90

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"Dude, is everything okay?"

Shiki blinks, looking up from her seat at the table. On the other side, Choki straightens and begins putting away various documents into their proper folders at the interruption from her classmates.

Kinji slides into the empty seat on her left, while Kirara brackets her on the right. Vaguely, Shiki is struck with the disconcerted feeling of being ambushed.

She tilts her head questioningly.

"Heard you killed someone yesterday," Kinji continues bluntly. "Didn't you say that you were just heading out to find Kusakabe-sensei? How did you end up getting wrapped up in this?"

… Yaga-gakucho had recommended that Shiki think carefully about how to explain to her classmates why she'd killed two Yagyu elders. And Shiki had thought about it, to a certain extent. Kirara was more likely to be bothered by it than Kinji, but she had confidence that both of them would at least be willing to hear her out before hastily jumping to any conclusions in the misunderstanding that Yaga-gakucho feared happening.

It appears that her classmates are quite quick on the uptake, accosting her here instead of waiting until she met up with them during the day.

"Kusakabe-sensei being out of the school and getting caught up in an incident wasn't a coincidence," she tells the two of them. "The higher ups were behind it. And…"

The nuances of politics and the social byplay involved, the implications of every action and inaction and one power play after another… it's never been something that Shiki liked very much. Nonetheless, she does her best to provide an explanation of the overall situation to her classmates. It's best that they have an understanding of what's going on.

"So you actually went and killed them, then," Kinji lets out a low whistle. "Yikes."

His tone is distinctly unconcerned, if Shiki has to put a word to it. Shiki recalls Kinji's background –in particular, how he'd been acquainted with curse users in his local neighborhood, at the time of their first encounter with each other when Kirara and Takagi-sensei had been missing. It makes sense that Kinji would be familiar with a certain level of violence, in that sense.

Kirara, on the other hand, appears to be a little more subdued. If it were the Kirara from the beginning of the school year, then Shiki has no doubt that he would be fidgeting uncomfortably in her presence, and stuttering nervously again. But there's a lot that has transpired since then, and… most sorcerers are all desensitized to violence, to an extent. It's something that comes with the nature of the job, a gradual change that comes with time –or so Kiyohira-sensei says. And… in retrospect, the experience with Araya Souren and the human puppets that the man commanded had likely also served to hasten this process for her classmates.

But for most, there exists a marked difference between killing curses and killing humans. A gap that isn't easily bridged, even though 'violence' remains the same at its core.

"… Hey, are you feeling okay?"

"Of course," Shiki blinks, slightly confused by the sudden question that comes out of nowhere.

"Right, just checking," Kinji nods, scratching his head awkwardly. "I guess… yeah, I guess there really isn't anything for us to worry about on this front, considering that it's you."

"'Considering that it's me?'" Shiki glances towards the boy.

"Yup. You and the whole 'killing people' thing," Kinji explains, waving his hand. "And I don't mean it in, like. A negative way or anything. It's more sorta… this is just how you are? I'm probably not making any sense, am I…"

Is he… saying that it's not surprising that she's killed people? Is Shiki understanding this correctly?

"I don't know how comfortable I am with this, to be honest," Kirara admits from the side, speaking up for the first time. "I mean… I get that there's a lot of convoluted politics going on, and I know you didn't just kill two people for no reason. But… it's still kinda different from how it was with that zombie guy, right?"

"Well, yeah. Zombie guy was more zombie than human, I'd say," Kinji mutters. It takes Shiki a moment to realize that her classmates are referring to Araya Souren by 'zombie guy.' "Not sure how much of a valid comparison it is, really."

"… Araya Souren was human." The man had been a curse user who dabbled heavily in unethical experiments, to be sure, but he'd still been human. That wasn't really a point of contention.

"I've gotta be honest with you, it really didn't seem that way during your fight," Kinji makes a face. "Anyways. Come to think of it, aside from zombie man I don't think we've ever actually seen you kill anyone?"

"You still haven't." Okkotsu-san had been standing in the room when Shiki had killed the Yagyu elders, but neither Kinji nor Kirara had been present at the time. Her classmates have witnessed her killing cursed spirits, but not other humans.

"Okay, I didn't mean literally," Kinji rolls his eyes, to which Shiki shrugs.

