16

.

It belatedly occurs to Shiki that killing a Grade One curse is somehow significant.

… She doesn't understand it. Shiki really, really doesn't understand it at all. When the Gojo Clan had assessed her powers, they'd literally brought a Grade One curse right in front of her, to test if she could see its lines. She'd killed it, then, so… how was this anything new?

Ken-jichan might've called this particular Grade One a 'cursed god,' but that was only an empty title. A cursed god was still a curse, at the end of the day. It was a curse, and curses were meant to be killed.

Had she done something wrong? She doesn't think so…

Besides, if Shiki hadn't killed it… at the time, Kiyohira-sensei and Jihei-san's techniques hadn't been enough to overcome the cursed god's regeneration. And if they couldn't exorcise it, then it was entirely possible that the curse would eventually wear them down and kill them instead. Humans were vulnerable to exhaustion; curses weren't. Then Ken-jichan would be in danger, too.

So Shiki killed it.

… And now things were distinctly different from how they were before.

Nothing about her training with Kiyohira-sensei has changed, overtly. But Daisaku-sama had started calling for more tests on her eyes again, and the very first of these new sessions had involved him asking her to cut the lines on another Gojo clansman's cursed technique.

He'd also asked her some very pointed questions about the particulars of her cursed technique. Shiki had been vague with her answers. Although it didn't seem that the elder had put everything together quite just yet, it was probably only a matter of time at this point, given the way things were headed.

Beginning and end.

(Death.)

… Regardless, Shiki is in no hurry to explain things to him.

The renewed wave of fearful glances behind her back, the thinly-veiled speculation, and everything in-between –Shiki staunchly ignores them all. She doesn't care much for what the rest of the Gojo Clan thinks of her. As far as Shiki is concerned, despite some things being distinctly different, by and large nothing has changed as a whole. She is still living in the clan compound and being taught by various tutors from the Gojo Clan. In the future, she'll become a sorcerer and kill curses. Nothing has changed.

No, Shiki wasn't overly concerned by the varied reactions to her inside the clan. What Shiki instead found herself increasingly concerned by was Ken-jichan's reaction.

It doesn't take a genius to see that her uncle is upset, in the aftermath of this entire incident, and it makes her anxious. Is he… is he mad because of Shiki? Is Ken-jichan angry with her, for dropping in on his mission? But Shiki missed him, she'd only wanted to see him, and… and if she hadn't been there, then, what if–

What if–

(What if Ken-jichan met the same fate as Haibara-san?)

…

Ken-jichan is upset. Is he… upset with her?

Shiki is scared to ask him.

So she turns to the next best alternative: Asking Satoru-niichan instead. Her cousin briefly makes a face when he hears her question, then informs her in no uncertain terms that she would be better off talking to Ken-jichan directly about things.

… Why did he think she asked him instead of going to her uncle in the first place?!

Shiki eventually follows her cousin's advice, in the end. Unlike Shiki, Satoru-oniichan is someone who knows what he's doing, right?

And… he does have a point that the longer Shiki tries to put things off, the worse the inevitable conversation would be. Because Shiki would then have to explain why she avoided Ken-jichan on top of her preexisting apprehension of Ken-jichan being upset with her. Better to rip it all off quickly, like the bandage from a wound.

Spoken from experience?

"… Go on, scram. Nanami-kun was in one of the eastern buildings, last I checked."

Shiki scrams.

She hadn't expected to run into Geto-san as well, but it was good that… it was good that Ken-jichan wasn't alone. Right? Because his friend just died. Shiki thinks she remembers one of her many tutors mentioning something about having to be careful with people who've gone through 'traumatic experiences,' and this most likely qualifies.

Her uncle looks terrible.

… It hasn't been too long since Shiki killed that cursed god, but Ken-jichan looks like he aged a few extra years, during this short timespan.

