Jujutsu Kaisen: I Can Manipulate Time.

"I won't say anything harsh. Just tell me honestly why you came to steal this sword—and who sent you. If your reason is good enough, I might even let you go…"

In the shattered remains of the school's teaching building, Kamihara Hajime stood calmly, facing the mutilated Curse User lying on the ground—limbless and defeated. Out of consideration for Naine's tolerance, Hajime had dragged the intruder inside beforehand, leaving only one person and one dog outside.

As the Curse User glared at him with disbelief and resentment, Hajime let out a sigh. "Ever heard the saying, 'Refuse a toast, and you'll be forced to drink a forfeit'?"

The Curse User stared blankly. What the hell was this kid talking about?

Hajime shrugged. "Fine. Maybe this'll make more sense—'I gave you a chance , but you don't want it.'"

He raised the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi and brought it down with chilling finality. As the blade hovered, the Curse User screamed. Hajime took out his phone and pointed the camera at the grotesque wound—his head almost opened up like a melon.

Faced with the grotesque sight of his own injuries on screen, the Curse User trembled, losing the ability to speak coherently. Hajime adjusted the angle for a better view and spoke softly—his voice like a devil's whisper in the man's ear.

"You guys never thought a day like this would come, did you? I told you to cooperate. Sure, you know I wasn't going to let you go… but there are worse things than death."

Then, with calculated control, he activated Reverse Cursed Technique, healing only the man's head.

Slap. Slap.

Hajime gave the Curse User two light smacks, showing him his now-intact head on the screen. The man stared in disbelief. Slowly, a realization dawned in his broken mind:

Reverse Cursed Technique.

This boy could have restored his limbs… and that meant he could take them apart again. Over and over. The Curse User's resistance cracked.

"I-I'll talk…"

"…Go on," Hajime said flatly.

"It… It was Lord Suguru Geto. He sent me to retrieve this sword."

Hajime paused.

Suguru Geto. That name echoed in both his memories and the records of the Jujutsu world. Once close to Jujutsu High, Geto had turned rogue, forming his own twisted ideology and organization. And now, he'd sent someone to steal a cursed tool?

"If it's so important, why didn't Geto come himself?"

The Curse User hesitated under the cold steel resting against his forehead. "He's… busy with other matters. I was given the mission by one of his followers."

With his spirit crushed, the man spilled everything. Initially, he had used a shikigami to infiltrate the Minamoto Family's ancestral home to steal the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi. Naine discovered him and, by a strange twist of fate, wounded his shikigami with that very sword.

Terrified, he retreated. When his shikigami later perished, he grew hesitant, but Geto's orders left no room for abandonment. Then Kamihara Hajime appeared—and things only got worse.

He waited until Hajime and Naine were dragged into a cursed domain, hoping to grab Naine and use her to bargain for the sword. It all failed. Even if he killed her, Hajime could save her in an instant and crush him just as fast.

---

Hajime examined the sword in his hand.

Totsuka-no-Tsurugi. It cut through everything—earth, walls, Cursed Spirits—with zero resistance. Clean. Easy.

The Curse User's pitiful voice interrupted his thoughts. "My lord… I told you everything. Please, let me go…"

Hajime raised the blade to finish it—but paused. It would be more useful to leave the rest to Gojo-sensei. A professional interrogation might reveal even more.

He smiled, deceptively warm. "Of course. But first, you'll need to meet someone."

"…Who?"

"Gojo Satoru."

The Curse User, dragged outside by Hajime, soon saw him—tall, white-haired, bandaged eyes, dark uniform.

Gojo Satoru. The strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer of the modern age. For a Curse User, he wasn't just a threat—he was a walking calamity.

Gojo tilted his head and smirked. "Hajime, your tastes are getting weird. Couldn't you have just finished him off?"

"He took a hostage. I needed answers," Hajime said, handing him the sword.

Gojo removed his bandage, revealing the brilliant Six Eyes, and studied the blade.

"This isn't just a cursed tool. It has the traits of a cursed object. It might actually recreate the resurrection of Shuten-dōji."

"The legend says the Minamoto ancestors used it to kill Shuten-dōji. That bloodline connection might explain why the sword responded to Naine."