"You will in the future, most likely." Although she has her hopes that the higher ups will leave her alone, Shiki is also acutely aware that it's not likely to be anything permanent. Because there's no way that the higher ups will be content to let things be, so… she might very well find herself repeating her actions again in the future.

And, even aside from the elders, there is also the matter of curse users to consider. Among curse users, most all use sorcery to commit various crimes for the right price, murder included. Which oftentimes means that they have no qualms about fighting proper sorcerers with the intent to kill, and in such cases, if the situation calls for it –execution is permissible.

"That's a scary thing to say, isn't it?"

"It's the truth." Shiki respects her classmates enough not to mince her words when it comes to this topic.

"… Are we going to have to kill people in the future, too?" Kirara asks quietly.

"Only if you decide to," Shiki responds. "A sorcerer's primary purpose is to exorcise cursed spirits. Just cursed spirits."

Kirara nods slowly, still faintly subdued.

"Yeah, you say that but… we're still training to fight. And if you're good at fighting curses, then there's always going to be part of it which translates pretty well into fighting other people, too," Kinji rolls his shoulders loosely. "I wouldn't be too concerned about it –what happens, happens."

Kirara pauses and gives the other boy a slight side-eye, "Aren't you being a little too casual about this?"

"We've jumped into a pretty violent career path already, so it's not entirely unexpected," Kinji makes a vague gesture with his hand. "And… sometimes, the scariest thing about sorcery isn't the curses that you have to fight, but the other humans standing behind you."

There's something in those words that's markedly devoid of his usual cheer. "Personal experience?"

"It's the only way to learn a lesson well," the boy quips, in a way that makes it hard to tell if he's being serious or not.

Kirara looks between the two of them, then casts his gaze towards Choki, who's watching their entire exchange silently from the side. "… Is this normal, or am I just being a little too sensitive about things?"

"It's perfectly normal to have reservations towards the prospect of killing other people," Choki answers calmly. "The ojou-sama's mindset towards this is the exception, not the norm. And Hakari-san's experiences are also quite different from those of the average person."

Kirara sighs. "Just when I thought I'd finally gotten used to everything…"

"There, there" Kinji says consolingly, giving the other boy a pat on the back. "Y'know, you don't have to get used to this or anything. Killing, that is. Probably for the best that you aren't."

"But I–"

"You don't see the two of us as heartless for our attitudes on it," Kinji jerks a thumb at himself, then points towards Shiki, "And neither of us are going to think any less of you for caring about the idea of killing people. So it's fine like this, isn't it?"

"I…" Kirara stares at Kinji. "… I want to say it's fine. But is this really… alright? It kind of feels like a slippery slope, and I…"

"It's a little late to be worrying about that, isn't it?" Although a sorcerer's work is to protect non-sorcerer civilians from the curses that they are unaware and ignorant of, that does not mean sorcerers are moral, upstanding characters.

(Sorcerers, after all, are only human.)

Kirara gives Shiki a faintly alarmed look.

"I believe what the ojou-sama means," Choki coughs lightly from the side, "Is that there are curse users who would not share your concerns. Elders who think of their sorcerers as numbers and statistics, and see everything in terms of gain and loss over all else. The jujutsu world is, unfortunately, filled with its own issues."

"Yeah, I think that much is starting to get obvious from the dicey politics going on," Kinji grumbles.

"I can't promise that you won't be involved in any politics." Particularly not when Kinji had already been accosted by the higher ups during the exchange event in Kyoto. Kirara had escaped notice so far, but Shiki can't be certain that the higher ups will continue to overlook him in the future as well. "… But if you need me to kill anyone–"

"Whoa there," Kinji holds up a hand in the universal gesture for 'stop.' "I think it's a little too soon to be walking around and making offers to kill people, yeah?"

Shiki blinks. "Why?"

"… No particular reason." Kinji glances towards Kirara briefly, where the other boy has his face buried in his hands. "So, what comes next?"

"… Classes with Takagi-sensei?" Shiki easily follows the change in conversation topic. Despite the… excitement that had taken place yesterday, today is still a school day. Which means that Shiki and her classmates still need to–

"No, like," Kinji swiftly shakes his head, "We were talking about jujutsu politics, right? And you just killed two higher ups yesterday. That means the rest of them are definitely going to do something about it, aren't they?"