Shiki is promptly hit by a wave of guilt, because it's her fault, isn't it? It's her fault that Ken-jichan is upset like this. Her fault that Ken-jichan is always worrying about everything. Her fault that Ken-jichan's friend is dead. If only Shiki had been faster, then maybe Haibara-san would still be alive, and Ken-jichan wouldn't be so sad anymore.

Geto-san leaves them to talk in privacy.

… Except, now that they're finally alone and face to face with each other, Shiki realizes that she doesn't know what to say.

I'm sorry. You're sad and hurt and I don't know what to do. Am I the reason for it? Are my failings the reason why you're so upset?

I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm sorry I don't understand but I won't do it again I just–

Please forgive me?

"Shiki." The little girl manages to prevent herself from flinching at the gentle call of her name. "You… how are you doing? How–"

"I'm sorry," she blurts out, and it hurts. Kento-ojichan's concern for her cuts like a knife through her chest… and Shiki is very well-acquainted with what that particular sensation feels like. It's a struggle to keep her voice steady. "I… I'm sorry. You're upset. I… I don't…"

What is she saying?

Her uncle shakes his head. "Why are you apologizing? There's nothing that you… need to…"

The young man trails off, and a grimace briefly flits over his face. Even though his head remains bowed between his shoulders, caged in by long arms resting atop his knees, the expression is still clear to see.

"Shiki," Kento-jichan says slowly, "What gave you the mistaken impression that I'm… upset with you?"

The halting words are tinted with confusion more than anything outright accusing. Nonetheless, they flood Shiki with the sudden, inexplicable desire to run.

"You're sad," she responds quietly to the obvious question, forcing herself to stand her ground. Running away won't solve anything here, she firmly reminds herself. That's why Satoru-niichan told her to talk with Ken-jichan in the first place, isn't it? "… You're sad and it's my fault."

"What?" Her uncle automatically shakes his head. "No, of course it's not your fault. It's not–"

"You haven't looked at me once since I killed that curse!"

The words burst out of her in an uncharacteristic near-shout. Her heart pounds in her chest, thudding and thudding, and Shiki can almost feel it burning in her throat.

Kento-jichan tenses, head jerking up in alarm, and finally looks at her.

"I…"

She didn't mean to shout. She doesn't–

Shiki just wants–

Don't be angry don't be sad I'm sorry I'm sorry–

The little girl tenses when warm arms reach out and carefully, cautiously encircle her, drawing her into a tentative hug. She sniffles, doing her best to stem the tears that just aren't stopping, now that they've finally started.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything for Haibara-san," she whispers into Kento-jichan's ear.

Her uncle stiffens, then draws back from her. Shiki feels her heart sink–

Warm hands clasp her shoulders. The little girl glances up, only to find the young man looking down at her steadily, seriously.

Kento-jichan looks directly at her and doesn't flinch away from her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he says. His voice is firm, clear. "I'm sorry that I've made you feel this way. I never meant to give you that impression, this… this isn't your fault. None of this is your fault."

Shiki blinks watery eyes, "You're not making any sense, Ken-jichan."

Her uncle laughs, but it's not a very happy sound. "You're not to blame for any of this, Shiki. This mission, it's not your fault. Haibara… Haibara's death isn't your fault, either."

"But you're upset."

"I am," he agrees easily, "But I promise that I'm not upset at you –or because of you. I… I'm upset with myself. I'm scared for you, Shiki."

What?

"… Why?" the little girl asks in surprise, understandably taken aback by the unexpected turn in conversation. It's a relief that Ken-jichan isn't actually upset with her, but instead, he's… scared for her? "I'm perfectly fine, Ken-jichan."

There's a strange look on her uncle's face in this moment, a complicated expression that Shiki is unable to decipher. Frustration? Sadness? … Guilt?

But why?

The situation with the cursed god might've been dangerous, but they were able to resolve matters and exorcise it in the end. Clean and simple. There was no need to overly dwell on it. Then, was it… was it because Kento-jichan disagreed with the Gojo Clan's training methods? Shiki has always been aware that her uncle wasn't happy about her being sent out to exorcise curses, but… those were always weaker curses, if sometimes tricky. Kiyohira-sensei and Jihei-san were always supervising her, too.

