76,

"Y'know what? Kyoto sucks."

Kinji's declaration is dry and deadpan, but no less emphatic for it.

"… I can see why you would think that." The first time around, Shiki had brought him and Kirara to Kyoto with her so they could experience Obon… only for her classmates to get caught up in a hazardous situation involving a dangerous curse user. And now, during their second trip to Kyoto, what was originally supposed to have been a friendly exchange event between the two jujutsu sister-schools somehow turned into Kinji being locked away and imprisoned by the higher ups.

Hmm. Is there something about Kyoto that's just unlucky?

Shiki's brows furrow faintly at the thought.

"Kyoto sucks," Kinji repeats again, disgruntled, and rolls his eyes for good measure. "If anyone tries to convince me to come here again, then the world had better be ending or something."

The words themselves are unmistakable as anything other than a complaint on his part. Or rather, they would be, were it not for the joking tone that clearly hints at humor. Still, Shiki thinks that she knows her classmate well enough by this point to note that he isn't as entirely unaffected as his careless demeanor portrays him to be.

… Shiki supposes that she can relate to this. If nothing else, at the very least they share similar sentiments towards recent events. Kinji is not enthused by getting caught up in the higher ups' needless politicking, and neither is Shiki.

Although, on the matter of Kinji not wanting to return to Kyoto again–

"The exchange event was declared in favor of the Kyoto school's victory this year," Shiki informs her classmate. Even despite the fact that Kinji had revealed himself to be capable of performing a Domain Expansion and triumphed over his opponent, he had ended up being pulled from the event entirely in light of… extenuating circumstances. And so, victory had ultimately been ruled in the Kyoto school's favor.

What this means for Kinji is:

"Unless you plan to refrain from participating entirely, then you'll still have to come back here again." The location of the exchange event takes place at the school that won during the previous year. Last year the Kyoto school had defeated the Tokyo school, which was why the Tokyo students ended up traveling to Kyoto this time around. "Next year's exchange event will still be in Kyoto."

Kinji makes a face. "Let me have my delusions for at least five minutes, okay?"

"You can have it for a year."

Her classmate pauses mid-step. Then, he suddenly whirls around with a wide grin spreading over his lips, as if he's suddenly forgotten entirely about the injustice of his own treatment at the hands of the higher ups just recently.

"Are you sassing me?" He sounds utterly delighted.

… Shiki supposes that it's a good thing her classmate does not appear to be too affected by his brief incarceration, if he's still inclined to be focusing on offhanded, trivial remarks. Mental fortitude had always been one of Kinji's strengths.

"You are, aren't you?"

Shiki stares at her classmate for a moment, then shifts her gaze to the side, ignoring the ridiculous boy in favor of focusing on the new visitors approaching them. One of them, she recognizes.

"Kamo-san," she states calmly in placid greeting. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Kamo Noritoshi, who'd arrived mere moments after Shiki had torn down the barrier trapping Kinji inside, hastily dips his head in greeting. Not quite fast enough to cover up the expression of pure befuddlement that had flashed across his features… but nonetheless his previous training as the Kamo heir is enough to see him swiftly schooling his expression into one of careful politeness. His companion, a blonde girl with her hair tied up in two gravity-defying pigtails, is far less practiced with putting up a similar mask to hide her bewilderment and curiosity.

"Hello, Gojo-san," Kamo-san stops a polite distance away. "I… well, I suppose that it's entirely unnecessary for me to be here now. It's an honor to see you again –I hadn't realized that you were also in Kyoto?"

The last words lilt upwards, distinctively questioning, although lacking the authoritative tone of one demanding an answer.

"I arrived just earlier today." Shiki wonders if Kamo-san is aware of the information that he's giving away about his own precarious, ambiguous position within the Kamo Clan with those innocuous words. All of the higher ups that she'd just met had expected her presence. They'd known precisely when Shiki would be returning to the country, as well as where she was headed. But if Kamo-san here hadn't known anything about it, then it meant that no one had reported the information to him.

The result of the continuous Kamo infighting, in all likelihood.

"Ah, I see," Kamo-san nods. "I'll admit, I had wondered why you did not participate in the exchange event when both of your fellow year-mates were present."

