"Hey everyone. How are you feeling?" Gojo's voice was heard from a distance, causing us all to turn to him.

"Ah, um-" You watched as Yuta plummeted onto the ground after receiving a blow from Maki's wooden staff.

"Don't look away, you moron!" "Yes." "Stand up already!" "Yes."

For some reason, Maki was being extra rough towards Yuta compared to when she was training you. The poor boy couldn't get a break.

"You wanna hit me once right?" "Yes!"

Yuta ran towards Maki in a zigzag, swinging his wooden katana right at her with full strength. Maki jumped to dodge it, her form breaking. Yuta took the opportunity to swing his katana once again, expecting to hit her as she landed, but even Maki's landing was gracefully fast, already bending on the ground before Yuta swung his sword. Using her feet to trip Yuta backward, she immobilized him and hit him in the head with her staff.

"My win again."

"Was that last part really necessary?"

"Don't be a baby. Always fight like it's a real battle. Whether or not you feel pain will affect the speed of your growth."

"One more time, please!"

"It's been three months since Yuta entered this school." Panda said. You, Inumaki, and Panda sat on the grass in front of where Yuta and Maki were training, with Gojo standing near the three of you.

"Salmon."

"He's become able to move a lot. And he's turned into a more positive guy." Gojo commented.

"Even Maki's been having more fun recently. She hasn't been able to train with another weapon user ever since I practiced using the bow and arrow alone."

"Salmon Salmon."

"Yeah, that's true... WAIT! YUTA! COME HERE!" Inumaki squinted his eyes as Panda called out Yuta with urgency. You looked at him with a questioning look.

"What is it Panda-kun?"

"This is a seriously important question. Listen carefully." You also looked at Panda with a serious expression as he said those words, listening to their conversation intently.

"So boobs. Big or small?"

Your face now squinted into a frown as well. Why ask that question now? Yuta looked like he was in deep concentration as he rested his chin on the handle of his katana with closed eyes.

"I haven't really thought about it..."

"Fufufufuf~ fun fun!"

"Hmm... I guess I like them more normal-sized...."

"Hoo~ hoo~ Maki Maki!" Turning to Maki with a weird expression, it was as if he said "you have a chance~!"

"OI WHAT KIND OF MISUNDERSTANDING IS THAT? I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Don't get so shy~! What are you, a primary schooler?!"

"THAT'S IT. I'LL KILL YOU. TO HELL WITH WASHINGTON TREATY!"

"Well that was a nerdy comeback..." you commented.

"What are they even talking about?" Yuta laughed.

"Konbu." Inumaki said seriously, causing Yuta to halt as if the word contained a curse. You looked at him with a sweatdrop. He didn't understand Inumaki yet.

"Gather around folks! Those two will continue training for a while."

"Toge! Help me!" "[y/n]! PREPARE A PROPER BURIAL FOR THIS PANDA."

You and Inumaki smiled at them and waved, focusing back at Gojo and ignoring the two.

"You've been assigned a mission. It's a suitable curse for you, so go exorcise it in a jiffy." Gojo turned to Toge.

"Salmon."

Laying flat on the ground with Maki's feet on his head, Panda explained to Yuta, "Toge and [y/n]'s the only grade 2 sorcerers among us, so they can take solo missions."

"Wow... That's amazing..." Yuta commented.

'But you're a special class...' You and Maki thought.

"Tag along, Yuta. Act as Toge's support. Or rather, try to observe him and his technique."

Before they left, you went and greeted them. "Bye Inumaki, good luck with your mission! You too Yuta! Stay safe!" You waved as they entered the car and left off for their mission at a market.

___________________

The next day after their mission, you woke up early to prepare for classes.

You looked at yourself in the mirror. Your uniform was customized to your request. Your blouse was a ruffled long sleeve with the color of the classic dark blue jujutsu uniform. It was collared, with a gray bow neatly tied to your neck, the two ends of the ribbon housed your Jujutsu button pins. Your blouse was tucked into your pleated skirt that reached about one inch under your knees, and your shoes were black flats with straps that secure them around your feet. Sometimes, you wore loose pants instead of a skirt, and rubber shoes instead of flats, depending on your mood.