The cleanup crew soon arrived, and the Curse User was taken away. Hajime's earlier barrier ensured no civilians noticed, but the damage from the cursed spirit was serious. Temporary school closure was likely.

Hajime explained everything to Gojo. Then, the three of them got into Ieiri's car to return to Jujutsu High.

"But—I haven't told my family!" Naineprotested.

Gojo turned with a relaxed smile. "Too late. I'll send someone. And given your connection to this sword, you're a target now. You'll be safer with us."

"What about my parents and grandfather?"

"They'll be protected too. Curse Users might slip past normal defenses—but not trained sorcerers."

She looked relieved, and soon they returned to Jujutsu High. Gojo found her a place to stay in the dorms.

Later, only Gojo and Hajime remained.

"This sword cuts through ordinary Cursed Energy defenses like paper. But can it really resurrect Shuten-dōji?"

Gojo replied, hands in his pockets. "Maybe. Maybe it needs a vessel. Maybe it is the vessel. Doesn't matter. What matters is his goal."

"You think Geto wants to resurrect Shuten-dōji just to control him?" Hajime asked.

"Likely," Gojo said, staring at the sky. "And from the looks of it, he's after more than just this."

He clapped Hajime's shoulder. "Don't worry. You caught the clues before this all blew up. We'll stop whatever he's planning."

"…Right. I'll head back. If you get anything out of that guy, let me know."

"Oh, and the sword?"

"You keep it. That girl can't carry it—she's a walking target."

Hajime groaned. "And I'm not?"

Gojo laughed. "Think of it as fishing. If I held it, no one would bite."

---

Back in the dorm, Hajime skipped gaming and went straight to bed—only to be woken by Panda's voice.

"Hey, Hajime, is that girl our new classmate? Gojo-sensei said she's training with us."

Still half-asleep, Hajime got dressed, sword in hand, and stepped out. He chatted briefly with Panda, scanning his phone for updates from Gojo.

A recent message revealed more: Geto's real target wasn't just Totsuka-no-Tsurugi. Other cursed artifacts were also on his list—specifically two infamous swords:

Higekiri and Hizamaru, also known as Onikiri and Spider Cutter, both tied to the same legendary demon-slaying lineage.

"If those swords really can resurrect yokai-level vengeful spirits… then this is way bigger."

Still thinking, Hajime arrived at the training grounds. Yuta Okkotsu and Inumaki Toge were already there, warming up. Maki was teaching Naine basic hand-to-hand techniques.

"Yo, Hajime!"

"Seaweed."

After a brief exchange, Yuta explained that they had just completed a mission—unexpectedly encountering a Semi-Grade 1 cursed spirit. Fortunately, they'd managed to exorcise it.

Hajime frowned. "So the intel was off?"

"Probably," Yuta replied. "But we handled it. Gojo-sensei's investigating."

Hajime nodded, setting it aside for now. Watching the sparring pair, he muttered, "She probably won't be in our class. Too old. She'll likely join the year after—probably with Megumi Fushiguro's group."

The others laughed. "So we're finally getting juniors."

Maki called out for them to join the training. They walked over.

"Hey, Hajime," Yuta said, eyeing the sword. "That cursed tool… it feels dangerous."

Hajime sighed. "It's from the last mission. Complicated stuff, but I've got it handled."

Yuta trusted him—and let it go.

---

Far away, in a palace-like hall, a black-haired man in ceremonial robes stared at two ancient swords before him.

"They're just ordinary cursed tools… What about Totsuka-no-Tsurugi? Has Hisao returned?"

A pink-haired woman replied, "No contact. Word is, the Minamoto Family is heavily guarded now. A sorcerer with an atavistic inheritance has appeared there. I think… Hisao's been caught."

Suguru Geto, once a Special Grade Sorcerer, now a wanted Curse User, muttered to himself:

"So Totsuka-no-Tsurugi is in Jujutsu High's hands… No matter. These were just steps."

His gaze sharpened.

"Our true objective has always been that Special Grade cursed spirit—Rika Orimoto."

"Soon, Gojo… we'll meet again. And I'll make my ideal a reality."

---

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