Either Kamo-san is saying these statements on purpose, or he is genuinely ignorant of recent ongoings. If it's the latter, then that is quite… unfortunate. For Kamo-san.

"That being said," the boy straightens, and sets his shoulders. He sucks in a deep breath, "… I offer my sympathies for the treatment that Hakari-san has received in Kyoto. It was… I believe that the higher ups overreacted, in their desire for caution. I am glad that Hakari-san remains well and unharmed."

… So he's not entirely ignorant, then. Although that is, perhaps, not saying much; Shiki rather doubts that anyone who's been in Kyoto the past few days would be unaware of the fact that Hakari Kinji had performed a Domain Expansion –and was then promptly locked up for it.

"Err. Thanks, I guess?" Beside her, Kinji leans forward and squints. "… What's that you're holding there, Kamo?"

Kamo-san's fingers are closed around a palm-sized rectangular object, one that's wrapped in multiple layers of spell-script. Shiki is not an expert on the subject, but from what little she recognizes it appears to be–

"A key for the entrapment barrier," Ken-jichan murmurs quietly, then raises his voice slightly. "This was not sanctioned by the higher ups."

… It's not even a question. And it truly isn't.

If the higher ups had intended on releasing Kinji so easily, then they wouldn't have gone through that farce of a meeting earlier. So, either Kamo-san was acting on the orders of someone else whose goals were quite different from those of the elders that Shiki had met just now, or… Kamo-san himself was the one who wanted to release Kinji from the unfair imprisonment.

The first possibility wouldn't be very surprising. Shiki, for one, would not be startled at all by the revelation that there are higher ups who are at odds with one another, and thus act differently in accordance to their own agendas. But if it were the second possibility, if Kamo-san here had taken initiative on his own to rebel against the order for Kinji's imprisonment… then that was a rather more curious state of affairs.

Because bluntly speaking, there's no reason for Kamo-san to attempt to free Kinji. One could even argue that it's against his interests to do so, in fact, given that Kamo-san is a student here at the Kyoto school. And if he intends to build closer relations with the conservative faction in Kyoto, as additional assistance in preparation for the power struggle that awaits him back in the Kamo Clan, then it would be better for Kamo-san to refrain from any actions that might be construed as challenging the decisions of the higher ups.

Kamo-san is not a friend of the Gojo Clan, nor a friend of Shiki's. There's no personal stake for him in regards to Kinji being detained as he was, and there is no responsibility that he bears in the situation, either. So this decision to act in spite of that…

It's unexpected. And a little… odd.

Kinji is Shiki's classmate and had been invited to attend Obon with her; therefore, he's already loosely affiliated with the Gojo Clan. When taking into account the strained relationship between the Gojo and the Kamo clans, Kamo-san is not a likely candidate who would reasonably wish to assist Kinji.

Yet here he currently is, standing before them with a key to the imprisoning barrier in hand. If Shiki and Ken-jichan had been delayed any longer by the higher ups' posturing, then it's quite possible that they would've arrived just in time to catch Kamo-san and his classmate in the middle of carrying out a 'jailbreak.'

"U-um. No, I don't believe anyone has officially sanctioned Hakari-san's release yet," Kamo-san clears his throat, smoothing out the edge of nervousness to his words. "This was just… a personal decision on my part. Although, I now see that my actions were unnecessary. If possible, I… I would greatly appreciate it if no one mentioned my –or Nishimiya's– presence here. Should such a matter come up in conversation at some later point, that is."

… It appears that Kamo-san himself is also well aware of what his actions here would look like to others: Kamo Noritoshi, former Kamo heir and current potential challenger, deciding to openly disregard the higher ups and flout their orders in order to assist Hakari Kinji? A Tokyo student who was classmates with Gojo Shiki, at that?

Kamo-san definitely wouldn't be escaping the allegations of 'conspiring' with the Gojo Clan, should this knowledge become known to his detractors in the Kamo Clan. The boy himself clearly is not completely unaware of the implications of such a thing –which then raises the question of why he'd chosen to attempt to help Kinji in spite of it. Even if it ended up as an unnecessary effort on his part in the end, seeing as Shiki had broken the barrier herself before Kamo-san had a chance to do anything.

Still, this was… quite a coincidental encounter, wasn't it?