After fixing yourself a little, you wore your bandages and traveled to your classroom. On the way, you hear Gojo and Ichiji discussing matters in a hushed tone. Hiding, you listened closely to what they were discussing.

"I'm sorry I couldn't prevent the incident earlier. I take full responsibility-"

"No, it's fine. The opponent was too much for you to chew anyway..."

"So does that mean... You know who the culprit is?"

_____________________

"Hey, Yuta. Panda." You greeted, standing in a spot right beside them.

"Toge had his cursed words since he was born, you see. So it seems he had his hardships in the past like accidentally cursing people. It's actually pretty similar to your circumstances, Yuta. So it seems he was concerned about you when you transferred." Panda explained, earning a nod from you and Yuta.

"He's pretty easy to misunderstand, but he's really nice. I hope you can get along with him." You smiled at Yuta.

"Yeah! Me too!-"

"Oi Yuta! Come on time for day training!" Maki said, harshly bonking his head with her staff, successfully earning a playful snicker from Panda.

"Stop laughing Panda! I'll kill you!" You laughed a little too. You were starting to get on with what Panda was on about.

"Inumaki!" You shouted from the window, waving at Inumaki who was watering plants— an act he made his daily morning duty.

He turned around and smiled at you with a wave as well.

"See you later 'kay?" "Salmon salmon!"

____________________

"It's getting colder and colder each day..." You say, rubbing your arms that were covered in a thick, knitted sweater. It was only 2 days from Yuta and Inumaki's mission, yet a sudden drift in weather was evident in those 2 days.

"Sujiko."

"What's wrong Yuta?" Panda asked him, who was seemingly agitated about something.

"Umm... I just had a bad feeling...." He said, turning to the sky in search of something in the distance.

"Just your imagination." Panda and Maki both replied.

"Okaka!"

"Eh? Come on guys..."

You removed your glasses and looked around, feeling your heart beat a litter faster, skipping a little.

"Now that Yuta mentions it, I kinda feel it too..." You say, putting your glasses back on.

"Well, Yuta's cursed power perception is basically monkey level." Panda said, paw to his chin while nodding.

"Of course he'd be dull with Rika at his side all the time. But when [y/n] says it, there's more weight since her hunches are usually right..." Maki said.

"Tuna."

"Nah... it's probably nothing... My senses have also been feeling a little stuffy from being around Yuta a lot recently..." You say, turning to them and continuing walking.

"Eh? Why?" He asked.

"You smell a lot because of Rika."

"I do?" He started putting his arm close to his nose, sniffing it to pick up what he smelled like.

"Okaka."

"Not in that way. I meant like in a curse way."

"Ah..."

You heard wings flap, a sudden strong scent of curse wafted through the air, causing you to turn around quickly to look where it came from.

"How unusual." Maki said, examining the huge cursed bird right in front of us.

"Yuta's hunch was right." Panda looked as well.

"You don't look like you're authorized to be here." Maki said, wielding her weapon with a tight grip.

"I haven't seen a curse that big." Panda stared with curiosity.

"Sujiko." Even Inumaki brought down his collar and was on alert.

"Wah... what a huge bird." Yuta commented.

"This place sure hasn't changed." The man with dark, long hair with bangs parted to his left remarked, examining Jujutsu High.

"Is this really Tokyo? It reeks of the countryside..." A young girl with white hair up in a bun said, peeking from the bird's mouth.

"That's rude, Nanako." Another girl commented, her hair short with bangs hugging her forehead similar to the white-haired girl.

"Eh? You think so too, right Mimiko?" the white-haired girl, Nanako, said to Mimiko, a shirtless man with a headband. "Woah, a panda! So cute!"

"Who are you guys? Yuta-san here won't forgive any intruders you know?" Panda said, shocking Yuta.

"Konbu konbu." Inumaki said, nodding.

"That's right! Yuta-san here shows no mercy to those who oppose him!" You continued.

"EH?"

"JUST LEAVE ALREADY BEFORE YUTA-SAN HERE BEATS YOU UP!" Maki said angrily to the intruders.

"EEEHH?!"

You blinked, and when you opened your eyes, the man was holding Yuta's hands in greeting.