"They will." But as to what they would specifically decide upon as a proper 'response' towards what she'd done… "I'll take care of it."

Kinji blinks. "… Like how you took care of the two headless higher ups?"

"Not necessarily." Shiki is not out to intentionally kill any and all elders that cross her. But if any of the higher ups decided continued on their inadvisable course of action to use her as a pawn and continue troubling those around her, then they shouldn't be surprised when Shiki makes good on her previous threat.

The higher ups are secure in the power they hold over the sorcerers under their command. Yet there is a difference between accepting missions and silently allowing them to do as they please, and the higher ups have been blurring the lines for far too long.

The higher ups have grown used to the stagnant state of things. Where sorcerers obey the commands that they are given, and dutifully carry out the assignments asked of them. For a sorcerer to truly raise their blade against them is unthinkable–

But Shiki has no qualms against doing such a thing.

By and large, obedience is something that's drilled into most clan sorcerers, because it's important for a sorcerer to know that they must act for the 'greater good.' To sacrifice themselves in this endless war against curses, in order to protect those who stand behind them. It's something that had been part of Shiki's childhood lessons with the Gojo Clan, too.

But–

Shiki is a sorcerer, but her identity does not revolve around being a sorcerer. She's not defined by it.

… At one point, she had been empty.

Fill, fill, fill.

Memories and color. Shared experiences and laughter. Family that cares for her, and friends who extend their hands to her.

… Shiki isn't predisposed towards feeling strong emotions, most of the time. But there are certain things that she feels very strongly about. In particular, towards anything that poses a potential threat to what she cares about –her instinct is to kill, and part of her suspects that she will always feel that urge, to some extent, even in cases where she does not immediately act upon it.

"There's no doubt that the higher ups will decide to… censure me in some way." Shiki would be more surprised if they didn't. And more suspicious of what they have planned up their sleeve, too. "But it won't be quite so easy for them, either."

Kinji makes a small, enlightened sound. "Because you're a Gojo?"

"That's a very large part of it." The influence that the Gojo Clan holds is not to be underestimated. Even though Shiki is not without her detractors within the Gojo Clan, what they disparage of her are things like her gender and blood. Her personality, and how she doesn't see sense.

Not her strength.

So, the Gojo Clan will stand on her side, simply because Shiki is powerful enough of a sorcerer for it to be worth them doing so. She's not as strong as Satoru-niichan, but she's the strongest after him in the Gojo Clan, and the Gojo Clan would be remiss if their sorcerers could be easily censured and punished by the Jujutsu Headquarters, no matter the reason for it.

In terms of pride, the Gojo Clan is far too assured in their own superiority to let such a thing go unchallenged. In terms of practicality, the Gojo Clan would not be able to accept one of their stronger sorcerers being punished for trivial reasons when they could be put to good use elsewhere.

… And even setting all of this aside, there is another far simpler reason why Shiki is confident that the Gojo Clan will take her side against the higher ups: Satoru-niichan is the head of the Gojo Clan, and the clan knows very well that Shiki and Satoru-niichan have a good relationship with each other.

Furthermore–

Although Shiki has her own reasons for killing the Yagyu elders as she did, it helps that it doesn't run counter to the Gojo Clan's interests. The Yagyu and Gojo clans were never quite on good terms with each other, so there's no love lost there. And, more importantly…

The Gojo Clan has been rising in greater prominence in recent times. First due to Satoru-niichan, who was the Honored One born with Six Eyes and Limitless, and then due to Shiki, who was discovered possessing an entirely new type of cursed eyes and talented in the arts of sorcery as well. Satoru-niichan has confidence in her to become a Special Grade sorcerer, and Shiki won't let her cousin down.

The existence of two Special Grade sorcerers within the same clan, however, is unlikely to be something looked upon kindly by other sorcery families in the jujutsu world. Especially not when said sorcerers are nominally the cause behind another Great Family's fall from grace, and the resources seized from the fallen clan bolster the Gojo Clan's own strength.

At this point, there are probably many who watch the Gojo Clan with wary eyes. And… the Gojo Clan is not unaware of this, either.