Shiki recalls running into Kamo-san during Obon. Megumi's Divine Dogs had noticed a shikigami spying on them, and following up on it had led to an unexpected meeting with Kamo-san. Then, a subsequent ambush.

… Which meant that Kamo-san was already suspected of relations with the Gojo Clan, well before the exchange event between the Tokyo and Kyoto schools.

If Kamo Noritoshi wanted to prove to his clan beyond all shadow of doubt that he was not a puppet of the Gojo Clan, then he should be actively avoiding anything that would implicate otherwise.

Freeing Kinji under the circumstances would most certainly qualify as 'implication.'

Shiki tilts her head.

Then, did Kamo-san want to be associated with the Gojo Clan? Intentionally? That seemed… plausible, in a manner of speaking. But if that was the case, then it still didn't make sense. Kamo-san should know about his clan's overall attitude towards the Gojos –and towards Shiki herself, in particular. Achieving a stable footing with his clansmen is not a task that would be eased by associating himself with the Gojo Clan.

… Shiki maintains that she is not the one who bears the brunt of responsibility in the events culminating in the Kamo Clan's fall from grace. But she is also aware that the majority of the Kamo Clan most likely does not see things that way.

So, what had Kamo Noritoshi been hoping to achieve here by his aborted attempt to help Kinji?

From the side, Ken-jichan breathes out slowly.

"It would be no trouble from our end to keep quiet on your presence here," Ken-jichan tells Kamo-san. "But if your absence has already been noticed, then I suspect it would be a trivial matter for… interested parties to determine your actions."

"I know," Kamo-san acknowledges with a nod. "And I'll deal with that as it comes. But considering that Gojo-san was quite overt with bringing down the barrier herself, it should be easier for me and Nishimiya-san to be overlooked."

"And if I wasn't?"

A faintly startled expression crosses Kamo-san's face, mixed with confusion at the question.

"If I wasn't here," Shiki elaborates. She's curious as to what Kamo-san's answer would be. "How did you plan to deal with the fallout?"

From the standpoint of someone who wanted to reclaim the proper title of Kamo heir once more –or perhaps, clan head– support from within the Kamo Clan was a must. Should Kamo Noritoshi submit himself to the Gojo Clan, then there would be certain conveniences and benefits to such an alliance from an external perspective. But internally, it was unlikely that his Kamo clansmen would be pleased by their leader being the puppet of another clan.

Kamo-san had requested for them to remain quiet on the fact that he'd apparently been intending to free Kinji himself. This implied that he did not want his actions to be well-known, but in a place like the jujutsu school where there are eyes and ears everywhere, watching and listening, it was only a matter of time before this became known. Especially since Kinji was a sorcerer who'd achieved Domain Expansion; no one would overlook a student with such an achievement to their name.

So. What was Kamo-san angling to achieve here?

Aiding Kinji could be seen as a gesture of goodwill towards Shiki, and thereby the Gojo Clan by extension. Except as a Kamo clansman, openly associating himself with the Gojo Clan in such a manner was unlikely to mean anything good for Kamo Noritoshi. If he desired the Gojo Clan's assistance, then it would behoove him to be a little more… circumspect about it.

Such as sending a proxy to free Kinji, instead of coming in person himself. Plausible deniability, should anyone in the Kamo Clan attempt to point fingers at him and stir up trouble. And whilst he denied such suspicions from his own clan, he could simultaneously also begin making overtures with the Gojo Clan, in an attempt to collect the rewards of his assistance.

There was also the dissatisfaction of the higher ups that would need to be taken into account on this matter. While not all of them had necessarily been in favor of locking Kinji up, the fact remained that enough elders had still agreed to set events into motion. And if Kamo-san had been the one to free Kinji, then it was he who would bear the brunt of their ire. Him, and the Kamo Clan that he represented by virtue of his blood.

Shiki is not particularly concerned about offending the higher ups. Satoru-niichan has always been perfectly clear in his dislike of their methodology and the traditions that they clung to, and she is inclined to follow her cousin's lead on this front. In sharp contrast, Kamo-san would be concerned about the higher ups' opinions of him. The Kamo Clan as a whole are staunch traditionalists, and in a time when their power and influence were both rapidly waning due to instability, making new enemies was inadvisable.