'He's really fast!' You, Inumaki, Panda, and Maki all thought, now on defensive mode as you backed away from the man in kimono.

"You possess a truly wonderful power. I believe that great power should be used for great purposes. Do you have any doubts about the current world? A world where Jujutsu sorcerers work secretly to protect the commoners." The man continued to talk, making Yuta uncomfortable as the man still held his hands.

"You see," the man now placed his arms on Yuta's shoulders, acting as if they were close friends talking about their opinions. "I want to correct the contradiction that is the strong having to adapt to the weak. It's so wretched!" "Mhm...sure..."

"Mankind, the Lords of creation, are impeding the steps of its own evolution. It's nonsense! Humanity needs to review its survival strategy. And that's why I'm asking for your help."

"With what?" Yuta asked.

This man was crazy. The look on you and your friends' faces was proof that you all found this idea ridiculous and absurd. All of you were now on edge as each moment passed with this man.

"Please don't push your inane ideas onto my students."

You never thought you'd be so relieved to hear the voice of your sensei amidst this uncomfortable situation.

"Satoru! It's been a while!"

"Get away from these children, Suguru."

Suguru. Geto Suguro. The name you heard just yesterday.

"I did hear the first years this year were particularly exceptional. I see, so you were in charge." Geto continued.

"A special class jujutsu sorcerer.

A mutated cursed corpse.

A descendant of spell casters.

An illegitimate child of the Hitomi clan.

And, a failure of the Zenin clan!"

"You bastard!-"

Your eyes widened in rage. The disrespect of this man without even knowing what Maki has been through infuriated you.

"You don't even know who she is or what she can do. Yet you have the balls and ego to say she's a failure. Aren't you a stupid and crazy one!" You said, eyes wild and clouded with rage. You felt Inumaki grip your shoulder tight to prevent you from doing anything more out of impulse.

"Aren't you a feisty Hitomi! They're usually more mellow ya'know? I may not know what this Zenin over here does with her monkey life, but I'm certain of one thing, and that's the fact that a monkey will remain a monkey. She'll always remain weaker than others."

Yuta escaped from Suguru's heavy arms that were slumped on his shoulders.

"I don't understand what you're trying to say, Geto-san. But I'm sorry, I can't help people who would belittle my friends!" Yuta boldly declared.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I had no intentions of making you feel uncomfortable." He replied.

"Then why are you even here." Gojo roasted, dropping the mic.

"To declare war! Gather around everyone, open your ears and listen well! On the 24th of December during sunset, we shall perform a Hundred Demons Night Parade! The place shall be the crucible of curses, Shinjuku Tokyo! And of course, the capital of Jujutsu, Kyoto! 1000 curse will be released in each place and ordered to "kill the trash". Unless you want hell to be painted on Earth, then work to death to stop me. Let us curse each other as much as we want!"

"AH! Geto-sama! The store is closing!" Nanako shouted after Geto finished his declaration.

"Ah, it's that late already? Well then, sorry Satoru. The girls said they'd only come if they got to eat crepes at Takeshita street. I'm gonna take my leave. Dear me, for a place so full of monkeys, what's even so great about-"

"You think I'll let you go?" Gojo said.

"Come on now. My free time is all for my precious students." And as he turned his back, massive curses came out of nowhere, surrounding you and everyone else.

"See you on the battlefield, everyone!" And with that, he took off with the bird he used to get here and flew away. You put your glasses up, the swarm of skeleton curses starting to walk in slow motion.

Gojo singlehandedly killed all the curses almost in an instant, making it easier for everyone else who sighed in relief.

Putting your glasses down, you wiped the tears in your eyes. Only after everyone has settled down were you finally able to put your guard down and get rid of the anxiousness that formed in the pit of your stomach.

____________________

"He still got away though..." you brought up in the silence all of you were dwelling in, the classroom was only filled with the heavy breathing of Panda. He let out a louder huff as you said this.

"Well... looks like war is about to break out." Panda said.

"I'm not too worried though. I mean, if the whole Jujutsu world is on edge, it's unthinkable that we'd still lose despite the powerful forces we have..." Maki said, placing both her feet on top of the armchair.

"Sujiko."