The recent mess with Kusakabe-sensei running headfirst into an unknown cursed spirit in a local elementary school might nominally be a plot to act as a diversion for Shiki and allow the higher ups access to Okkotsu Yuta in her absence, but looking at it from another perspective… wasn't this also a roundabout way of circumventing the Gojo Clan? An attempt to prevent them from getting hold of another talented Special Grade potential, or so it could be construed.

Not that it had been Satoru-niichan's intention to acquire yet another Special Grade potential for the Gojo Clan, but Shiki can see how paranoid elders would misread things.

Satoru-niichan might not trust the higher ups to act in Okkotsu-san's benefit, but the higher ups most likely also feared a repeat of the situation with Megumi playing out again. The Zenin Clan had not let go of Fushiguro Megumi willingly, and it was only the threat of what would result from Satoru-niichan's ire that kept them grudgingly at bay.

So–

As powerful as the Gojo Clan had grown, they were also not without their fair share of growing enemies as well. Which meant that they needed to take action, somehow, except their options were limited.

Because they desired to uphold an impeccable image, one that would not give others any excuse to throw around accusations about how power-hungry and domineering that the Gojo Clan was. There was a difference between the Gojo Clan throwing around their weight to oppress a weaker clan due to frictions between them, and the Gojo Clan doing so in order to protect one of their own sorcerers.

In other words, Shiki killing the Yagyu elders provided the Gojo Clan with an excuse to make use of their authority in a way that would make it difficult for any real blame to be laid at the Gojo Clan's feet. Because it was Shiki who had chosen to kill the higher ups on her own, and the Gojo Clan was only cleaning up her mess.

"… I'll probably be receiving word from the clan elders later today." It would most likely be Gojo Daisaku-sama who would be charged with delivering news of the clan's decision to her. Kiyohira-sensei was also an elder now, but he'd likely be deemed unsuitable for delivering such messages to Shiki, due to their closeness to each other as longtime teacher and student. "I wonder what kind of punishment they'll decide on."

"Punishment?" Kinji scrunches his brows. "… Weren't you saying that things would be okay and your clan is taking care of things for you?"

"That's true," Shiki nods. "So they'll run interference with whatever the higher ups have planned. But they'll still have to make a public attitude of disapproval towards my actions."

Because there was a difference between protecting one of their sorcerers, and condoning said sorcerer's actions. And if the Gojo Clan publicly supported Shiki's killing of two higher ups, then it would bring the subtly-forming undercurrents of conflict between the Gojo Clan and the Jujutsu Headquarters into the spotlight –with no chance of reconciliation happening anytime soon. Not as long as Satoru-niichan and Shiki remained as the Gojo Clan's most prominent pillars of strength in the jujutsu world.

So, censuring Shiki themselves would be better than allowing the higher ups the initiative on this. Because it would also serve as a message that the Gojo Clan had its most powerful sorcerers under control, if they were able to reprimand them for any missteps. Thus adding another mark of favor to their advantage; the only thing worse than a murderous Special Grade sorcerer is an uncontrollable murderous Special Grade sorcerer.

Not that Shiki considers herself to be particularly murderous, but…

"Sounds complicated," Kinji shudders exaggeratedly. "You really weren't kidding when you said that politics is tied into a lot of stuff, huh?"

Shiki gives her classmate a strange look, "Why would I lie about this?"

"No reason, I guess," Kinji shrugs. "… And on that happy note, I think we're going to be late for class soon if we don't get going now. So!"

He claps his hands together, a jarring sound. Kirara straightens from the side, and Shiki also rises up from her seat at the table. Kinji is right, they do seem to be running a little short on time now, and it's rude to arrive late to one's engagements.

"Wait, we need to pick up Okkotsu from his room too, don't we?" Kirara snaps his fingers. "He's still supposed to be sitting in on our lessons, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he is," Kinji nods along. "Wow, okay, we really need to run, then. Let's pick him up from our side of the dorms first, then. See you soon, Shiki!"

Shiki gamely waves after her classmates as they head out into the hallways side by side, hurried footsteps sounding thunderously as they race down the corridor together.