Everything was fine, wasn't it?

Shiki doesn't want Kento-jichan to be worried about her, not if it makes him upset like this.

I promise that I'm not upset at you, or because of you.

For a moment, Shiki almost asks her uncle to promise her that as a binding vow.

Luckily, the little girl's mind catches up to her before she can impulsively open her mouth to give voice to those words. And it also occurs to Shiki that maybe, just maybe, it's not so incomprehensible that Kento-jichan would be worried, would always be worried about her, because…

Because for her, isn't it the same?

Hadn't Shiki been worried about Kento-jichan? When Shiki had chosen to kill the curse… more than Kiyohira-sensei and Jihei-san's struggles, it had been Kento-jichan's safety encompassing the forefront of her mind when she'd decided to take matters into her own hands.

Shiki wants Kento-jichan to be safe.

… Kento-jichan wants Shiki to be safe, too.

Oh, she thinks, as the new perspective finally slots into place inside her mind. It's something she's always vaguely known, but never really registered until this moment, somehow.

Her uncle hugs her again, and it's… warm.

"I just want you to be safe," he whispers brokenly. "It shouldn't be like this. You shouldn't have to be like this. But I can't protect you, I can't… the Gojo Clan, they'll never…"

Shiki carefully reaches up to hug Kento-jichan back as he trails off, struggling to find the right words.

"I need the Gojo Clan," she tells him simply. "But the Gojo Clan needs me, too. They… won't push too far."

"And if they do?"

Shiki thinks about countless shimmering red lines. So fragile. So easy to reach out and cut.

"They won't," she says softly, with a certain sort of finality in her voice. "And if they do, then they will regret it."

.

.

Shiki's impression of Geto-san has always been something along the lines of nice. Friendly, in an easy to approach kind of way. Which generally isn't applicable to most sorcerers that she knows, but she thinks it's a rather apt descriptor for Geto-san, who's nice in a way that Satoru-niichan is not and could never hope to be.

(Or Shiki herself, for that matter.)

Then again, Shiki's perspective of the older teen comes solely from the few times that she sees him around on the school campus. That, and a particular mission last year that had gone sideways when it involved the late Sorcerer Killer. Despite their rather sparse interactions, it's still enough to give Shiki a general idea of the older boy's personality, if not the specifics of his character.

Which is to say, the little girl is mildly confused when Geto-san asks her a rather strange question one day, out of the blue:

"If you were able to choose freely, would you still decide to become a sorcerer?"

The little girl blinks, and looks up.

The older boy's expression is quiet, pensive. It's clear that he's patiently waiting for a response from her.

… Shiki has never really thought about this question before. If you were able to choose freely, would you still decide to become a sorcerer?

Ever since waking up with her parents dead and her world changed, she's been pulled along by the Gojo Clan's influences. No one had asked her opinion on anything, from the little things like her preferences on the color of her clothes to the highly dangerous plans being made for her future. The Gojo Clan was only interested in Shiki for her abilities –her potential– as a future sorcerer-to-be. There was never a choice in any of it, really.

But even so…

"I think so, yes," is her response in the end. Because it feels… natural, now. Is that the right word for it? The world should not be filled to the brim with cracked red lines, lines that are not meant to be seen by human eyes, but there's something about it that resonates with Shiki, deep down. It's impossible for her to deny.

And… 'killing is wrong.' Shiki knows this, but she also doesn't know it, not as she suspects most people know. The prospect of killing… Shiki doesn't consider herself to be outright murderous or bloodthirsty, but admittedly the act of killing really doesn't bother her as much as it probably should. That's… problematic, isn't it?

Kento-jichan would be disappointed in you.

… So it's probably for the best that Shiki becomes a sorcerer, whose express purpose in life is to kill curses.

(This is something that she hears Kiyohira-sensei mumbling under his breath every so often, too, when he thinks that she isn't paying attention.

"It's like she's born for this."