What does he want?

While Shiki has known of Kamo Noritoshi for a long time now, she is not exactly familiar with him, not with only a few sparing encounters between them. Judging from their few interactions to date, however…

Kamo-san does not strike her as a meticulous, conniving schemer. Not in the way so many clan sorcerers are, to varying degrees. Yet he is an individual of import within the Kamo Clan all the same, and someone in his position would most assuredly be cognizant to some degree of the political ramifications of their actions.

"Any fallout resulting from my actions would be my own to bear," Kamo-san says. Shiki finds herself once again reminded of their encounter during Obon, when the boy had expressed contrition for getting her involved with the Kamo Clan's matters through unexpected, indirect association. The sentiments then were also similar.

"Is that so?" Once again, not a single request for assistance from the Gojo Clan. But had Kamo-san truly been the one to free Kinji, then it was entirely possible that he–

"Kamo-kun is genuinely risking a lot just by attempting to help your classmate!" the blonde girl standing behind Kamo-san suddenly blurts out. "I-I know that it turns out we didn't need to do anything, since you just tore down the barrier on your own! But… there really aren't any ulterior motives at work here, Gojo-san."

Despite the initial burst of emotion, the girl's voice grows progressively quieter towards the end of her words, and she ducks her head either in fear or anxiety after finally finishing her statement. Her hands clench around the handle of the cursed tool that she holds tightly to her chest, a thin… broomstick?

… That's new.

"Wait, wait, you think Kamo is planning something?" Kinji turns towards Shiki while his hands gesticulate wildly at the boy in question.

In response, she shrugs. "He has no reason to help."

"The higher ups are wrong, in this matter," Kamo-san says quietly. "… That's all the reason I need."

…

They are, but it's not something she'd been expecting Kamo-san to say aloud so candidly like this. Especially not while he's standing on Kyoto school grounds, in the heart of the conservative faction's seat of power.

Kamo-san's lips quirk into a helpless little smile. "Being in a high-ranked position doesn't necessarily equate to making good decisions all the time. I can't say that I always know what the right course of action is, but I think… overlooking when something is wrong is a slippery slope. The Kamo Clan has had enough of that."

There are words within that innocuous statement. Is Kamo-san referring to the vicious infighting going on within his clan, one that sees individuals ignoring what would benefit their clan as a whole in favor of personal gains? Or perhaps, would 'wrong' also include the matter of Shiki's kidnapping that happened so long ago?

"Earlier, you asked how I was planning to deal with the fallout of helping Hakari-san," Kamo-san's voice is slow and measured. "It's… easiest if no one finds out about this excursion. But even if it became known, I don't plan to deny it. Not for the sake of building connections with the Gojo Clan, but because Hakari-san shouldn't have been locked up to begin with. I… I don't have the power or influence to convince the higher ups to take my side on this, but I'm not going to just sit on my hands and do nothing."

Towards the end, a hint of frustration seeps into his tone.

"… I know that there will be clansmen who disagree with what I'm doing. There's nothing I can do about that. If it's not this, then they'll definitely focus on some other fault of mine," Kamo-san shakes his head, lips setting into a firm line. "But it is also my hope that those who do agree will find it in themselves to step forward. The Kamo Clan… deserves better than the mess that Kamo Einosuke has made of everything. We can't continue as we are."

So… Kamo-san is hoping to 'lead by example,' or something along those lines?

Clan pride is clearly not something that the boy holds in high esteem. The desire for change that he's expressing is also not something that Shiki is altogether unfamiliar with.

… If Kamo-san desires to change his clan for the better, then Shiki wishes him the best of luck. Personally, the fate of the Kamo Clan is not something that she holds any interest in, nor does she desire to become involved with. Shiki has had quite enough of the Kamo Clan's machinations to date. Should anyone from the Kamo Clan attempt to use her for their own ends again, then her attitude towards them would be much the same as she'd expressed to the higher ups earlier:

If power and influence and control are so important to them, then they had best be prepared and willing to die for it.

It's a good thing that Kamo-san, at least, does not appear to want to recruit her for his own purposes. Otherwise, this would be a very different conversation.

Kinji rocks back on his heels, crossing his hands behind his head.