"… I will be going as well, then." Shiki smooths down the wrinkles in her kimono, and turns towards Choki. "Keep me informed of any updates that the Gojo Clan sends regarding their next course of action. And… send someone to watch the Yagyu Clan as well."

Choki bows. "As you command, ojou-sama."

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.

Takagi-sensei seems to be a little jumpier than usual in the classroom, but he settles down throughout the day once it becomes apparent that Shiki is not about to pull out her sword and start killing her classmates, or some other such nonsense. The man even appears to be faintly abashed by his own behavior once lessons conclude for the day.

What also happens after their lessons end in the afternoon, is that a messenger from the Gojo Clan arrives at the Tokyo school.

"Greetings, ojou-sama," the young man bows to her. There's a gray-blue tinge of color to his off-white hair, and his eye coloring is a lighter brown –not quite what's considered the 'classic' Gojo look, but a coloration that clearly marks him as a Gojo relative in the jujutsu world nonetheless. "My name is Gojo Hayanari, and I come on behalf of the venerable elder Gojo Daisaku-sama."

"Hayanari-san," Shiki dips her head. She's unfamiliar with the man herself, but she vaguely remembers him as one of the clansmen at Kiyohira-sensei's side during Obon this year. Is he one of Daisaku-sama's people? "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"The pleasure is mine." Hayanari-san deepens his bow, holding it for a moment longer, before straightening. "But I'm afraid that I bear mixed news for you, ojou-sama."

"What have the elders decided upon?"

"It is the opinion of the elders that… the Yagyu overstep themselves. Attempting to lay a trap and manipulate you through engineered circumstances is not something that the Gojo Clan will stand for." Shiki is unsurprised by the Gojo elders' stance on this front. "There will be talks with the Yagyu Clan to discover all those who were involved in this incident, and proper punishments will be meted out so that there is not a repeat of this situation."

"The Yagyu Clan won't be happy about that," Shiki hums.

"The Yagyu Clan have already sent missives demanding restitution for the deaths of two of their prominent elders. They're currently also kicking up a ruckus about making sure that the perpetrator receives punishment for the crime of murder." Hayanari-san's voice remains level in the toneless delivery of these words, a clear sign of how very concerned about the Yagyu Clan's reaction he is not. "They're saying that one's position and social status should not be a shield from their crimes."

So the Yagyu Clan hasn't explicitly named Shiki as the one who'd killed Yagyu Toshiatsu and Yagyu Nariyasu, likely due to their reservations about going too far and truly angering the Gojo Clan, but there's no doubt that they know that she is responsible. That it was her hands that held the blade that sliced through both elders' necks without hesitation.

Shiki is quiet for a brief moment. "Have there been any attempts by a third party to mediate between the Gojo and Yagyu clans?"

… It's possible that the higher ups would send a representative of theirs into this mess, ostensibly to 'keep an eye on the situation' where the most powerful of the Three Great Families was directly involved. Or, it would be–

"The… Zenin Clan has offered, I believe," Hayanari-san answers. "Although the elders have yet to decide on whether to accept this or not."

There were multiple reasons for the Zenin Clan to make this offer. They were the only one of the other Three Great Families who were in a position to do so. And… if the manipulations that Shiki had gotten caught up in were a result of the higher ups' maneuverings, then it could be said that this was a sign that they were beginning to interfere with sorcery families themselves. If that was the case, then it would be in the Zenin Clan's best interest to stand on the Gojo Clan's side in opposition to the higher ups in the Jujutsu Headquarters.

But from another perspective, the Zenin Clan would most certainly be pleased if the Gojo Clan's influence and power were to be curbed. The Kamo Clan had already fallen beneath Satoru-niichan's anger –and aside from Satoru-niichan's Gojo Clan, there was only one other Great Family remaining.

"Don't accept the offer," Shiki says. "There's not enough reason for the Zenin Clan to support the Gojo Clan in this matter."

"… Daisaku-sama said the same thing," Hayanari-san blinks. "Takatomi-sama agreed with him as well. But there were also several others who insisted that the Three Great Families should stand together."

Shiki suspects that it's less that 'the Three Great Families should stand together' and more 'the Gojo Clan should lead the Three Great Families' that those elders are thinking of accomplishing here. As if showing off the Gojo Clan's power in the upcoming talks with the Yagyu Clan would convince the Zenin Clan to bow to them in submission, instead of giving the Zenin Clan more reasons to be wary of the Gojo Clan.