He's probably not wrong. Kiyohira-sensei would know better than Shiki, right?)

"That's your answer, then?" Geto-san chuckles, and there's a strange sort of inflection to that short sound that the little girl can't quite put her finger on. There's no time for her to dwell on it, either. "I wonder… if it wasn't for the Gojo Clan's influence, would you still be set on the path of a sorcerer?"

Shiki doesn't think there was ever any option for her future aside from becoming a sorcerer, not from the moment she woke up with these cursed blue eyes. She's not as resentful about the fact as she initially used to be, and in some ways it's… it's for the best, isn't it?

After all, it was precisely because of these eyes and her training with the Gojo Clan that she could save Ken-jichan.

With these eyes, you'll be able to save many people in the future. Daisaku-sama's words echo in her mind, low and fervent. So please work hard, little Shiki. I must confess, I dearly look forward to seeing what kind of sorcerer you'll become one day.

"I don't think any of that really matters, Geto-san," Shiki shrugs. It is what it is, and these questions of 'what-if' change nothing about her current circumstances. Shiki can't exactly say that she's happy right now, but things could definitely be much, much worse. The Gojo Clan takes care of her, and she is… content, with what she has. With what awaits her in the future.

"Sorry," the older teen shakes his head, vaguely rueful. "I guess I've just… had some heavy things on my mind, recently. Does it… does it really not bother you that you're being asked by your clan to kill?"

His voice is light, conversational. As if this is a perfectly normal question to ask.

How is the weather? What's your favorite color? Does it not bother you that you're being asked by your clan to kill?

"Not really," Shiki responds, with the exact same sort of indifferent casualness. Innocently, unknowingly.

(It's not her fault. Shiki has subconsciously started to learn how to match her behavior to mimic those around her, so that her loved ones won't worry about her. It's not her fault that she misunderstands. Shiki hasn't yet learned to properly pick up on context. It's not her fault that Geto-san's calm voice misleads her, however unintentionally.

It's not her fault.)

"I… see."

The little girl tilts her head questioningly at the strange pause. "… Is there something wrong, Geto-san?"

Geto-san's eyes flicker down towards her for an unreadable moment, and he shakes his head. He smiles, but the expression comes out as more of a slight grimace instead. "Don't worry, it's nothing."

Shiki hums, not entirely believing, but there's no reason for her to push. "If you say so, Geto-san. Maybe you should talk about whatever is bothering you with Satoru-niichan?"

Her cousin had advised her to talk with her uncle, after all, and they'd mostly managed to sort things out between them. Maybe this was something similar?

This time, the smile that crosses Geto-san's face is more genuine. "Maybe I will. That'll have to wait until I get back from my next mission though, which might take awhile –it's pretty far out in the countryside this time."

The little girl nods in understanding. "Stay safe, Geto-san."

"Thanks, Shiki-chan." She gets a soft headpat from the older boy –unlike Satoru-niichan, who delights in turning Shiki's hair into a misshapen bird's nest at the drop of a hat, Geto-san's gesture is nothing but gentle.

… Neither of them know it.

Neither of them know it that afternoon, when they sit together on the steps of the stone stairway of the jujutsu school, just an older student watching over a young girl until her clan comes to retrieve her. Geto-san offers a quick greeting to Jihei-san when the man arrives, then bids the both of them farewell as he leaves for his own mission.

Neither of them know it, but that's the last conversation they have for a long, long time.

…

Two weeks later, an official declaration is made:

Under Article 9 of the Standard Jujutsu Regulations, Geto Suguru is to be designated as a 'Curse User' for gross misuse of sorcery to commit murder of unrelated non-sorcerer civilians.

Current casualty count: 112.

Standing orders: Execution on sight.

…

Shiki's initial reaction upon hearing it is, That's a lie.

… Except it's not. Bureaucracy in the jujutsu world has its fair share of backroom deals and pitfalls just like the sorcery clans that their administrative body is composed of, but there's no point in spinning a lie of this magnitude for a Special Grade Sorcerer. And who would dare frame a Special Grade for such an atrocity in the first place? Not unless it held some measure of truth, and the Special Grade in question had… had actually gone and…

…

Her second thought is, Satoru-niichan will be upset.

