"Thank you, Sasaki-san!"
I nodded as I walked toward the taxi that had been prepped for me. Just as I opened the door to enter, I turned at the sound of hurried footsteps.
"Sasaki-san!"
Standing in front of me, breathless, was the Head Researcher—Subaru Minato.
"Regretting letting me go already, Minato-san?" I teased.
Letting out a breathless chuckle, he shook his head before straightening up and extending a hand.
"Thank you so much for the information you've provided me and my team over the past year."
I stared at his hand for a moment before offering a small smile and shaking it firmly.
"I'm also thankful to you and your team, Minato-san. If it wasn't for you, I would've still been... well, you know."
I gave a small shrug, prompting another chuckle from him.
"In any case, I'm glad you decided to take part in my research into the true history."
I hummed in agreement as we shook hands once more. Then I let go and turned to step into the cab. As I settled inside, Minato leaned down slightly so our eyes met.
"Sasaki-san, as promised all information regarding you and your... predicament was kept strictly confidential. Only my team and the Antarctic expedition are aware."
I gave a grateful nod before telling the driver to go.
"See you around, Minato-san."
With that, the driver pulled away, leaving the airport—and that chapter of my life—behind.
My new beginning in Japan had officially begun.
~Scene Change~
[July 27, 2006]
With a sigh, I looked away from the date on my phone and walked through the bustling crowd, eyes scanning for a small ramen place I'd grown fond of.
'Time sure flies.'
I'd arrived in Tokyo a month ago and had already integrated myself into society.
'There it is.'
Spotting the familiar stall, I quickened my pace. The moment I stepped inside I took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar aroma. A nearby waitress chuckled.
"Sasaki-san, don't you come by a little too often?"
I snorted, feigning offense. "Too often? I'd say it's not often enough!"
She giggled before returning to work just as the owner walked in with a warm smile.
"The usual, Sasaki-san? Ah, who am I kidding—of course it is!"
I chuckled as I made my way to a table in the back corner and removed my coat.
"Oji-san!"
Sighing as a young schoolgirl approached, I offered a kind smile and shifted over to make room for her to sit beside me.
"Maya-chan, how was school?"
She groaned, pulling off her school bag and retrieving a stack of books I assumed were homework. Seeing her intent, I lowered my head with a barely concealed groan as she scooted closer.
"Didn't I help you last time, Maya-chan?"
In response, she pulled out her most dangerous weapon—puppy eyes.
"Oji-saaaan, pleeeeease!"
With another sigh, I nodded causing her to brighten immediately as we dove into the dreadful world of math while waiting for our food.
-
"Here's the food!"
Looking up, I nodded at the owner, who then turned to Maya—his daughter.
"Come now, Oji-san here needs to eat, otherwise he'll turn frail."
With a whine, Maya reluctantly nodded and began packing up her things before heading off somewhere else.
"Thank you." he said.
I waved it off with a chuckle. "Don't thank me—thank this food for bringing us together."
He chuckled as I started digging in. Seeing this, he turned away to handle the growing crowd of students entering the stall.
As I ate, my thoughts drifted to how I ended up here… and how I'd somehow earned a lifetime of free food.
"I told you, didn't I? You'd make a good father."
I glanced at the window to my right and froze for a moment before relaxing. Instead of my own reflection staring back at me blankly… it was Kaede.
"That time has passed, Kaede."
She responded with a soft hum that made it feel like she was really there. But before I let myself fall into that illusion, I snapped out of it, reaching into my coat pocket.
Fishing out a small bottle of pills, I popped two into my mouth and chased them down with my food.
"Ryou… I don't blame you for not being there. I—"
Her honey like voice faded as the meds kicked in, cutting through the fog of grief and memory.
I rubbed at my eyes, letting out a slow breath before returning to my meal.
'Sorcerers.'
I kept eating, even as my instincts quietly warned me about the Cursed Energy Users who had just entered the stall.
Normally, whenever I came across sorcerers, I kept my signature as low as possible—hoping it would register as nothing more than an average human's. I'd made my choice long ago in my sealed state that the life of fighting was behind me.
'Fucking Reiji Takahomare.'
That raging inferno of a sorcerer had left my body so damaged, even my healing couldn't fully repair it. I only found that out after the researchers who discovered me conducted a thorough assessment.
'Whatever. I've kept my signature low.'
Still, despite my caution, curiosity was beginning to win out. One of them held an unusually high amount of Cursed Energy compared to the other sorcerers I've seen around here.
'Just a peek…'
With curiosity getting the better of me, I looked up and examined the newcomers. Their appearance immediately stood out from the rest of the crowd. Both wore white suits with red shoulder capes, topped off with white caps marked by a crooked letter "Q."
'That looks… familiar.'
Even though I had no desire to get involved with the sorcerer world again, I had kept tabs on it here and there. What I'd discovered left me confused more than anything.
Sorcerers weren't common knowledge—now hiding out of sight of the unknowing. It reminded me of my old world with the ever present divide between the mundane and the supernatural.
'Though that divide seems to be thinning lately…'
More surprising than that, most of the old clans from my time had either collapsed or faded into obscurity. The few that remained had grown in strength dominating the current era.
The one name that didn't surprise me was the Gojo Clan.
'I wonder what that Gojo kid's ancestors would think if they heard the rumors surrounding him now.'
It wasn't difficult to dig up information on him. From what I'd gathered, he was the child prodigy of the Gojo Clan—hailed as the strongest of his generation.
'Not surprising that he believes it. Seems like he's earned it.'
Sighing, I finished my ramen, stood up, grabbed my coat, and made my way toward the exit. As I passed the two sorcerers—who had just finished ordering I caught a snippet of their conversation.
"They sent two children from Tokyo Jujutsu High to protect the vessel."
'Amateurs.'
I snorted inwardly as I stepped outside, the cool air hitting my face.
'Fuck…'
My curiosity was killing me.
'A peek at this "Vessel" won't hurt.'
With that, I took to the rooftops, careful not to aggravate a particular old injury.