The Three Great Families used to stand on equal terms with each other. And it was only the appearance of a single sorcerer, Gojo Satoru, that tipped the scales and changed the balance. There's no way that the Kamos and Zenins would not be resentful of it, to some degree, and no way that they wouldn't think it was only due to good luck and fortune that the Gojo Clan had managed to rise in prominence.

And they weren't wrong, really. If either the Kamo or Zenin clans had their own Gojo Satoru, then the current political landscape in the jujutsu world would most likely be very different.

"Without a third party to act as an observer in this… it would be far too easy for the Yagyu Clan to claim themselves to be victims and paint the clan in a bad light," Hayanari-san lowers his eyes in thought. "I believe that might be another reason why there are elders wishing to accept the Zenin Clan's gesture. Moreover, with two of their elders already dead, the Yagyu Clan will be determined to protect their clan members –including those implicated in the recent incident."

Because if they prove to their clansmen that they are unable to protect them from the Gojo Clan, then it would destabilize the authority of those who currently hold power. And that would be unacceptable to the current leadership within the Yagyu Clan.

"Change the negotiation conditions, then," Shiki tells him.

Hayanari-san lifts his head, "The conditions, ojou-sama?"

"The Gojo Clan is seeking for Yagyu clansmen who were involved to be properly punished, right? And that won't be easy to accomplish without negative repercussions if there is not a third party who can speak on the Gojo Clan's behalf with the Yagyu Clan," Shiki lays out the current situation. "So change the conditions. It's unnecessary for more Yagyu clansmen to be punished."

Hayanari-san frowns slightly. "The elders–"

"The elders care about the reputation of the Gojo Clan. They want to make a statement that the Gojo Clan will not stand for its sorcerers to be manipulated and used by others. That's why… the deaths of Yagyu Toshiatsu and Yagyu Nariyasu aren't enough for them." Shiki pauses for a brief moment, formulating her next words. "But they don't need to punish more Yagyu clansmen in order to accomplish this."

The young man tilts his head. "As the wronged party who killed two Yagyu elders for the offenses committed against her… you don't seek further punishment?"

"Even the Yagyu elders didn't seem to be fully aware of who was pulling the strings in this show. Those working beneath them are only tools that were used to accomplish their task." So it's pointless to assign punishment to even more Yagyu clansmen as an intimidation tactic and show of power. "Interrogate them instead. And… I want to know how the Yagyu Clan came into contact with Geto Suguru."

Gaining information on Geto-san's whereabouts would be far more valuable than killing more Yagyu clansmen. Shiki is sure that Satoru-niichan would also agree with her on this.

"Ah. I see how it is," Hayanari-san mutters quietly. "This… could work. And it would also make the elders seem magnanimous, too, for forgiving the Yagyu Clan and foregoing further punishment… and it also gives the Yagyu Clan an excuse to push the blame for everything onto the curse user Geto Suguru."

And once the Yagyu Clan eagerly placed the blame on Geto Suguru, it would only be natural for them to assist the Gojo Clan's efforts in locating the man and bringing him to justice, right?

Which only left…

Shiki.

To be precise, some manner of punishment for Shiki, to reprimand her for 'recklessly' killing two Yagyu elders and ensure the Yagyu Clan's cooperation in the next steps. The Gojo Clan would not be inclined towards punishing her harshly, and depending on the restitution that was negotiated with the Yagyu Clan, their attitude also had the potential to be… flexible.

"What have the elders determined to be a proper chastisement for me?" Shiki asks.

"That is…" Hayanari-san falls quiet for a moment. "… Ojou-sama. Within the Gojo Clan, there are precious few who disagree with what you've done; outside the walls of the clan compound, you are one of the faces that the clan presents to the world, and it is the judgment of the elders that your actions show strength rather than bring disgrace to the clan."

"And?"

"And as such… please understand that it is merely for the watchful eyes of the outside world that they 'reluctantly' assign you punishment." Hayanari-san bows his head. "It has yet to be finalized, but it appears that you will be suspended from Tokyo Jujutsu High School, for a period of time between three months to half a year."

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.

…

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