"… I think half of the subtext of this conversation just went straight over my head," he admits with aplomb, "But… for a Kamo dude, it seems like you're not such a bad guy. You'd probably make a good clan heir."

Kamo Noritoshi looks surprised for a moment by the sudden endorsement that comes out of nowhere.

Then, a small smile.

"Thank you, Hakari-san."

Kinji laughs, "Just saying what I think, Kamo."

.

.

They part ways with Kamo-san and his classmate –Nishimiya-san, if memory serves correctly– shortly after the brief run-in. Shiki still cannot claim that she knows Kamo-san very well, but at the very least she can say that he does not seem to be cut from the same cloth as his father. Which would be good for the Kamo Clan, assuming he could successfully ascend to the position of clan head without being assassinated along the way or be otherwise deposed along the way.

"Wow, you always have such cheerful thoughts."

There is a split-second where Shiki is bewildered by why Kinji would consider assassination to be cheerful, before the sarcasm in the comment registers.

… He's probably being sarcastic, right?

Shiki likes to think that she would've noticed by this point if Kinji were someone with a fascination for murder. Then again, it wasn't as if she'd picked up on anything amiss from Geto-san all those years ago…

She's fairly certain that she's grown more perceptive since then, though. And if Kinji ever spontaneously decides that the indiscriminate mass murder of civilians is his life's calling, then Shiki will know better.

The boy sneezes sharply.

"Hey… y'know, come to think of it," Kinji starts, rubbing his nose, "Are you the heir to your clan?"

"I am not." Most definitely not.

"Why?" The question is genuinely curious. "I mean, you're the strongest in your clan after your cousin, right? Seems like you're pretty important and all, and you've clearly also got a good handle on this politicking stuff."

At that, Ken-jichan lets out a light huff of amusement; Shiki, on the other hand, is only faintly put-out by her classmate's last observation. She doesn't want to be good at 'this politicking stuff.' Even though it's… admittedly useful.

Most of what she knows, she'd learned from Yuzuki-san over the years. But between the two of them, Yuzuki had always been the one with a keener mind for analyzing interpersonal relationships and power dynamics.

"… I don't want to be the clan heir." Shiki's opinion on this matter has not changed. Being the heir to the Gojo Clan would be more trouble than it's worth. Shiki also doesn't want the responsibility of an entire clan weighing down upon her shoulders. And…

Do what you want to.

If you pick up the position, I want it to be by your own choice, and not because it's yet another responsibility that's been shoved onto you.

… Satoru-niichan has explicitly stated to her before that this is not a task he would force upon her, no matter her supposed suitability for the role. In a way, Shiki can see her cousin's indulgence for what it is, and there's no denying that it is indulgence.

Despite his young age, declaring a like-minded heir would serve to further stabilize Satoru-niichan's control and influence within the clan. It's in Satoru-niichan's best interest to name an heir for himself. Had he gone ahead and summarily done so, Shiki knows that she would've been dismayed to learn of the news… but resignedly prepared herself for the duties of the role all the same, no matter her reluctance to play the part.

But he… didn't. He gave her a choice.

… Shiki genuinely doesn't desire to be the heir of the Gojo Clan. She also likes that Satoru-niichan respects her feelings on this matter. That he is willing to spoil her so.

Because she's his 'favorite cousin.'

…

"Kamo seemed like a pretty motivated guy," Kinji remarks thoughtfully, "Think we'll see him become Kamo heir anytime soon?"

It's not impossible. "If there is still a Kamo Clan remaining in the next two years, then perhaps."

"… Eh?"

Kinji opens his mouth either to follow up with another question, or to express his surprise, but there is a sudden flurry of footsteps that sound from the corridor behind the thin bamboo wall to their left. Footsteps that are accompanied by a faintly familiar flicker of cursed energy–

Iori Utahime bursts out from the turn at the end of the corridor, whirling towards them. There is something almost frazzled about the woman's normally-immaculate appearance, and she appears to be rather… harried. Shiki doesn't sense anything pursuing Iori-sensei, however, so this is a little mystifying.

"Did I hear Kamo? Did you see where Kamo-kun and Nishimiya-chan were… Shiki?!"

The rapid-fire questioning turns into a startled yelp at the end, and Iori-sensei's jaw drops open in surprise as she stares at Shiki.