Oh no.

"Where's Satoru-niichan?" Shiki asks.

Satoru-niichan is looking for Geto-san, as it turns out.

Which is… unsurprising. Because Geto-san is his friend. The sort of friend that he actually trusts, and for someone like Satoru-niichan, that's a rare thing. But the days slowly pass and the execution order on Geto-san is never rescinded, and–

And Shiki is a little at a loss as to what to do. What's the appropriate response when your cousin's best friend suddenly decides to massacre an entire village of non-sorcerer civilians without warning?

No, no one goes and does anything like this without any warning. But… but Shiki hadn't noticed any signs that stood out to her. Geto-san had seemed a little tired, the last time she'd seen him, but that was normal for a sorcerer –particularly a Special Grade sorcerer. Satoru-niichan sometimes cheats with Reverse Cursed Technique, but Shiki has seen her cousin when he's tired, too.

Tiredness didn't explain the sudden decision to kill 112 civilians.

Shiki has trouble picturing it. Geto-san of all people, really? She'd figured that this would be something that the Gojo Clan would be wary of in regards to Satoru-niichan, but to think that Geto-san would do this, it's…

It's strange.

Jujutsu is meant to protect non-sorcerers, Geto-san had once told her. Had he been lying?

… Well, it doesn't matter if he lied to her or not. Shiki is more concerned by the possibility of Geto-san also lying to Satoru-niichan. Her cousin had called Geto-san his best friend, and together they were supposed to be the strongest. Had it all been a lie? Had Shiki just never noticed?

Or… was there something else going on here, too?

Shiki doesn't know Geto-san as well as Satoru-niichan does, but Geto-san doesn't strike her as the type of person to indulge in indiscriminate murder, not like some other curse users that come to mind. It doesn't make sense that he just went and decided to massacre an entire village out of the blue.

So the question was-

"Why?"

"Who the hell knows?!"

Shiki folds her arms across her chest, unimpressed by the frazzled response. She's sympathetic to Satoru-niichan, though. Out of all of them, Geto-san's newly-acquired taste for murder and abrupt betrayal of the jujutsu world hits Satoru-niichan the hardest, and everyone knows it.

Her cousin certainly looks like he's had a rough few days.

Shiki drops down right next to Satoru-niichan where he's sprawled out on the ground of the Tokyo Jujutsu School, his legs strewn out messily as he sits in a slouching pile.

"Ieiri-san told me you found Geto-san," she says without preamble.

"I did, yeah." Her cousin rubs his head, frustrated. Clearly, it was a meeting that didn't turn out too well, if that's his reaction.

"You didn't kill him, did you?" At that, her cousin looks up and gives her a disgruntled side-eye. Shiki raises her hands placatingly, "It's a perfectly valid question! There's an execution order out on Geto-san right now."

"… So just because it's an order from the higher-ups, you'd follow it through?" Satoru-niichan asks levelly. There is a chilling note of something dangerous lurking beneath his voice, but Shiki remains wholly unperturbed by it.

The little girl shrugs neutrally. "You know how I feel about the elders, Satoru-niichan. I was genuinely just curious."

"Ah. Well, I guess I should've expected that from you, then." The older boy laughs, and it's such a terribly fond sound. There is no longer a trace of any sort of darker undercurrent lingering anywhere in his words. "My adorable mess of a murderous little cousin."

"… I'm not the one who killed a hundred civilians," Shiki says, distinctly offended.

"That's true," Satoru-niichan agrees easily. "My mistake, I guess that's a bad way to put it. I suppose that having a natural inclination towards killing isn't the same as being actively murderous."

His words would've sounded a little more sincere if they hadn't been accompanied by a none-too-gentle headpat at the end. Shiki doesn't complain about it, though. Despite the light tenor of his voice, it's easy to see that her cousin is clearly unhappy right now, no matter how hard he tries to distract himself from it.