"Well although that is true... still, I've got a bad feeling about this... I'm at least anxious and nervous for what's about to come..." You bring up.

"I'm new to this sorcery stuff, but from [y/n]-san, it sounds like a pretty big deal... It makes me feel a little anxious as well." Yuta said, sitting stiffly beside the desk where Maki placed her feet.

Silence.

"Hello kids! It's your sensei, here to inform you that we won't be having classes this week. I'm certain you all probably know why."

____________________

December 24 was a frosty cold day. Not only the weather, but the atmosphere of the day itself was different. It felt cold. Coldly malicious. And you can't shake the feeling.

"Tuna Tuna."

The knock on your door made you jump a little, and hurriedly, you finished wrapping your eyes with bandages. You were too nervous about being sent to Shinjuku. But other than that, your senses were telling you something you could not point your finger at, yet the was so unshakable.

You grabbed all of your arrows, your bow, and your eye drop, then opened the door for Inumaki.

"Leaf mustard?" He asked caringly, his muted purple eyes starting to fill with worry.

"I... I'm just nervous... Again... But this time, I don't think I'll die!" You chuckled a little to yourself, but it was still evident that Toge was getting anxious for you.

"I'm fine. Seriously." You held your hand up in pledge, asking him to trust your half-true lie. But the slight tremble in your raised hand gave it away.

He raised his own hand, high-fiving yours. You smiled at him. Sometimes, it's the small gestures that matter the most.

"Let's go beat some ass!" You said, earning a nod from him as the two of you walked out of the dorms and went to the gathering place at the entrance.

Panda was already there standing near Gojo. "Let's go now." And with that, the whole group made their way to Shinjuku. Gojo was evidently less carefree than usual but based on the information and the dots you could connect about his relationship with Geto, he was rightfully so.

It was unsettling to see him like this, and you hope that later, you could do something to help cheer up your sensei even a little. Maybe inviting him to the movie night this week, you thought. Surely that would brighten him a little.

_____________________

As you all of you arrived there, the place was already filled with bloodlust and darkness.

"Gojo-san..." Ichiji called out a few moments before the battle started.

You've never seen him get so mad before. "[y/n]! Inumaki! Panda! I'm sending you back to school!" He said with force, grabbing the three of you with him to an open space.

"Geto is there. Definitely. Maybe. For sure."

"WHICH ONE IS IT!?"

"Doesn't matter right now. Yuta and Maki. They're in danger. Please fight with your lives to save theirs."

You all nodded determinedly, allowing Gojo to warp you back to Jujutsu High.

"There's a curtain! I'll break it open!" Panda shouted as you fell on top of it.

The curtain broke open.

We followed Panda as he ran through the walls, breaking them for a shorter path.

"Not bad!" Geto Suguru said, dodging Panda's attacks.

You pulled your bandages up.

Geto felt his heartbeat slow down, his movements as slow as a snail despite trying his fastest to move.

"Maki first!" you shouted, staring at the man with full concentration.

Inumaki shouted, making Geto fall into a hole, allowing us time to reach the critically damaged Maki. The cursed word he used was powerful. His throat was already bleeding.

"Inumaki are you o...k....M-Maki...?" You looked at her with wildly wide eyes. She was on the floor, her right leg severely crushed and damaged and she was bleeding from the torso. Hearing Geto rise from the hole with the help of curses, the three of you tried your best to focus back on the fight.

You looked in pure shock at the abundance of the curses released as Geto rose from the hole.

You pulled an arrow and tried to make the range of your sight wide enough to look at all the curses erupting from the ground.

Panda and Inumaki were out of your sight. You shot and shot and shot, but the curses just seem to multiply. And your eyes, they were quick to tear up. As soon as you opened your eyes just seconds ago, they already felt immensely strained. And now, it feels like blood was tearing out of them.

The world was telling you to blink.

In your peripheral vision, you saw Panda's arm got sliced off as he attacked a spirit.

You heard Inumaki try to attack, but the dripping and splattering of blood on the floor tells you he has reached his limit.

The world forced you to blink.

"Panda! Inumak!i" You shouted, your eyes closed. Geto Suguru did not fail to take this opening.

Inumaki braced himself for defense as Geto launched to attack him.

"Inumaki!"