"Hello, Iori-sensei," Shiki greets politely. It's been quite awhile since she's last seen her old teacher, the sorcerer who'd taught her many things about ceremonial procedures and ritualistic dances.

"You're here in Kyoto?" Iori-sensei mutters, before it seems to occur to her that this is quite a redundant question. After all, Shiki is currently standing right in front of her inside the Kyoto school.

The woman shakes her head, flushing faintly –then catches sight of Kinji, and starts spluttering in surprise again.

"You're the first year that used a Domain Expansion!"

"Uh, yeah?" Kinji blinks.

"And also… Nanami," Iori-sensei looks towards Ken-jichan. The surprise begins fading from her countenance; evidently Ken-jichan's presence here is the only one that's not shocking to her. She also gives a small nod towards Choki and Mutsuo, who both bow respectfully towards her in turn.

"Iori-san," Ken-jichan greets, "It's good to see you again. You seem to be in a rush…?"

"Ah, yes," Iori-sensei nods, a slightly choppy motion. "Two of my students, Kamo-kun and Nishimiya-chan, both went missing earlier, and I was worried that they…"

Her eyes dart towards Kinji for a moment, a telling sign. Kamo-san had likely been less discreet than he'd been hoping to be, if Iori-sensei was fully aware of what he'd been planning.

"… Never mind. I'm sure that they're not off causing trouble somewhere," Iori-sensei sighs, relaxing slightly. Shiki thinks that she can guess the reason –if Kinji is here with her, then clearly Kamo-san was not involved in Kinji's escape. Right? "If you're all here, then… I presume that you've already finished sorting out the misunderstanding with the higher ups?"

"I think Shiki finished sorting out the higher ups, actually," Kinji offers helpfully.

Iori-sensei twitches, her polite smile gaining a slightly fixed edge at that comment.

Shiki doesn't bother correcting her classmate. In a way, it's not exactly untrue.

"We'll be on our way, then," Ken-jichan nods to the woman. "Iori-san, perhaps it would be–"

"Wait!" Iori-sensei bursts out. Another loss of composure, which is… a little unusual for Iori-sensei, given Shiki's understanding of her old teacher. Especially since Satoru-niichan is nowhere near the vicinity right now. "I… I understand that you're looking to collect the rest of the Tokyo students and depart soon, before any other unexpected situations arise. But if it's alright, Shiki… do you have a moment?"

One second, then two, and Shiki realizes what Iori-sensei is requesting. "There is something that you'd like to discuss privately?"

"If possible, yes," Iori-sensei nods, and glances towards Ken-jichan. "It's nothing to do with the higher ups or their politics, I swear. There's a student under my care, and… well, I'm not in a position to reveal their personal details. But there is something regarding their unique circumstances that I hoped to ask Shiki about. I was planning to make a trip to Tokyo, but…"

But fortuitously enough, Shiki had arrived in Kyoto instead.

Iori-sensei is more familiar with Kyoto school grounds than they are; a few twists down the winding corridor, and there is an empty classroom for Shiki to speak with her old teacher in. Ken-jichan and the others aren't far. In all likelihood, Ken-jichan is currently explaining to Kinji that Iori-sensei used to be one of Shiki's teachers, before becoming an instructor at the Kyoto school.

The dark-haired woman sucks in a deep breath.

"You are aware of what Heavenly Restrictions are, right?"

"Yes."

A Heavenly Restriction is the term used for a particular sort of binding vow: One that the individual is born with, rather than one that is later formed of the individual's own choice. They are also unique in the fact that the effects of Heavenly Restrictions often cannot be replicated by regular binding vows made by a sorcerer.

Heavenly Restrictions are reflected in the body. Usually, the individual's cursed energy is affected, in exchange for some limitation or improvement to the physical body. Shiki recalls a recorded case in the Gojo Clan's archives that detailed a clansman who'd been born with a Heavenly Restriction that left them paralyzed from the waist down, in exchange for cursed energy that enforced a paralysis effect on others who came into contact with it.

"There's a student who's slated to enter the Kyoto school as a first year student next year," Iori-sensei starts carefully. "And he was born with a rather extreme Heavenly Restriction. A disabled body and fragile constitution, in exchange for a vast range on his cursed technique."