Shiki has always rather liked Geto Suguru. But in this moment, she suddenly cannot help but feel that she hates him a little bit, too, for putting this sort of look on Satoru-niichan's face.

"Did Geto-san tell you why he did it, at least?" Shiki is genuinely curious. To the best of her knowledge, Geto-san isn't like her –or even like Satoru-niichan, for that matter. Geto-san's mindset and worldview aligns much more closely with someone like Kento-jichan's rather than Satoru-niichan's, so it's surprising that he would just suddenly… snap.

"Suguru's decided that he doesn't agree with the way the jujutsu school does things," her cousin responds. His head tips back, arms stretched out to his sides. "He thinks non-sorcerers are the root cause of pain and suffering from curses. So we should just kill all of them, apparently. That way, there will be no need for any more sorcery and the world will be free from curses, and all our problems will be solved!"

Shiki blinks. That sort of reasoning… "He really said that?"

"In a nutshell, yeah."

Really? These words came from the same Geto-san who'd believed that sorcery existed to protect non-sorcerers? This was the exact opposite of the ideals he'd once espoused. How had he come to that sort of conclusion?

Shiki isn't sure what kind of expression she makes, exactly, but it makes Satoru-niichan snort when he glances at her.

"I know, right?" His voice is a long, drawling complaint. "It's an insane plan, is what it is! Who comes up with genocide as an acceptable solution to anything? … But it seems like he's crazy enough to follow through with it all, no matter what anyone else thinks. He also said something about saving us, and saving the jujutsu world from itself. Can you believe it?"

Satoru-niichan shakes his head slowly. Shiki can sympathize. She really doesn't understand it, either.

"… Why do other people make no sense?" she asks her cousin mournfully.

Satoru-niichan makes a face, "Beats me. If you ever figure it out someday, make sure to let me in on the secret, won't you?"

Shiki also makes a face. She might be confident in her ability to learn new things, but something tells her that this isn't something that she'll have any luck figuring out anytime soon.

(Or ever.

The little girl tries not to think too hard about it.)

.

.

Satoru-niichan puts up an unaffected front, for the most part. But the truth is –Geto-san is his friend. He trusts Geto-san in a way that Ieiri-san can't hope to match, and that's a problem. Because Geto-san was the one that Satoru-niichan had trusted the most, but Geto-san also chose to betray the jujutsu school and all it stood for.

It's a problem.

For a while, Satoru-niichan is uncharacteristically quiet, in the aftermath of Geto-san being declared a heinous curse user. But eventually, he finally seems to come to a decision about something:

"It's not enough that I'm the Strongest. I can't save those who are not willing to be saved."

The rest of the year passes quietly.

For all the furor that Geto-san had raised when he'd left the Tokyo school, he hadn't immediately set out to raise havoc. There were no reports of indiscriminate slaughter after he became a curse user. Instead, there were whispers of Geto-san… taking over a religious cult?

Shiki isn't too clear on the details.

Slowly, things settle back down into a quiet balance again, eventually. The only thing of any note that happens during the following year is Shiki's new dance instructor being summarily removed from her post.

It was a rather ridiculous affair, all said and told; the persistent woman had repeatedly, none-too-subtly attempted to cajole her student into becoming a shrine maiden. In her words, Shiki was better suited to "dedicating her life to dancing for the gods" rather than "throwing her life away fighting horrific eldritch abominations."

And so, the woman was unceremoniously dismissed.

Shiki was slated to become a sorcerer for the Gojo Clan. They did not need anyone putting 'frivolous ideas' into her head regarding her future.

… Or something like that, probably. Daisaku-sama hadn't said it to her in so many words when he'd informed her of it, but Shiki gets the general gist easily enough. She can't say that she's entirely surprised.

Mikogami-sensei was… slightly eccentric, but an excellent instructor nonetheless. Shiki would miss the woman. Maybe.

