Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Times

"Mission accomplished!"

With the paperwork handed over to the local Police and the scene sealed off by the cleanup squad, Shingen Genichi's task was complete.

After a long stretch of either training or going on missions, he realized he hadn't had any time to relax. So, before returning to Tokyo Jujutsu High, he took a short walk through the town, picking up some local snacks and souvenirs for the others.

By the time he arrived back on campus, the others had already returned from their own missions.

Maki had suffered a minor injury but downplayed it, brushing off the incident with typical stubborn pride.

More surprisingly, word had it that Yuta Okkotsu's Curse, Rika, had revealed her full form during a mission—utterly obliterating the target Curse.

When Maki recounted it to the group, even she couldn't keep her disdainful tone.

"He's officially rated Special Grade," Maki muttered, arms crossed, looking vaguely annoyed.

Special Grade?

That was no small thing.

Currently, only three Jujutsu Sorcerers held that title:

Gojo Satoru, the Strongest Sorcerer alive,

Yuki Tsukumo, who rarely stayed in Japan,

and Suguru Geto, now a known Curse User.

Could Yuta be the fourth?

Given the overwhelming presence of Rika, the monstrous aura that nearly paralyzed even experienced Sorcerers…

It wasn't hard to believe.

"No, no, I'm not like that at all!" Yuta waved his hands frantically as Panda circled him with sparkly-eyed awe.

Inumaki Toge chimed in with a knowing "Salmon roe."

Even Maki, who had openly expressed skepticism, had to admit—it was Yuta who saved her and two civilians during the mission.

He was still timid, unpolished, and lacked confidence. But that... was changing.

"Let's go," Maki said, turning. "Training starts now."

Panda slapped Yuta's shoulder with his usual enthusiasm. "Let's walk the path to strength together, my brother!"

Yuta nodded with a tired but genuine smile.

Sunlight streamed through the windows as the team followed Maki down the hallway. The warmth on their backs felt like a quiet promise: they were growing.

•••••

Training Days

"Huff… huff…"

Yuta leaned heavily on his wooden training sword, drenched in sweat, legs trembling.

Across from him stood Maki, completely unfazed, twirling her weapon like it was an extension of her hand.

"You've rested five minutes already. Stand up."

Nearby, Panda and Inumaki Toge sat on the grass.

"He's strong," Panda murmured, watching Yuta with respect. "Genichi and Maki have been taking turns with him all day. And he's still standing."

"Salmon," Toge nodded solemnly.

Maki's new plan was ruthless but effective: tag-team sparring. She and Shingen Genichi alternated rounds, each pushing Yuta's endurance to the brink.

Physically and mentally, he was being forged in fire.

And with Ieiri Shoko around to heal his battered body with Reverse Cursed Technique, there were no breaks—only progress.

Just as Maki raised her staff for another round, a familiar voice echoed from across the courtyard.

"Shirone?!"

Shingen Genichi turned and ran, face lighting up with joy as the bounding form of Shirone leaped toward him.

In a flash, the overgrown canine lunged, tackling Genichi to the ground with an excited howl and licking him relentlessly.

After the initial reunion chaos, Genichi finally sat up and gave the fluffy dog a proper rub behind the ears.

"You've gotten big," he murmured. "And... heavier."

Sure enough, Shirone had grown substantially. His shoulder height now reached Genichi's waist, and his musculature had thickened. His coat had more patches of black, and the Cursed Energy emanating from him was stronger than ever.

Roughly the equivalent of a Second Grade Curse, Bailang had leveled up.

Yaga Masamichi, who had brought him back, approached casually.

"He's been upgraded," Yaga said, tone subtly proud. "Combat capability, Cursed Energy capacity, and most importantly—his tracking ability has been enhanced. Wider range. More precision."

Genichi bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Principal. He's perfect."

Soon, the others gathered around.

Even Maki, usually indifferent, eventually succumbed to Shirone's antics, offering a few stiff pats while trying to hide her amused smile.

Yuta looked on, touched. "He's a good dog."

Later, they had Shirone enter combat form—a transformation that bulked him up further, sharpened his claws, and magnified his Cursed Energy.

The hulking beast was terrifying—until he dropped the form in two seconds and came back wagging his tail for more head pats.

Classic Shirone.

•••••

In the following days, life resumed its now-familiar rhythm.

Yuta continued catching up on Jujutsu knowledge while enduring endless rounds of "training torture."

Shingen Genichi and Inumaki Toge often went on missions together, both being Second Grade Sorcerers capable of solo or pair assignments. The more missions Genichi completed, the more he honed his coordination with Shirone.

Things were going well.

And then came the announcement—

Kyoto Exchange Event

"Genichi! The exchange event with Kyoto Jujutsu High is about to begin!"

Shingen looked up from his training spot, blinking as Panda waved and jogged over.

"Oh yeah…" he murmured. "That competition between schools?"

Panda nodded, handing over a cold drink. "Usually it's for second- and third-years, but since we're the only ones around—and Yuta's Special Grade—they're letting the first-years participate."

Shingen opened the can and took a sip.

"With Yuta on our side, we've got this in the bag, right?"

Panda scratched his head. "Can't say for sure. Rika can't be used in the event. But even so, Yuta's strong. And all Techniques and Cursed Energy are allowed."

"Format?"

"Team battle and one-on-ones," Panda replied. "Standard stuff."

As they strolled toward the training field, they saw Inumaki jogging laps with Shirone playfully tailing him.

Yuta and Maki were sparring again—and this time, the pace was furious.

They arrived just as Maki landed a clean blow, ending the match.

Sweat glistened on Yuta's brow, but his smile was wide. He was keeping up now.

Maki sheathed her weapon and turned to the group. "The exchange event is next week. Training gets harder from now on."

Everyone nodded, even Shirone, who barked happily.

Then—

"Hi hi~! My beloved students! Look how motivated you all are~!"

Gojo Satoru.

He appeared in casual wear, sunglasses and all, hands clasped behind his head as he strolled up.

Maki groaned. "What's this blindfolded idiot doing here?"

Gojo grinned wide. "I'm here because I'm so proud of you! And because…"

He snapped his fingers.

"Special training starts tomorrow! Courtesy of your one and only, beloved, strongest sensei."

Everyone stared.

Shingen Genichi's expression died. His soda can crumpled in his hand.

"'Hell' is about to descend…" he muttered.

Panda blinked. "Huh? What was that, Genichi?"

Shingen looked at him and said flatly, "Pray. While you still can."

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Word Count:1,098