This sounds… vaguely familiar. Either someone has mentioned this individual in passing to Shiki before, or she'd seen it on one document or another at some point.

However, why was Iori-sensei bringing this up to her? "… Do you want me to try and kill his Heavenly Restriction?"

Iori-sensei startles, like the thought has never occurred to her before. "You can do that?"

"I don't know." It's not as if there are very many examples of Heavenly Restrictions running around to begin with. Her only experience with this would be the Sorcerer Killer, whose Heavenly Restriction erased cursed energy from his body in exchange for superhuman physicality. Shiki does not recall seeing the lines of his Heavenly Restriction, however. She'd only been six years old at the time, though. Her abilities have improved considerably since then.

"If that's possible… could you try?"

Shiki blinks, "I could. Do they mind potentially dying?"

Iori-sensei chokes. "Dying?"

… Shiki takes that as a 'yes, they do mind.' "I don't exactly have any experience on this front, Iori-sensei, so I can't promise anything in terms of results."

"Well… we can forget that for now, then," Iori-sensei roughly shakes her head, and clears her throat. "Anyways. As I was saying… what was I saying, actually?"

"You have an incoming student with a Heavenly Restriction that gives him a poor physical constitution," she prompts helpfully.

"Right, that." The woman seems to find her stride again. "I was wondering… Kiyohira-san's arm. It's a remarkable reconstruction of a regular human arm, even though it's actually jujutsu puppetry. Do you know if this technique would be able to… help my student?"

"You should be asking Shoko-san about this," Shiki informs her old teacher.

"I already did," Iori-sensei bites her lip, and sighs. "… Ieiri said it would be one thing to create prosthetic replacements, and another thing entirely to replace their entire body."

"Then it sounds like you already have your answer." Unfortunate as it is for her student.

"I…" Another slight pause. Then, a swift, explosive breath. "Is there any way for an individual to –to implant their consciousness into a puppet body?"

Araya Souren.

Shiki calmly returns the woman's trembling gaze. "Why are you asking me this?"

"Shoko said that the procedure would be impossible for her. But I heard…" Iori-sensei wrings her hands, "There were rumors about your fight against Araya Souren. The bodies that were destroyed, during the cleanup. Please, if you know anything about this…"

She doesn't.

Shiki had glanced at Araya's research notes, and very specifically destroyed the remnants that spoke of transferring consciousness between different puppet bodies. So there wouldn't be any temptations for the higher ups who would pore over the results of her battle with a fine-toothed comb. There were already enough conflicts within the jujutsu world as things stood; effective pseudo-immortality did not need to get added to the list of things to fight over. One Araya Souren was already more than enough.

And so she'd destroyed the research easily, without a second thought.

… Shiki still doesn't think she was wrong to do so. But she also realizes that this is perhaps not the best thing to tell Iori-sensei, who very transparently hopes for a solution to resolve her student's suffering.

"I don't know how to transfer a person's consciousness into a puppet body," Shiki tells her old teacher. "But it's possible. I can confirm that Araya Souren changed physical bodies multiple times throughout our battle."

"I see." Iori-sensei appears both faintly disappointed and relieved that there's hope in this direction of thinking. She offers the younger girl a genuine smile, "Thank you, Shiki."

Should Iori-sensei's student figure out how to gain himself a working puppet body to replace his original disabled one… then that would be outside of her purview. Shiki doesn't think so highly of herself that she should regulate what a sorcerer can and cannot research. But if the sorcerer in question develops a method of making the higher ups immortal, or decides to become a second Araya Souren… then Iori-sensei is going to have to live with the disappointment of Shiki killing the student that she's going to such lengths to help.

"You're welcome, Iori-sensei."

There's a determined step to Iori-sensei's stride as she leaves. Shiki watches the woman disappear around the corner of the hallway, and wonders whether or not the student will succeed in escaping from the confines of his Heavenly Restriction.

"Heavy thoughts?" Kinji pokes her. "What did she want to talk to you about, anyways?"

"It's nothing," Shiki shakes her head. "… Let's find Kirara and the others now, shall we? I'd like to return to Tokyo soon."

"Yeah, I can get behind that. I think I've definitely had enough of Kyoto by now."

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…

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