The various ongoings of her lessons aside, Shiki's missions have also changed. They were no longer constrained to Grade Four curses –they hadn't been for quite awhile, honestly, not since she'd killed that Grade One cursed god what seems like a lifetime ago.

Some fights are trickier than others, especially when hostages come into play. Shiki dislikes those situations the most, because it's been repeatedly stressed to her again and again that sorcerers are meant to protect people from curses. What does it mean when someone she's meant to protect gets caught in the crossfire?

Nothing good, probably.

Not everyone can be saved.

… But Shiki can try her best.

In the summer after Shiki turns nine years old, she receives a particularly bloody mission in a run-down school out in the countryside. Which was unusual, as curses out in the countryside generally tended to be weaker than those found in cities. This particular assignment involved some local townspeople believing that the curse was a deity of some sort, one that demanded live human sacrifices. But due to the fact that there were a number of human perpetrators mixed up in the proceedings, it actually hadn't been immediately apparent that a curse was involved in the beginning. Which meant that the case had initially gone to the police, who'd then taken it upon themselves to investigate–

Suffice to say, it was a mess by the time Windows had pinned the case down and the assignment was finally passed to a sorcerer.

Shiki had walked in on an amorphous tiger-like curse tearing hungrily into police officers and victims alike. The entire room was dripping in blood.

There had been twelve non-sorcerers, total.

Only three survived.

… It wasn't even a cursed god, just a curse. But it was a Grade One curse whose body was covered head to toe in blood-red eyes that induced mild nausea whenever one looked upon it, which made it an absolutely miserable battle for Shiki, whose method of fighting very much happened to be a visual one that relied on close-range physical combat.

Kiyohira-sensei had bolted to his feet in alarm when Shiki walked out of the Curtain barrier covered head to toe in blood and bits of viscera. It was disgusting. Shiki had spared a fleeting thought that Limitless would've been nice to have, here.

Her injuries were minor at best, and she was mostly unharmed… if a bit shaky on her feet from the irritating dizziness that the curse induced.

Is this what being drunk feels like?

Shiki decides that she is never drinking alcohol in the future.

She says as much to Satoru-niichan, who laughs at her.

… Then proceeds to disappear for a week, much to the headache of all the elders panicking over the sudden disappearance of their honored clan heir. And Shiki as well, whose headache is only compounded by being left to deal with the elders in his place.

.

.

"I'm back! Did anyone miss me?"

Shiki straightens from where she's reading in the courtyard, vaguely bemused. Typical Satoru-niichan. After pulling a disappearing act the last few days, her cousin waltzes right back into the clan compound with a brazen grin and not one note of discomfort in his stride.

Although, the same attitude could not be said for his… companions?

The little girl blinks.

Children?

Hm. There were two children trailing behind Satoru-niichan as he flounced back into the clan compound without a care. An older girl and a younger boy, both of whom looked to be younger than Shiki herself. The girl was clearly nervous, hands wringing together as she took in the traditional style of her surroundings and the too-large courtyard with wide eyes. And as for the boy…

… He honestly looked to be more wary than nervous, glancing around with a certain sort of caution and suspicion in those dark eyes.

Shiki pauses for a moment, staring. She's pretty sure that she's never met either of the two children before, but the boy was… oddly familiar, for some reason.

"Shiki! My cute, adorable little cousin, how I've missed you so–"

Satoru-niichan arrives in front of her like a veritable whirlwind and sweeps her into a hug, lifting Shiki straight off of her feet and spinning her in a circle before letting her down again with an easygoing grin.

"Welcome back, Satoru-niichan," Shiki briefly ignores her cousin for a moment in favor of carefully smoothing the wrinkles out of her yellow yukata.

"C'mon, can't you sound a little more enthusiastic to see me again?"

It seems like he's in a good mood.

Still, "If you want me to be enthusiastic, then don't leave me to deal with the elders on my own without a word."

Her cousin laughs. "Weren't you the one who told me not to worry and do what I needed to do, hmm?"

