at him, confused by his guest's shock.
From the old man's perspective, Hasegumo was a giant of a man, nearly six feet tall. To him, that meant the stranger had been well-fed since birth. His clothes were vibrant and the stitching was invisible—a sign of immense wealth. Though he'd frowned slightly at the coarse food, he had remained perfectly polite and hadn't wasted a single grain, proving he was well-educated.
Furthermore, the only major city near this village was the capital, which Emperor Kanmu had only recently moved to: Heian-kyo.
The old man had concluded that Hasegumo was a noble from the capital who had lost his way. He had no way of knowing he was talking to a sorcerer from a thousand years in the future.
"What year is it?" Hasegumo asked urgently.
"Ah..." Hiramori was literate, but he was getting on in years. He began to count on his fingers. "Little Genshin was born three years before the start of the Enryaku era. This year is... the fourteenth year of Enryaku."
"...Well, this is a problem." Hasegumo didn't know whose era "Enryaku" belonged to, but he finally understood the gravity of the situation. He had time-traveled. Again.
Having no other leads, Hasegumo fed the old man a plausible lie about being lost and asked to stay for a few more days. Hiramori gave him a look that clearly said 'I understand, noble-sir' as Hasegumo walked out the door. He decided to head to the nearby woods to gather some timber as payment for his stay.
"I can still sense cursed energy, so I haven't been sent to some alternate world," Hasegumo mused, absentmindedly chopping down trees with the side of his hand.
"He mentioned Heian-kyo... Does that mean this is the legendary 'Golden Age' of jujutsu? The Heian Period?"
"That would explain why there are so many sorcerers in a random village."
"But how did I end up here? That damn Tengen..."
He thought for a while but came up empty. He pulled out the Gokumonkyo to examine it. The tiny eyes on its surface blinked up at him. In the sunlight, they almost looked cute.
But to Hasegumo, it felt like the cursed object was mocking him. As soon as his expression soured, the eyes retracted into the box as if frightened.
"I guess you don't know what happened either."
"Whatever."
With a thunderous crash, two massive trees—each several feet thick—toppled over. Hasegumo, acting as a one-man logging crew, slung the trunks over his shoulders and began walking back toward the village.
"I'll go to Heian-kyo. Maybe someone there can help me get home."
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