… Ah, yes. Back when she'd been hospitalized by her run-in with the Sorcerer Killer, that was what she'd said to her cousin, more or less. It's true, and Shiki still stands by it.

"Yes, but some warning would've still been nice," Shiki gives the older boy a pointed look.

"Sure thing," Satoru-niichan responds cheerfully, in a way that indicates he isn't going to listen to her at all. Shiki restrains the urge to let out a put-upon, defeated sigh. No need to encourage her cousin. "Anyways, look at what I brought back with me!"

Her cousin blithely sweeps his arms out to the children behind him in a grand gesture, both of whom freeze immediately at the sudden, unexpected attention.

"The girl's name is Fushiguro Tsumiki, and the boy is Fushiguro Megumi," he introduces breezily. "So, what do you think?"

What does she think?

Shiki looks at the other children for a moment. Scarlet lines bloom and flicker in her field of view, and she notes the off-color glow in the boy's body that's absent in the girl's. She's done enough tests under Daisaku-sama's watchful eye at this point to recognize the budding signs indicating a cursed technique; evidently, Fushiguro Megumi is a sorcerer while his sister is not. But she rather doubts that this is all that her cousin is asking of her.

What do you think?

Fushiguro Megumi… she'd thought that he looked familiar earlier, but she's also fairly certain that she's never met him before. Then, why did she think that he was oddly familiar in the first place? Dark hair and dark eyes, and there was something about his face that distinctly reminded her of–

Oh.

"… Satoru-niichan, really?" Shiki whirls on her cousin, openly stunned, "Is that Zenin–"

"Shhh!" The white-haired teen has the gall to press a finger to her lips to keep her from finishing her words. "Let's leave it as a happy surprise for the rest of the clan too, yeah?"

For emphasis, he winks.

Shiki is thoroughly unimpressed.

What sort of game is her cousin playing at this time? She's not the only person standing in the open courtyard here, and she has no doubts that the clan elders would've received reports of Gojo Satoru's return the very moment he stepped through the front gates. For a 'happy surprise,' he's certainly not trying very hard to keep things secret at all.

So… the only reasonable explanation is that he wants this to be known, then. Maybe even make a big deal out of it, too.

Why? What was it about Zenin Toji's children that had drawn Satoru-niichan's interest all of a sudden?

Was it… related to Geto-san, somehow…?

"Megumi and Tsumiki will be staying here for a bit, while I sort things out with the clans and get something put together with the Tokyo school," Satoru-niichan crouches down in front of Shiki. "Keep an eye out for them from your end too, yeah?"

Shiki glances towards the other children. Megumi has a slight scowl, clearly mistrustful. Tsumiki, on the other hand, offers a tentative smile.

"… Alright," Shiki says. Truth be told, none of it really matters to her. Despite her initial surprise at Satoru-niichan searching out and bringing back the Sorcerer Killer's children with him, in the end it's her cousin's decision, and Shiki will respect his choice. That's all there is to it.

Besides, going by the children's reactions, she rather doubts that either of the Fushiguros have really had any sort of contact with the jujutsu world prior to Satoru-niichan swooping into their lives. It makes her… a little wistful, for some reason.

What an odd feeling.

Regardless, "When will you be contacting the Zenin Clan about this?"

The boy tenses up at the mention of 'Zenin,' while the girl remains clueless. Hmm. So the boy isn't entirely oblivious, then.

"I'll get to that after sorting things out with our own clan elders first," Satoru-niichan responds casually. "I'm sure that we'll be able to work out an agreeable arrangement for Fushiguro Megumi and his sister."

Shiki's attention is caught by her cousin's distinct emphasis on Fushiguro. 'Fushiguro,' not 'Zenin.'

The young girl looks up with mild surprise, "Are you implying…?"

Satoru-niichan laughs. "Shhh! Don't ruin the suspense! Aren't you looking forward to the delightful looks of surprise that the elders will make when they learn about this?"

"You mean the delightful heart attacks that you're about to induce?"

"Eh, same difference."

.

.

…

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